Samsung Galaxy Buds3 FE (SM-R420) / Sony WH-1000XM6

Samsung Galaxy Buds3 FE (SM-R420): Galaxy Buds3 FE, SM-R420 (2025); Black and Gray. Sealed in-ear design with silicone tips. The tipless semi-open Galaxy Buds3, the Buds3 Pro and the original 2023 Galaxy Buds FE are separate models.

Sony WH-1000XM6: WH series · Over-ear

SpecificationSamsung Galaxy Buds3 FE (SM-R420)Sony WH-1000XM6
Release year20252025
Design and fitSealed in-ear design, silicone tips (three sizes), stem body; earbud 18.0 × 21.1 × 33.8 mm, 5 g (with M tip); case 58.9 × 48.7 × 24.4 mm, 41.8 g

Silicone tips seal the ear canal, blocking outside sound passively and helping bass sound fuller; if the tip does not seal, noise cancelling and bass both weaken.

Samsung		—
Driver and microphones1-way dynamic driver; 3 microphones per earbud Samsung—
Noise controlActive noise cancelling (ANC) and ambient sound

ANC uses microphones to detect outside sound and plays inverted sound to reduce steady noise such as engines and hum. Ambient sound lets you hear your surroundings without removing the earbuds. Adaptive ANC that adjusts to the environment is not listed for this model.

Samsung		—
Connectivity and codecsBluetooth 5.4, Auto Switch; SSC (Samsung Seamless Codec), AAC, SBC

SSC is Samsung’s own codec for higher-quality audio with Galaxy devices; other phones use AAC or SBC. Auto Switch moves the connection automatically between Galaxy devices on the same account.

Samsung		—
BatteryEarbud 53 mAh, case 515 mAh (typical); music: 6 h / 24 h total with ANC on, 8.5 h / 30 h total with ANC off; talk: 4 h / 18 h total

Samsung’s times come from internal tests with pre-production units and default settings; rated capacity is 50 mAh per earbud and 500 mAh for the case. Real runtime depends on volume, codec and battery age.

Samsung		—
Sensors and controlsProximity, Hall, touch and pressure sensors; pinch/swipe controls on the stem Samsung—
Water resistanceIP54 (earbuds only)

IP54 means limited dust protection and resistance to splashing water from any direction; it is not suitable for submersion. The charging case is not protected.

Samsung		—
CompatibilityAndroid 11 or later with more than 1.5 GB of RAM

Samsung notes some features may be unavailable on non-Samsung devices. Equaliser, ANC settings and AI features are managed in the Galaxy Wearable app or One UI settings.

Samsung		—
Driver—30 mm Sony
Bluetooth—5.3 Sony
Bluetooth profiles—A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP; TMAP, GMAP, PBP for LE Audio

About 10 m line-of-sight range; Power Class 1.

Sony
Codec—SBC, AAC, LDAC, LC3 Sony
Frequency response—Wired and on: 4–40,000 Hz; LDAC 96 kHz: 20–40,000 Hz

Over Bluetooth at 44.1 kHz sampling the range is 20–20,000 Hz.

Sony
Impedance / sensitivity—Wired, on: 48 Ω, 103 dB/mW; off: 16 Ω, 102 dB/mW Sony
Rated battery life—Music: up to 30 hours with ANC, 40 hours without ANC Sony
Rated talk time—Up to 24 hours with ANC, 28 hours without ANC Sony
Charging—About 3.5 hours; 9 V / 2.3 A with a USB Power Delivery adapter

Charge between 5 and 35 °C; use between 0 and 40 °C.

Sony
Connections—Bluetooth; 3.5 mm audio; USB-C charging Sony
Weight—Approximately 254 g Sony
Gaming audio—GMAP support · firmware 3.1.5

Added by the 30 June 2026 update; requires a compatible phone and game.

Sony
LE Audio requirement—LC3; Low latency mode in Sound Connect

LE Audio is unavailable in the default Prioritize Sound Quality mode.

Sony
Water protection—Not waterproof

Not designed for rain or wet use.

Sony
Earlier software fix—2.1.0: recording/playback in some iPhone apps and missing call audio

21 August 2025 release note; not a fix for every connection issue.

Sony