Samsung's Galaxy Buds Pro was just released last week and has received its first major software update, which improves performance and adds some very useful features for those with partial hearing loss

The update includes left and right sound balancing, which allows the volume of each earpiece to be raised or lowered independently This may allow for a more balanced sound if one ear has better hearing than the other, as the volume of the weaker ear buds can be increased to compensate

The responsiveness of Bixby voice wake-up has also been improved, so Samsung's voice assistant should respond more quickly to commands made through the Galaxy Buds Pro Finally, the update improves "system stability and realism," which, while a bit vague, is likely to mean fewer hangs and crashes of Samsung's Wareable app

While not specifically intended to function as a basic hearing aid, the Galaxy Buds Pro already had the right tools to help with hearing loss, with an ambient sound mode that uses an on-board microphone to amplify nearby sounds, including speech This ability to adjust the volume with each earpiece is a more obvious step toward making the GalaxyBuds Pro a better option for those with mild or moderate hearing loss

Another new feature has been added to the earbuds, which are overflowing with additional features While the Galaxy Buds Pro already offers active noise cancellation (ANC), IPX7 waterproofing, a clever voice detection tool that can lower the volume of ambient mode or music when the microphone hears you speak, and 360 audio surround sound mode, This special feature requires one of the latest Samsung Galaxy S21 smartphones

The Galaxy Buds Pro is not the first headphone with the idea of separate left and right volume controls Its biggest wireless earphone competitor, the Apple AirPods Pro, has long offered the ability to shift the volume balance between left, right, and center channels to similar effect

That said, it is still a solid upgrade for a still very new headphone, so expect many more enhancements in the future