Samsung’s new earbuds are already in hot water and they haven’t even hit the shelves.
Samsung has stopped the shipments its new Galaxy Buds3 Pro for now in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and several other markets.
The reason? Early buyers have found a big problem that’s causing trouble for users and sellers: the silicone ear tips are breaking too easily during routine handling.
Quality Control Issues and Customer Complaints
July 24th was supposed to be the big day for the Galaxy Buds3 Pro, Samsung’s newest TWS earbuds.
Unlike the previous versions, these earbuds have replaceable ear tips similar to that of Apple’s AirPods Pro, which is a first for Galaxy Buds. According to Samsung, this design makes sure the Buds3 Pro will remain comfortable for long listening sessions while also providing a good seal.
But this new feature isn’t working out well for early users.
Reports from customers with pre-release access said the ear tips were easily breaking or tearing when taken off or put on.
For example, Korean Tech reviewer Juyeon from Zuyoni Tech demonstrated how removing the ear tips resulted in a tear in the silicone material. Even though Juyeon’s nails weren’t very sharp, the silicone tore easily when the ear tips were removed.
Another customer shared a similar experience on Reddit.
User Optimal-Extension298 said their left ear tip broke after changing sizes just twice. In the photo they shared, you can see the silicone base of the ear tip stuck to the earbud.
This is supported by the commenters who shared similar experiences.
Interestingly, Samsung seemed to have anticipated potential issues.
They previously published a detailed guide on how to properly handle and change the ear tips on the Buds3 Pro. This reminds users to be gentle with the ear tips and not use too much force or fingernails, which may mean Samsung knew they could break easily.
When asked if they followed these instructions, Optimal-Extension298 said they didn’t know about the video guide or quality problems at the time. Like many others, they just treated the Buds3 Pro like any other wireless earbuds, which turned out to be a mistake.
But many people don’t think it’s the users’ fault. They say this is a problem with how the earbuds are made, and Samsung should’ve fixed it instead of just telling users to be extra careful.
Because of all this, the price of the Buds3 Pro also got criticized, given how big the problem is.
Samsung’s Response and Actions
These complaints prompted Samsung to suspend further shipments.
Samsung also issued an apology to its domestic Korean market for the quality control issues.
“We deeply apologize for any quality issues you may have encountered with some of the products you purchased during the pre-sale period. If you experience any inconvenience with the product you purchased, you can visit a nearby service center to receive appropriate measures such as exchange or refund,” the company’s statement read.
“We will do our best to thoroughly inspect all processes before the official domestic launch on the 24th to prevent similar incidents from happening again.”
To deal with this, Samsung is telling customers who already got the earbuds to contact Samsung support or go to their nearest Samsung service center for help or a possible refund. Additionally, some customers are being given the opportunity to cancel their orders without any charge.
