Samsung’s next earbuds may ditch the usual in-ear formula entirely. Early reports from South Korean industry sources say the company is developing the Galaxy Buds Able, a clip-style open-ear model that sits outside the ear and leaves the canal open, putting Samsung in the same lane as newer designs from Bose, Sony, and Huawei.
That is a sharp turn for a brand that has spent years selling sealed earbuds with silicone tips and active noise cancellation. It also makes a bit more sense than Samsung’s last detour: the bean-shaped Galaxy Buds Live was unconventional, but the market has since warmed up to open-ear audio as people want awareness without giving up wireless convenience.
Galaxy Buds Able design and air conduction
The basic idea is familiar if you have seen Huawei’s FreeClip 2 or Sony’s LinkBuds Clip. A C-shaped clip wraps around the ear, while a small speaker sits just outside the canal. Samsung is reportedly using air conduction rather than bone conduction, which should keep the sound presentation more natural for music while still letting traffic, voices, and the rest of the world in.
That matters because open-ear earbuds are no longer a novelty act. The category is growing fast, with the global market for open-style earphones reportedly moving from around $3.8 billion last year toward $4.2 billion this year. In other words, Samsung is not just experimenting with shape for the sake of it; it is arriving late to a segment where competitors have already trained buyers to expect something different.
What Samsung has confirmed so far
There is still a lot Samsung has not said. No launch date is official, price is unknown, and full specifications are still under wraps. Some reports had the earbuds appearing at a rumored July 22 Unpacked event, but SamMobile says delays make that unlikely.
- Design: clip-style open ear
- Audio approach: air conduction
- Known status: active development, backed by firmware leaks and battery certification
- Launch timing: not confirmed
The reassuring part, if you are Samsung, is that this does not look like random rumor fog. Firmware evidence, certification paperwork, and multiple industry reports all point in the same direction. The interesting question is whether Samsung can turn a category it previously approached awkwardly into something people actually want to wear every day.