Samsung has completely redesigned the Galaxy Buds.
Evan BlassSamsung is preparing its second round of headphones for 2020 and it looks like the Korean company has opted to completely redesign its popular Galaxy Buds line.
Recently leaked images - which tally with other leaked designs - show that the Korean company has chosen a bean-type shape for the new earbuds - ditching the more traditional earbud shape we’re used to.
The source of the images, reputable leaker Evan Blass, claims they’re called the “Galaxy Buds Live”, which replaces the “Galaxy Buds X” registered brand name I reported in April and the name “Beans” that was reported by Gizmodo UK (I was never quite convinced that Samsung would name its next flagship device "beans", but we'll see).
Based on the new image above, Samsung has completely reimagined its wireless headphone design by going with an unusual bean-style shape. The biggest change appears to be the removal of the protruding eartip you’ll find on most earbuds which fits snugly in your inner ear. The Galaxy Buds+ relied on a tight eartip fit to provide passive noise cancellation - something they did well - and also to help them stay in place.
It’ll be interesting to see how these new earbuds manage to stay safely in the ear, it could well be that the bean-shape perfectly moulds around the contours of the outer-ear for a better fit. I suspect how well that works comes down to the actual size of the new buds.
Tech site WinFuture created images based on leaked design specifications in April, which look very similar to these new pictures. The site also claimed that the new Live buds are “2.8 centimeters long”, which would mean a less round and more elongated design than the Galaxy Buds Plus.
The shape may be influenced by Samsung’s new minimised chipset technology, which is where the Korean company was able to "integrate up to ten discrete components into one" - as it describes it. This, ultimately, saves space and leaves room for a bigger battery or, perhaps, justifies a smaller device without massively compromising on battery life.
Elsewhere, the key difference between the new Galaxy Buds Live and Samsung’s current Galaxy Buds Plus will be active noise cancellation according to Gizmodo UK, which will put them up against Apple’s AirPods Pro (and also explains why Samsung is releasing another pair so soon after the Galaxy Buds+).
They’ll also be IPX2 water resistant (which means they can resist water that lands at a 15° angle or less) and a new - beefier - charging case that looks very similar to the case for the original 2017 Google Pixel Buds.
The new features also mean a new price: £179 according to Gizmodo UK. But, based on the leaked information the site has seen, Samsung will be offering a £30 trade-in for “any old pair of headphones”.
Samsung is no stranger to competitive discounts - indeed the Galaxy Buds Plus were bundled for free with the Galaxy S20 Ultra - but that price already dramatically undercuts Apple’s $249 AirPods Pro. The promotion puts a bit more distance between the rival products whilst also undercutting Google’s new Pixel Buds, which don’t have active noise cancellation.
Fresh competition
It looks like Samsung’s new Galaxy Buds will launch amid strong competition from Google’s Pixel Buds - which will get their first feature update in August and have just gone on sale in more territories - and OnePlus, which surprised with the news of its own earbuds yesterday.
The Chinese company announced on Monday that it will be joining the likes of Apple, Google and Samsung in launching its own pair of true wireless earbuds on July 21st, two weeks before Samsung’s unpacked event. No further details were shared about the new headphones other than that they will be launched alongside the highly publicised OnePlus Nord phone - OnePlus' new budget handset.
But that detail is significant, because with Samsung and Google releasing new earbuds - and Apple planning big AirPods price cuts later this year - OnePlus will almost certainly do some sort of bundle deal between the new phone and headphones - especially considering it has done this before with previous handsets and headphones.
If you’re in the market for truly wireless headphones, then hold on to your money and watch as a mini price war unfolds between four major tech companies unveiling new products - and discounts - over the next three months.
Got a tip, thoughts or something to complain about? Let me know.
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The Link LonkJuly 14, 2020 at 07:27PM
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Samsung Raises Galaxy Buds Game To Fight Off Apple’s AirPods Pro - Forbes
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