Is Samsung working on the Galaxy Buds FE?
It's been about a year since Samsung released its last true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds but according to The Galaxy Club (via AndroidHeadlines) the next pair could be unveiled alongside the Galaxy S23 FE or the Galaxy S24 line. The earbuds would carry a model number of SM-R400N which might rule out the possibility that the next Galaxy earbuds would be a sequel to last year's Galaxy Buds 2 Pro.
The report notes that Samsung uses a model number of SM-R5xx for its Pro TWS earbuds which means that SM-R400N would not fit into that category. Based on the rumored model number, the new Galaxy Buds would not only be a step below the Galaxy Buds Pro models, but would not be the Galaxy Buds 3 or even an "intermediate" level model that could be called the Galaxy Buds 2+ or the Galaxy Buds FE. The original Galaxy Buds+ was released after the original Galaxy Buds was launched but before the launch of the Galaxy Buds 2.
The last TWS earbuds released by Samsung was the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro
So while it isn't clear exactly what kind of TWS earbuds Samsung is developing for its customers, Galaxy Club says that based on when the model number SM-R400N first appeared on its "radar," the new Galaxy Buds could be released very late this year or early next year which would be in line with the possible release of the Galaxy S23 FE handset. On the other hand, it wouldn't be out of the question to see these new Galaxy Buds hit the market at around the same time as the Galaxy S24 series next year.
Considering that all previous non-Plus Galaxy Buds models had a model number of SM-R1xx, this is quite a mystery. SM-R seems to indicate a wearable device (the SM-R300 is the Galaxy Watch 3 and the SM-R350 is the Samsung Gear Fit pedometer) so a new Galaxy Buds model would be in line with the model number. And the Galaxy Club is adamant that the model number SM-R400N will be the next Galaxy Buds TWS earbuds.
Perhaps we should expect a Galaxy Buds FE model to be unveiled and released alongside the Galaxy S23 FE handset. There is one thing for sure. Eventually we will find out exactly what Samsung is up to.
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