Samsung's Galaxy Buds+ are a noticeable improvement from the original Galaxy Buds, but they won't make you ditch your AirPods.

But after using the Galaxy Buds+ for more than a week, I'm left with an impression similar to last year's first-generation Galaxy Buds: There's a lot to like, especially if you use a Samsung phone.

The Galaxy Buds+ look almost identical to last year's Galaxy Buds and come in the same pill-shaped charging case.

As I wrote in my review last year, I have tiny ears, so thicker buds, like the Galaxy Buds, are almost always uncomfortable after extended use.

While they may look the same as last year's buds, the biggest are upgrades with the Galaxy Buds+ are the things you can't see.

The design is virtually unchanged from last year's Galaxy Buds.

Samsung also did away with one of my biggest complaints with last year's buds: You no longer need two separate apps and a Samsung account in order to get that "seamless" AirPods-like pairing experience (assuming you have a compatible Samsung phone)

Instead, you now need just a single Android app, Galaxy Wearable

But if you use a non-Samsung Android phone, you might also need the Galaxy Buds+ "plugin," which requires a separate download

While I found ambient mode in last year's Galaxy Buds to be pretty weak, ambient mode with the Galaxy Buds+ actually makes a big difference

The most intriguing change Samsung made is the addition of an iOS app which makes the Galaxy Buds+ officially iPhone-compatible..

(The original Galaxy Buds can technically pair to iPhones, but without the accompanying app, your functionality is extremely limited.) 

I did however have a couple of issues while using the Galaxy Buds+ with my iPhone that make me hesitant to recommend them to iPhone users

The Galaxy Buds+ are officially iPhone-friendly, thanks to the iOS app

Importantly, I didn't experience these issues when using the Galaxy Buds+ with my Google Pixel 3A or with Samsung's Galaxy Note 9