India, Sept. 14 -- AirPods and Galaxy Buds are two of the most recognisable names in wireless audio, but comparing them as simple pairs of earbuds doesn't tell the whole story. Both offer premium sound, active noise cancellation, spatial audio and a growing list of smart features. On paper, the differences can sometimes look surprisingly small.

The bigger distinction comes from what happens after the earbuds connect to your phone. Apple and Samsung have built their respective earbuds as extensions of their smartphone ecosystems, and that makes the choice less straightforward than simply asking which pair sounds better.

For anyone deciding between the two, the phone they already own is arguably the most important factor. An iPhone user w...