The very first generation of Samsung Galaxy Buds was launched in 2019, hopping onto the truly wireless earbud craze at the time. Samsung's design choice strayed very far from what the AirPods, the predominant choice at the time, were doing.
However, it seems that in 2024, Samsung's Galaxy Buds might finally move away from the bud-like design that they've stuck to all these years and adopt a design that brings a stem. For some people, this will be a major win, but having never tried wireless earbuds with a stem, I'm not sure where I am.
After An Established Bud Design, The Galaxy Buds 3 Seem Set To Grow A Stem
The Samsung Galaxy Buds came out in 2019 and I actually found myself with a pair about a year later when I bought my Samsung Galaxy Note 10+. To be honest, I was a big fan of the design and it wasn't hard to get the right fit since they came with multiple wings and ear tips out of the box. Currently, I'm using the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, which is great. It's sort of the same general design, minus the wings (which makes them threaten to slip out more often).
Now, it's being reported by The Chosun that the design I've come to know and love is about to change. It seems that the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3, expected to launch alongside the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 in July, will be adding a stem to their design, drastically changing their appearance. Now, I've never used wireless earbuds that incorporate a stem, but if they help with comfort, I won't mind.
Regardless, it will be a pretty major move since the buds have had the same rough design since 2019, though the shapes have changed in their own minor ways. I think Samsung generally has good design teams working on their products, so I'll be keeping my hopes up that the Galaxy Buds 3 will be very good-looking (and also very distinct in design from the AirPods, the most likely comparison).
This Change Could Mean Better Call Quality And Potential AI Features
The change in design doesn't seem to be spurred by the need for an aesthetic refresh, or at least not solely by that. According to the original source of this rumor, it seems that part of the reason for this is to lower the position of the microphone to a point where it is closer to the mouth. This could mean a significant improvement in voice quality, particularly yours, when on phone calls with these.
Adding a stem to the earbuds will also increase the internal volume, allowing for additional components to be fit inside the earbuds. In this case, it may allow for more extensive AI features to be incorporated into the buds. It should also make it possible in theory for a bigger battery to be added, and no one can say no to longer battery life.
