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Next-gen Samsung Galaxy Buds leak with all-new design, no silicone tips

By Joshua Swingle

Updated: Apr 06, 2020, 1:43 AM

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Next-gen Samsung Galaxy Buds leak with all-new design, no silicone tips

The Samsung Galaxy Buds+ arrived only a couple of months ago as an updated version of the original pair. But it seems the South Korean giant is already hard at work on an overhauled third-generation product that could arrive in the coming months.

The new Galaxy Buds look like kidney beans

WinFuture claims Samsung is developing an all-new pair of Galaxy Buds under the internal codename ‘Bean.’ The latter is a direct reference to the chosen design – the earbuds resemble kidney beans – but it probably won’t be used in marketing material.

The renders seen both above and below are based on “actual 3D design data” use to manufacture the new earbuds. Samsung is currently in the Engineering Validation Test phase, however, and the design could still change a little before launch.

These new Galaxy Buds are fundamentally different to the ones on sale at the moment because they don’t stick out from your ear. Instead, Samsung has shaped them to fit comfortably inside the ear without any protrusion.

It has also chosen to replace the interchangeable tips with a universal design for the ear canal that is carved out of plastic, a decision that could prove controversial among customers. Similar designs have been seen on Apple’s AirPods and Huawei’s FreeBuds 3 but not everybody loves it.

Another downside to this decision comes in the form of noise isolation. Rubber tips provide a tighter ear canal seal and can therefore block out ambient noise with ease, but this sort of design could struggle to achieve the same.

Of course, Samsung could try to fix this by combining software trickery with the data gathered by microphones.

Don't bet on active noise cancellation just yet

The all-new Galaxy Buds measure in at around 2.8cm and use the model number SM-R180. Samsung appears to have included a total of three microphones for video calls and noise cancellation in addition to two speakers.

One of these speakers is paired with an external canal and acts as a subwoofer to produce low-pitched audio frequencies, something more commonly known as bass. Samsung already introduced some audio improvements on the Galaxy Buds+ but hopefully this new pair will take things further.

Active noise cancellation is becoming an increasingly popular feature in the true wireless earbuds segment. Samsung was largely expected to introduce it on the Galaxy Buds+ but this ultimately never happened.

Samsung executives have said the feature is being evaluated and needs to be introduced at the right time. Whether that time will be the all-new Galaxy Buds launch remains to be seen, but the bean-shaped design and lack of silicone tips does make skipping the feature seem more likely at this stage.

Other details such as the battery capacity remain a complete mystery at the moment. That is because Samsung hasn’t yet completed testing on the product, but hopefully the information will be made available in the near future.

New Samsung Galaxy Buds announcement timeline

WinFuture says the next-generation Samsung Galaxy Buds will be introduced at some point in the coming months, yet no specific timeline is available at this stage.

Samsung typically unveils new wearables alongside its latest flagship smartphones. For example, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 made its first appearance alongside the Galaxy Note 10 and the Galaxy Buds & Buds+ were introduced at the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S20 announcements respectively.

The next big Samsung smartphone launch is the Galaxy Note 20, which should happen in August unless the COVID-19 pandemic leads to a delay. Therefore, consumers should be on the lookout for these new earbuds around that time of year.