When it comes to the wireless earbuds market, Apple’s hegemony cannot be challenged by anyone out there. This, however, doesn’t mean that other electronic vendors have given up. On the contrary, they are pushing for unique features that will hopefully give their products an edge. For example, LG has created a UV-LED charging case that disinfects the buds when placed inside.
Samsung is also preparing its next-gen buds, called “Galaxy Buds Live,” which admittedly look like kidney beans. According to tech leakers on Twitter, high fidelity sound and seamless wireless connectivity won’t be the end of this product’s story.
https://twitter.com/h0x0d/status/1284127749930532864
The key tech that will place the “beans” in a unique market category will be ANC’s presence (active noise cancellation) features. Samsung’s promo mentions a feature to “keep the noise out, let the sound in,” which is a clear indication of ANC presence.
Previous generations of the Galaxy Buds have a mode called “ambient sound,” which enables users to listen to the sounds coming from their environment, so the upcoming buds will certainly feature noise reduction. However, ANC is actually a step further than noise reduction, and if it lands on the “Buds Live,” it will be a first for Samsung.
Active noise cancellation works not only by keeping ambient sounds out of the wearer’s ears as passive noise cancellation does but also by attenuating the sound waves to achieve a muffling effect. For this to work, the buds will have to draw some power from the embedded battery, but the result could come close to total silence, even when dealing with low-frequency sounds.
This tech is already available in the new AirPods Pro, so comparisons on how well the modes will work between the two products will be inevitable.
After all, the rumors place the new Galaxy Buds Live in the price range of $150, whereas a pair of the AirPods Pro costs $249. So, if the bean-like shape isn’t flustering your personal aesthetics, these wireless buds may be an amazing value.
As for the product’s compatibility with non-Samsung devices, all features, including the ANC, the Ambient Sound mode, and the Spotify integration will be available without any issues as long as you’re using the Galaxy Wearable app. The Buds Live launch is expected within the month, and sales should begin by August 2020.