Seeing our smartphones feature more and more processing power on a yearly basis is pretty fantastic, but that's only one piece of the puzzle. Along with being able to handle multi-tasking and provide a smooth experience, it's important that your smartphone has a good camera.
And when you look at the list of best Android phones, it doesn't take much to understand why Samsung phones are always among the most popular. Another reason for this is because of the ecosystem that Samsung has been able to cultivate as there are plenty of great accessories and other devices that you can use alongside your phone.
What is 360 Audio Recording?
A great example is the new 360 Audio Recording feature now available for owners of the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. While it's great to record 4K videos from your phone, the audio recording can feel a bit flat and lackluster. That's the problem that Samsung is attempting to solve with this new feature.
360 Audio Recording is a feature that "picks up 360-degree sound using a microphone in each earbud," creating an immersive experience with any video you record. Samsung also points out that this is "the first feature in the Galaxy line leveraging LE Audio, an advanced new Bluetooth audio standard."
Bluetooth LE, or Low Energy, is nothing new in the headphone space but has been slowly implemented into many of the best wireless earbuds. As noted by Jerry Hildenbrand in our Bluetooth LE Audio explainer piece, this technology will "transmit better sounding audio at longer distances so the battery in your headphones and the battery in your phone will last longer."
And if you check out the video above while wearing headphones, it will feel like you're walking along with Mr. Mobile. The best test is to try watching the video above with earbuds and without them in order to notice the differences.
What phones are compatible?
As expected, there are some limitations in the current implementation of 360 Audio Recording. For one, this feature is only available with the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, but is also only compatible with Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4. We expect the number of compatible devices to grow in the coming months, but if you own a Galaxy S22 Ultra, you'll have to wait a bit longer.
How to use the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro 360 Audio Recording with a Galaxy phone
Before you can use the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro 360 Audio Recording with a Galaxy phone, you'll first need to make sure everything has been updated to the latest firmware. This includes both your Samsung phone and Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. Provided that the updates have been installed, you'll then need to enable 360 Audio Recording as it's not enabled by default.
1. Open the Camera app on your Galaxy phone.
2. Tap the Settings icon in the top left corner.
3. Scroll down to the Video section.
4. Tap Advanced video options.
5. Under the Audio section, tap the toggle next to 360 audio recording.
Once enabled, all you need to do now is head back into the Camera viewfinder, switch over to Video, and then start recording. Oh, and of course, you'll need to be actively wearing the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, otherwise, the video won't sound as immersive as you were hoping for.
A gimmick, but pretty neat
At first glance, it might seem that 360 Audio Recording is just a "gimmick," and while that's partly true, there's more to the story. Thanks to the implementation of Bluetooth LE Audio, Samsung was able to introduce a new feature for its flagship earbuds.
And while it's likely not something that you'll use all of the time, it's definitely one of those things that can help you create something totally unique and different. That's where Samsung continues to excel, as you don't need to worry about getting specific gear just to record video, as your smartphone and wireless earbuds can take care of that for you.
Still arguably the best
Although there's a bit more competition in the space, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are still some of the best wireless earbuds out there. And with Samsung still introducing new features, the Buds 2 Pro are sure to get even better.
The foldable for almost everyone
If you're interested in what a foldable smartphone can offer, but don't like the idea of a tablet in your pocket, the Flip 4 is the way to go. It's packed with plenty of power, has a gorgeous display, and fits in pretty much every pocket, big or small.
