News
- AI with Gemini including voice activation, plus translation in real time
- The best battery life of any Galaxy Buds
- Buds 3 Pro looks and controls, including pinch and swipe gestures
It's not a leak, it's not a rumor and it's not another mishap: the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 FE (or Buds3 FE as Samsung likes to style it) are here.
This hasn't been an easy road: the buds were spotted on June 12, leaked on July 22, then actually launched prematurely by Samsung's Panama arm on August 7, but now they're officially officially here, as announced by Samsung.
So what's new? The first thing to note is actually something that's not new, and that's the Buds 3 FE's strong resemblance to the flagship Buds 3 Pro. And it's not just a pretty dress either: you also get the Buds 3 Pro's control functions, including pinch and swipe gestures (yes, you can swipe the blade to adjust volume).
Also, the Buds 3 FE are IP54-rated for dust, sweat and water resistance, which is a high rating for buds, and something I love to see.
Another thing I love to see? The longest quoted battery life of any Galaxy Buds to date, with up to 8.5 hours of uninterrupted listening in the earpieces (or 6 with ANC on), or 30 hours including case recharging (24 hours with ANC on).
On the subject of ANC, Samsung promises enhanced noise cancellation and call quality from the six-mic array, since one mic in each earpiece has been moved into the blade, closer to the mouth for clear voice pickup.
And although the buds still contain a solo dynamic driver under the hood – which also houses a Bluetooth 5.4 chipset with SSC (Samsung Seamless Codec) plus AAC and SBC support – it's a little bigger this time around for more immersive audio.
Big Galaxy x Gemini smarts (Image credit: Samsung)But let's get granular: what about AI? Like their Pro siblings, the Galaxy Buds 3 FE feature Google Gemini including voice activation, plus translation piped into the buds in real time via the Samsung Interpreter app – all part of the Galaxy AI suite.
To clarify (in case you're yet to be acquainted with this particular kind of Samsung-meets-Google tech), that means you'll be able to access Google Gemini for conversational AI assistance, but with the Galaxy AI Interpreter app you'll also be able to use Real-Time Interpreter through the buds or Live Translate to translate phone calls while they're happening.
Of course, this is Samsung, so the Buds 3 FE will work seamlessly with your Samsung TV, tablet, PC or phone, with Auto Switch for easy-breezy device switching – and as you'd expect, the Find My earbuds feature is here, so you can get the buds to emit a 'beep' should you misplace one.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 FE are available in two finishes – black and gray – with a matte dual-tone finish.
We can't vouch for the sound just yet, but if these 'Fan Edition' buds live up to the hype in testing, our best earbuds buying guide may well have a fresh contender… watch this space.
The Galaxy Buds 3 FE will go on sale in the US on September 4 at Samsung.com, as well as selected retailers, priced at $149.99 – that's around £110 or AU$230, although official prices for these regions are yet to be confirmed.
You may also like- Everyone needs 5 pairs of headphones: my job is testing 'em – here are the ones to buy
- AI in your earbuds: what it means, the types of AI available, what's in the pipeline – and how you can avoid it if you want
- AptX unpacked: your guide to using Qualcomm’s Bluetooth codecs (and the devices that support them)
- NordVPN is killing its Meshnet feature, starting from December 1, 2025
- The provider has claimed the decision is due to a lack of usage
- NordVPN rolled out Meshnet in 2022 to give users a new, secure way to connect multiple devices
NordVPN has just announced it is killing one of its features due to a lack of usage.
Meshnet is set to be discontinued starting from December 1, meaning that all functionality associated with it will be removed.
Rated as TechRadar's best VPN, NordVPN, launched Meshnet in 2022 to give its users a new, secure way to connect multiple devices to securely share files, multiplayer gaming, or collaboratively remote working. A tool, however, that never quite picked up among the NordVPN community.
Saying goodbye to MeshnetMeshnet lets you create a virtual network that up to 60 devices can join and use simultaneously to communicate with one another (Image credit: NordVPN)"When we built Meshnet, our goal was to give users more control over their connections and networks. By offering it as a free add-on to NordVPN’s core service, we hoped it would become a valuable part of your online experience. But sometimes even good ideas don’t reach a wide enough audience," wrote NordVPN in an official announcement.
Discontinuing Meshnet, the provider explains, will free significant resources that the team would be able to use to focus on improving what most of NordVPN's users care about, namely faster speeds, stronger security, and smarter VPN features.
This is why starting from December, Meshnet and its functionalities will shut down for good. These include options like device linking, traffic routing through other devices, and personal mesh networks.
The provider ensures that the virtual private network (VPN) service will continue to work as usual, with the change affecting only Meshnet-linked features.
Finding a Meshnet alternativeIf you're one of the few people who have been enjoying NordVPN's Meshnet, it is now a good time to look for alternatives.
The provider recommends that anyone who used Meshnet for secure file sharing switch to NordLocker instead. We also suggest looking into Proton Drive, as it comes with both free and paid plans.
If building your meshnet virtual tunnel for different purposes is what you're after, you should be happy to know that there are a few mesh networking solutions on the market you can switch to, such as Netmaker.
We approached NordVPN for other tips to support existing users with their transition, but are still waiting for a response at the time of publication.
You might also like