TL;DR
- A report from South Korea corroborates that Samsung is developing the Galaxy Buds Able, featuring a clip-style design that hooks onto the ear without blocking the ear canal.
- The upcoming earbuds will utilize air-conduction technology rather than bone-conduction, offering ambient awareness, reduced ear strain, and better ear hygiene without sacrificing sound quality.
- This would mark Samsung’s return to open-ear audio (following the older, bean-shaped Galaxy Buds Live) to compete with existing options from HUAWEI, Bose, Sony, and Anker.
Last month, we spotted references to a new unannounced Samsung device called “Galaxy Buds Able.” Later, a leaked render gave us our first look at the design, suggesting this could be an open-ear, clip-like pair of earbuds. Now, a report from Korea suggests Samsung is indeed preparing to launch its first clip-style open-ear earbuds.
As per South Korea’s ETNews, citing industry sources, Samsung is preparing to launch the Galaxy Buds Able, an open-type wireless earbud that does not block the ears. These earbuds will feature a clip-type design that hooks onto the ear, allowing users to listen to music and make calls while hearing the sounds around them, as their ear canal will not be blocked.
Samsung’s interest in the category comes amid growing demand for clip-style open-earbuds, which competitors such as HUAWEI FreeClip, Sony LinkBuds Clip, Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, Anker Soundcore AeroClip, and others are capitalizing on.
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Canal-type earbuds are designed to be inserted into the ear canal to block external noise, providing an isolated, immersive experience. In contrast, these clip-style open-earbuds do not completely block the ear. This makes them ideal for users who want to stay aware of their surroundings while walking or exercising, as they can still hear external sounds.
These earbuds also put less strain on the ears during prolonged use and reduce the burden on ear canal hygiene. Further, these still rely on air-conduction rather than bone-conduction and so do not suffer from the sound-quality degradation that comes with it.
The report serves as a corroboration for Samsung’s planned (re-)entry into this space. Curiously, the Galaxy Buds Able won’t be Samsung’s first pair of open-earbuds — that honor belongs to the Galaxy Buds Live, the bean-shaped earbuds designed to rest entirely in the outer ear without entering the ear canal. These provided an open-style listening experience long before it became an industry trend, so Samsung is going back to its roots in a way.
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