The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live – the company's next AirPods-rivaling true wireless earbuds – are apparently launching in July according to a report by SamMobile.
Rumors of the new Samsung Galaxy Buds have been ramping up in the lead up to the brand’s next Unpacked event, which is expected to take place in August. According to SamMobile, this is when the new Galaxy Buds Live will go on sale, alongside the Galaxy Watch 3 and the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Fold 2.
In late April, the South Korean company registered the brand name 'Samsung BudsX' in the UK and Europe, which suggests a new version of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus could be on the way. It’s not clear whether the ‘X’ was a placeholder, but it looks like the new buds will be known as the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live.
Leaked images of the successors to the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus have shown a strange bean-like design, while noted leakers like XDA Developers’ Max Weinbach have claimed that the new wireless earbuds are on the way.
Cut to the chase
- What are they? The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live, a pair of true wireless earbuds.
- When will they launch? We think July 2020, but that’s TBC.
- How much will they cost? Likely similar to the Galaxy Buds Plus ($149 / £139 / AU$249).
The original Galaxy Buds were Samsung’s answer to the Apple AirPods when they launched on March 8, 2019, and they were followed in February 2020 by the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus.
Neither of Samsung's first attempts were able to outperform Apple's AirPods or the AirPods Pro in terms of popularity or proficiency – which is why a new, better version of the Galaxy Buds is such an exciting prospect.
Details about the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live (or Galaxy Buds X, as some outlets are calling them) are fairly thin on the ground at this stage, but that hasn’t stopped us from collating everything we know so far – and everything we want to see – from the second generation true wireless earbuds.
Samsung Galaxy Buds Live release date
The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live will be launched in July, according to a report by SamMobile.
The new true wireless earbuds will be apparently be announced ahead of the company's Unpacked event, which we’re expecting to take place in August 2020.
That's when we think the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 will be released too, based on previous phones in the range. That month has now also specifically been rumored, but due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, Unpacked will apparently be an online-only event, and the timing could change.
In any case, we’re not the only ones expecting to see the Galaxy Buds Live soon. In a tweet showing off the new Galaxy Buds Plus color, XDA Developers’ Max Weinbach said “I find it weird they keep launching new colors right before the BudsX are rumored to launch”.
Samsung Galaxy Buds Live price
There’s no word on pricing yet, but the most recent Galaxy Buds Plus went on sale in March for $149.99 / £159 / AU$299, so we’re expecting something similar when the next earbuds arrive.
That figure has been backed up by SamMobile, which reports that the buds will cost "under $150".
Samsung users may be in line for a discount, too, according to the SamMobile report, which says: "Naturally, we can expect the bean-shaped Galaxy Buds Live to be offered for free or at a reduced price as part of pre-order bonuses for the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Fold 2".
With new Apple earbuds also expected to launch in the near future (whether they will be the AirPods 3 or the AirPods Pro Lite remains to be seen), Samsung would do well to undercut its biggest competitor with its next-gen buds – after all, price is a huge deciding factor for those looking to buy new headphones.
Samsung Galaxy Buds Live design
If leaked images are to be believed, the design of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live will be drastically different to that of its predecessors. Based on the 3D renderings that have appeared, there are going to be big changes in the design.
The images come courtesy of WinFuture, and it seems the small stems on the current Galaxy Buds Plus are ditched in favor of a bean-like shape – and indeed the codename for the earbuds is rumored to be "Beans".
WinFuture's sources say the new buds are 2.8 cm (1.1 inches) in length, so they should fit snugly in most ears. There are no silicone tips though, so any noise cancelling tech – if it exists – might suffer as a result.
Based on the leaked renders, it looks like the Galaxy Buds Live will come in three colors: white, black, and light blue.
WinFuture says that the back of each earbud “fills the upper part of the ear, while the lower part and thus the integrated loudspeakers protrude into the ear canal”. This bean-shaped design isn’t a form factor we’ve seen before, so we’re excited to see how they look and feel when they’re finally released.
Samsung Galaxy Buds Live fitness-tracking
The trademark filing discovered earlier this year revealed some of the features we might see from the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live, including “software for measuring distance, speed, time, changes in heart rate, activity level, calories burned."
It’s worth bearing in mind that the specs described in trademark filings don’t always show up in the final product, but these biometric sensors could make the new Galaxy Buds a great pair of running headphones like the Powerbeats Pro.
The trademark filing also describes “wireless earsets incorporating software for providing a fitness guide”, which means they could come with a built-in voice assistant (Bixby, perhaps) that can help bolster your running performance by giving you real-time advice based on data collected by biometric sensors.
If Samsung does release a pair of fitness-tracking headphones, we’d expect to see an IPX4-or-above waterproof rating, which would keep them safe from sweat or rain.
Samsung Galaxy Buds Live: what we want to see
Both the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus were decent true wireless earbuds, but there are a few improvements we’d like to see.
Noise cancellation
We were disappointed to find no noise-cancelling tech in the Galaxy Buds Plus – we were expecting them to be Samsung’s answer to the Apple AirPods Pro.
Once the preserve of bulky over-ear headphones, noise cancellation is increasingly common in true wireless earbuds, especially after the success of models like the Sony WF-1000XM3.
It’s about time that Samsung brought the technology to its line of Galaxy earbuds, and we hope that the Galaxy Buds Live will deliver.
Improved sound
The Galaxy Buds Plus didn’t sound bad by any means, but we’d like to see an improvement in the audio quality with the next generation.
One way Samsung could achieve this is by introducing support for Hi-Res Audio codecs like aptX, aptX Low Latency or, even better, Sony’s LDAC.
Longer battery life
The Galaxy Buds Plus boasted a far longer battery life than the original Galaxy Buds, but the charging case left something to be desired. The earbuds themselves contain 11 hours of charge, while the charging case provides an additional 11 hours, bringing the total battery life to 22 hours.
That 11-hour battery life is pretty long for earbuds – but for the charging case, it’s not a huge amount of battery. For comparison, the Apple AirPods contain 5 hours in the buds themselves, with an additional 20 hours provided by the charging case, for 25 hours in total. We’d love to see the charging case of the Galaxy Buds Live afforded a longer battery life so you can charge more than once on the go.
Can't wait for the Galaxy Buds Live? Check out the best Samsung Galaxy Buds and Galaxy Buds Plus deals we've found today:
- Check out our other headphone rumor articles: Apple AirPods Studio / AirPods 3 / AirPods Pro Lite / Powerbeats Pro 2
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