Wireless earbuds all play music over Bluetooth, but the best pair depends on the phone in your pocket. Apple, Samsung and Google each keep features for their own phones, from Siri and automatic switching to Samsung's own codec and Google's Clear Calling. This guide takes each choice in turn as the makers describe it: noise cancelling and fit, battery for the buds and the case, water ratings, multipoint, codecs and call microphones, then sets out five picks for iPhone, Galaxy, Pixel and any phone.
Match the buds to the phone first. Apple says AirPods work with non-Apple devices as a headset but without Siri, and Samsung says the Galaxy Wearable app that controls noise settings needs an Android phone. Google's Pixel Buds pair with iPhones too, while Clear Calling needs a Pixel 7 or later. For a phone and a laptop together, look for multipoint, as on Sony's WF-C710N.
Key Takeaways
- Apple says AirPods work with non-Apple devices as a Bluetooth headset without Siri, and automatic switching needs devices on the same Apple Account.
- Samsung says Galaxy Buds connect to any phone as Bluetooth audio, but the Galaxy Wearable app's advanced settings, including Noise Control, need an Android phone.
- Compare the earbud figure as well as the case total: Apple gives AirPods 5 up to 4 hours with noise cancelling on, or 20 hours with the case.
- Sony says IPX4 means protection from water splashing from any direction, that the WF-C710N cannot be used in water and that its case is not water resistant.
- Multipoint is not always on, because Google says it is off by default on Pixel Buds 2a and has to be switched on in the app or the Pixel's settings.
The Phone You Own Decides Which Features Work
Any of these earbuds will play music from any phone over Bluetooth. The difference lies in the extras each maker keeps for its own phones. Apple's support page says AirPods work as a Bluetooth headset with a non-Apple device, but without Siri. Its AirPods 5 page adds that Personalised Spatial Audio needs an iPhone with a TrueDepth camera, and its support pages limit automatic switching to an iPhone, iPad and Mac signed in to the same Apple Account.
Samsung's newsroom post for the Galaxy Buds4 series says Galaxy Buds connect as Bluetooth audio regardless of OS, but the Galaxy Wearable app, which handles Noise Control, Adaptive EQ and software updates, needs an Android phone. Google is the most open, with its help page saying Pixel Buds pair with any Bluetooth 4.0 or newer device, iPhones included, though full features need an Android 6.0 or newer phone and Clear Calling needs a Pixel 7 or later. Sony says its Sound Connect app runs on Android and iPhone, and Bose lists its app on Google Play and the App Store.
Noise Cancelling Needs a Good Seal and the Right Ear Tips
Noise cancelling in earbuds uses microphones and anti-noise, just as over-ear headphones do, and the noise cancelling headphones guide covers the over-ear side. In earbuds, the seal matters even more. Sony's WF-C710N help guide says the headset cannot fully perform noise cancelling unless the supplied earbud tips are used, and suggests trying sizes from the larger ones down until one fits snugly. Sony supplies XS, M and XL tips, with M fitted at the factory.
Other makers give more choice. Apple lists five silicone tip sizes, XXS to L, for AirPods Pro 3. Bose ships its QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) with three tip sizes and three stability bands, nine combinations in all, and sells extra small and extra large tips separately. Soundcore's fit advice for the P31i is to use a different tip size in each ear if one side does not seal. AirPods 5 take another route: Apple calls them an open-ear design, claims up to 1.5 times the noise cancelling of the previous generation, and lists no tip sizes on the spec page.
Battery Comes as Two Figures, the Earbuds and the Case
Every pair of earbuds carries two battery numbers: one charge of the buds, and the total once the case has refilled them. The first matters most on a long flight or a full working day. Apple gives AirPods 5 up to 4 hours with noise cancelling on and 20 hours with the case, or 5 and 22 with the Wireless Charging Case. Samsung lists the Galaxy Buds4 Pro at 6 hours with ANC on and 26 with the case, and Google gives Pixel Buds 2a 7 and 20. Sony's help guide rates the WF-C710N at up to 8.5 hours with noise cancelling on over AAC, with no case total, and Soundcore quotes 8 and 40 hours with ANC for the P31i, from lab tests at half volume.
Cables and plugs are not a given. Apple's in-the-box list for AirPods 5 names only the USB-C charging case and documentation, Samsung's UK store page says no charger comes with the Galaxy Buds4 Pro, and Sony packs a USB-A to USB-C cable. The USB-C phone charger guide covers the plug.
IPX4 and IP57 Ratings Cover Sweat and Rain, Not Swimming
Sony's help guide explains its rating plainly. IPX4 under IEC 60529 means protected against water splashing from any direction, the WF-C710N cannot be used in water, and its charging case is not water resistant. Bose also rates its QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) at IPX4, and Google rates Pixel Buds 2a at IP54 for the earbuds and IPX4 for the case.
Higher numbers still stop short of the pool. Samsung rates the Galaxy Buds4 Pro at IP57, for up to 1 metre of fresh water for up to 30 minutes, with a case that is not water resistant. Apple lists AirPods Pro 3 at IP57 for non-water sports and exercise and warns against charging them wet. On AirPods 5, Apple's page contradicts itself: the spec list says IP57, while a footnote gives IP54 for the products including the case. Soundcore's support page prints the P31i rating as IPX55, so its exact rating is unclear. For workout tracking, the fitness tracker comparison is the better guide, though Apple lists a heart rate sensor for workouts on AirPods Pro 3.
Multipoint Keeps a Phone and a Laptop Connected
Multipoint lets earbuds hold two Bluetooth connections at once, so a call on the phone can break into music on a laptop without re-pairing. Sony's WF-C710N help guide says it works with two devices, and that connecting a third drops whichever of the two did not play music last. Google says multipoint on Pixel Buds 2a is off by default and is turned on in the Pixel Buds app, or through Connected devices on a Pixel. On the Soundcore P31i, Dual Connection comes on by holding both stems for three seconds, or in the app.
Apple and Samsung lean on their own systems. Apple's automatic switching moves AirPods between Apple devices on the same Apple Account, and Samsung's UK support page says Auto Switch needs Galaxy phones and tablets signed in to the same Samsung account. A Windows laptop sits outside both, so AirPods pair with it as an ordinary Bluetooth headset, as the guide to connecting AirPods to a laptop explains. Sony's guide adds that Windows 11 has a Swift Pair setting under Bluetooth and devices.
Codecs and Call Features Lean on the Phone as Well
A codec is the format audio is packed into over Bluetooth. Sony's help guide puts it simply: all Bluetooth devices support SBC, AAC is mainly used in Apple products such as the iPhone, and the headset switches to whichever codec the device sends. The WF-C710N supports just those two. Samsung lists its own Samsung Seamless Codec alongside AAC, SBC and LC3 for the Galaxy Buds4 Pro, with Ultra High Quality audio at up to 24-bit/96kHz only on Galaxy devices running One UI 6.1.1 or above. Soundcore lists LDAC for the P31i, though its FAQ says spatial audio is unavailable with LDAC on. Bose lists Snapdragon Sound for the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen), and Apple's AirPods 5 spec page names no codec.
Calls are similar. Apple's Voice Isolation needs a compatible Apple device on the latest software, Samsung's Super Clear Call a Galaxy on One UI 6.1.1 or above, and Google's Clear Calling a Pixel 7 or later. Elsewhere, the microphones do the work: Soundcore lists six on the P31i, and Google two per earbud on Pixel Buds 2a.
Five Earbuds Matched to iPhone, Galaxy, Pixel and Any Phone
Two caveats come first. Buying the phone maker's own buds means the extras stop at that phone: Galaxy Buds4 Pro on an iPhone lose the Galaxy Wearable settings, and AirPods on Android lose Siri. Earbuds are also a personal listen, so for music in the garden or a room full of people, the Bluetooth speaker guide is the better starting point.
With that settled, the table follows the phone. AirPods 5 suit iPhone owners, with Apple's noise cancelling in an open-ear design and a USB-C case. The Galaxy Buds4 Pro are the Galaxy pick, with IP57, Auto Switch and Samsung's own codec on a recent Galaxy. Pixel Buds 2a suit Pixel owners, with Clear Calling on a Pixel 7 or later and multipoint once it is switched on. Sony's WF-C710N has no ties to one phone maker, with its app on Android and iPhone, multipoint and Swift Pair for Windows, which makes it the pair for a phone and a laptop together. The Soundcore P31i is the budget choice, with LDAC listed, six microphones and Dual Connection.
| Product | Best for | Key specs | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Apple AirPods 5 iPhone | iPhone owners who want Siri and automatic switching | 4 hrs ANC on, 20 hrs with case, USB-C case, H2 chip | Check price → |
 | Samsung Galaxy Buds4 Pro Galaxy | Galaxy owners after Auto Switch and Samsung's codec | 6 hrs ANC on, 26 hrs with case, IP57 earbuds, BT 6.1 | Check price → |
 | Google Pixel Buds 2a Pixel | Pixel owners who want Clear Calling on calls | 7 hrs ANC on, 20 hrs with case, IP54 earbuds, multipoint | Check price → |
 | Sony WF-C710N Any phone | A phone and a laptop together, with multipoint | 8.5 hrs NC on (AAC), IPX4, multipoint, XS/M/XL tips | Check price → |
 | Soundcore P31i Budget | A low-cost first pair for Android or iPhone | 8 hrs ANC, 40 hrs with case, LDAC, 6 mics | Check price → |