More images of the hotly anticipated Samsung Galaxy Buds Live have been leaked, showing off the design of the bean-shaped true wireless earbuds, as well as some of the colors we can expect them to come in.
Noted leaker Evan Blass posted a set of two images to his Patreon account, which were swiftly picked up by 9to5Google – and they give us our most detailed look at the upcoming AirPods rivals so far.
- Samsung Galaxy Buds Live release date, price, and specs
- Read our Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus review
- The best true wireless earbuds of 2020
The images show the buds in white, black, and a rather chic bronze color, with that unique kidney bean shape that looks very different to most wireless earbuds on the market right now.
Those colors match up with images of the Samsung Galaxy Note 20; we're expecting the new wireless earbuds to go on sale alongside the Note 20 at Samsung's August 5 Unpacked event, so it makes sense that the company would launch its new products in corresponding colors.
We're hoping the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live will actually be announced before then, however; a report by SamMobile has suggested that they'll be launched in July.
Possible noise cancellation
We've also been given our first look at the Galaxy Buds Live's charging case, which features a rounded design and what looks like an LED battery indicator light on the front.
Judging from the pictures, each earbud sports two microphones – which could be an indication of noise-cancelling tech, as well as the ability to use these buds to take calls and summon your device's voice assistant.
Noise cancellation is a feature we'd love to see from the Galaxy Buds Live; after all, we were disappointed when their predecessors, the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus, were launched with no noise cancellation to be found, and it could make them a compelling rival for the AirPods Pro and the Sony WF-1000XM3.
We're also hoping to see some nifty fitness-tracking features from the new earbuds. A trademark filing discovered earlier this year (via Lets Go Digital) revealed some of the features we might see from the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live, including “software for measuring distance, speed, time, changes in heart rate, activity level, calories burned."
It’s worth bearing in mind that the specs described in trademark filings don’t always show up in the final product, but these biometric sensors could make the new Galaxy Buds a great pair of running headphones like the Powerbeats Pro.
There’s no word on pricing yet, but the Galaxy Buds Plus went on sale in March for $149.99 / £159 / AU$299, so we’re expecting something similar when the next earbuds arrive.
That figure has been backed up by SamMobile, which reported that the buds will cost "under $150".
Samsung users may be in line for a discount, too, according to the SamMobile report, which says: "Naturally, we can expect the bean-shaped Galaxy Buds Live to be offered for free or at a reduced price as part of pre-order bonuses for the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Fold 2".
Hopefully we won't be waiting too long for all these rumors to be confirmed or rebuked – and with rumors of the AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro Lite hotting up, Samsung could have a true wireless battle on its hands by the end of 2020.
