The price of the rumored Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 true wireless earbuds may have been revealed – and if these claims are true, they'll be cheaper than the ever-popular Apple AirPods Pro.
According to MySmartPrice, which cites "industry sources", the Galaxy Buds 2 will cost "between EUR 180 and EUR 200".
- Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 release date, price, and rumors
- Read our Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro review
- The best wireless earbuds you can buy today
If we assume that the buds will sit bang in the middle of those two prices, that works out at around $225 / £160 / AU$300. By comparison, the AirPods Pro cost €279 / $249 / £249 / AU$399 when they launched in 2019, though discounts are sometimes available.
It's worth taking these prices with a pinch of salt; they're based on a conversion from the leaked EU prices, and it's not like Samsung to have such differing prices in the US and the UK (the Galaxy Buds Pro cost $199 / £219 in these regions).
And, as with any leak or rumor, we can't take it as gospel until we have confirmation from Samsung. Right now, the company hasn't even acknowledged the existence of the new wireless earbuds – though a series of leaks makes us pretty confident that a release date is imminent.
Everything points to August
Our first hint about the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 came after they were revealed by some intriguing lines of code within the Samsung Galaxy Wearable app's APK file data.
Most recently, what looks like the Galaxy Buds 2 were spotted on the FCC (Federation Communications Commission) platform by 91Mobiles , which suggests a launch is imminent. We've also seen leaked images of the the earbuds.
While it feels not that long ago that Samsung released the Galaxy Buds Pro, the company has a track record for launching new earbuds models in quick succession.
The original Samsung Galaxy Buds, launched in March 2019, sought to topple the Apple AirPods' monopoly on the true wireless earbuds market. Alongside their successors, the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus, the Galaxy Buds Live, and the Galaxy Buds Pro, they make up a wider portfolio of Samsung true wireless earbuds.
Whether the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 will be a successor to the original wireless earbuds or to the newer Galaxy Buds Pro remains to be seen. If they are the latter, we could see a reprisal of features like active noise cancellation and waterproofing; though if they are the former, we might see these more premium features dropped in favor of a cheaper price.
We think it looks more likely that the they'll be the former. The original Samsung Galaxy Buds never had a 'true' follow up, with the Galaxy Buds Plus acting as more of an upgraded version. According to Sammobile, the model number of the rumored Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 is 'SM-R177', like most Galaxy Buds models.
The Galaxy Buds Pro, on the other hand, come with the model number 'SM-R190', suggesting that the new earbuds won't pick up where the Pro left off.
Hopefully we won't have too long to wait to find out. Tipster Roland Quandt has said that Samsung is "ramping up production" on the next-gen Galaxy Buds, which means they could be released as soon as August, on the three-year anniversary of the original Galaxy Buds.
With Samsung expected to launch the Galaxy Z Fold 3, Galaxy Z Flip 3, Galaxy S21 FE, Galaxy Watch 4, and Galaxy Watch Active 4 in August too, an imminent release date seems likely.
