Go to the dark side with Samsung's AirPod alternatives for under $160

SAMSUNG Galaxy Buds 2 Pro in Black
(Image credit: Samsung)

Whether you're in Apple's ecosystem or not, there's no denying to appeal of AirPods - or their legacy. The idea of popping them in your ears and instantly enjoying your music is an easy one to get behind, but has the company been overtaken by its rivals?

We've already covered the Sony LinkBuds S and the Bose QuietComfort EarBuds II, but another option is also reduced in the "great earbud price-cutting event" also known as Black Friday.

Samsung's Galaxy Buds 2 Pro may not roll off the tongue, but they're likely to fly off shelves with Amazon cutting the price down to $159.99.

Where to find the best AirPods Black Friday deals

That puts them at around the same base price as the (admittedly also reduced) standard AirPods, but they offer more - including active noise cancellation.

They also offer "360-degree audio", which, as you can probably imagine, is very similar to what's offered on the Spatial Audio front from Apple.

Samsung's AirPods rivals are 30% off

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro | $229.99 $159.99 at Amazon

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro | $229.99 $159.99 at Amazon

These Samsung earbuds are priced competitively, and offer active noise canceling you won't get on the base AirPods.

Price check: $159.99 at Best Buy | $159.99 at Target

While they could do with better battery life, and the case could be a bit smaller, these earbuds from Samsung sound great - but you won't get instant pairing and device switching like you would from the AirPods.

Black Friday
Save money with Black Friday sales

Grab bargains on Apple devices this Black Friday

If you're looking for the best Black Friday Apple deals as the annual sales season kicks off, we've got you covered. From now right through to Cyber Monday on November 27, we'll be serving up the best offers on iPhone, MacBook, Apple Watch, iPad, HomeKit smart home devices and more. Save a small fortune by checking back on our daily deals coverage.

Lloyd Coombes
Contributor

Lloyd Coombes is a freelance writer with a specialism in Apple tech. From his first, hand-me-down iMac, he’s been working with Apple products for over a decade, and while he loves his iPhone and Mac, the iPad will always have his heart for reasons he still can’t quite fathom. Since moving from blogging to writing professionally, Lloyd’s work can be found at TechRadar, Macworld, TechAdvisor and plenty more. He’s also the Editor in Chief at GGRecon.com, and on the rare occasion he’s not writing you’ll find him spending time with his son, or working hard at the gym (while wearing an Apple Watch, naturally). You can find him on Twitter @lloydcoombes.