Reddit and Samsung’s official forums are full of posts that describe a serious charging issue with the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, one that might not be possible to fix by all users.
One reddit user claims they’re already at their second pair of Buds 3 Pro, and while they perform and sound great, the left bud refuses to charge. It also seems to have a burn charge where the charging pin connects, as seen in the image below.
A burn mark on the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro left bud | Image credit: reddit user Omarouis
It seems that there are specific Buds 3 Pro batches that are more prone to be affected by this charging issue. Most people report that their units that are suffering from the charging issue are from October, so it seems that there have been some quality control problems with this specific batch. You can find the batch date under the barcode.On the bright side, it looks like Samsung is able to fix these charging issues, as one user reports that they receive the buds from repairs and that it now charges correctly “like 6 out 7” times.
There are multiple solutions to the charging issue that owners of the earbuds recommend, but they don’t always work, which seems to point to a manufacturing rather than a software issue.
For example, one Samsung user claims that they had to wipe the contacts on the buds with an alcohol swab to make them charge again, while another says that they’ve used a small precision screwdriver to jostle the connectors at the bottom of the case.
It’s mostly the left bud that seems to be affected by the charging issues | Image credit: PhoneArena
Others say that they have to press down the left earbud to be able to charge it, but if they release it, it will stop. Another solution would be to slowly drop them in to connect them correctly.
My left ear bud wasn’t charging so I didn’t have my noise canceling earbuds to use on the plane. That sucked. I also booked an appointment at an authorized Samsung repair store UbreakitIfixit. Went and waited but no one even came to open the store. Out of no where it dawned on me to try adjusting the connector and now I’m good to go again. Samsung quality is in the pits.
– tenchichrono via reddit, August 2024
What’s even worse is that Samsung typically sends users to authorized repair stores, but they don’t allow them to replace the defective units with new ones. If you’re thinking about buying a pair of Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, which are great according to our review, make sure that they’re part of a newer batch of units, as you’ll have a higher chance of not being affected by this charging issue.
