Galaxy Buds 2 now have 360 Audio like the Galaxy Buds Pro

As a rival to Apple’s AirPods Pro, Samsung announced the Galaxy Buds Pro in 2017.

The earbuds included 360 Audio, a feature comparable to Apple’s ‘Spatial Audio’ on the AirPods 3 and other headphones. The capability is now available on the Galaxy Buds 2 via a recent software update.

The Galaxy Buds 2 are receiving a new firmware update with the version number R177XXU0AVC8, which includes support for 360 Audio and Bluetooth enhancements in the changelog. The update was just released to my Galaxy Buds 2, and additional reports on social media indicate that the upgrade is now available.

While additional features are always welcome, 360 Audio is primarily a gimmick. Unlike Apple’s Spatial Audio, which is designed to be utilized with 360-degree audio material, Samsung 360 Audio works with audio from most apps. It just adjusts the stereo channels’ location in response to your head motions, or so it’s meant to – I couldn’t get it to function with Spotify at all.

Samsung also claims that the software upgrade enhances audio quality during phone calls, which is likely more beneficial. If you haven’t received the update yet, pair your Galaxy Buds 2, open the Galaxy Wearable app, choose ‘Earbuds settings,’ and lastly touch ‘Earbuds software update’ towards the bottom of the list.

The Galaxy Buds 2 was introduced in the later part of 2021, and as a result, there have been few further firmware upgrades. The other noteworthy enhancement came shortly after the Buds 2 launched, when Samsung introduced compatibility for the device to its Galaxy Buds app for Windows. This enables users to adjust all settings and parameters from a Windows PC, rather than simply using the Galaxy Wearable app on mobile devices. The Galaxy Buds 2 have also been on sale several times in recent months.