In short: Samsung is working on a new lineup of truly wireless in-ear headphones set to be advertised as the “Samsung Buds,” as suggested by a new trademark filing reviewed by AndroidHeadlines. It’s presently unclear whether the series is planned to replace the company’s Gear IconX family or co-exist with it but the timing of the firm’s IP application suggests the Samsung Buds may be announced as early as the first quarter of 2019.
Background: Samsung already rebranded one of its wearable lines earlier this summer by debuting the Galaxy Watch whose launch essentially retired the Gear S brand. That move indicates another rebranding may be a possibility, especially as both the “Galaxy Watch” and “Samsung Buds” monikers appear to achieve the same thing – allow the company to do a better job at communicating what kind of products are behind those names, whereas the “Gear S3” and “Gear IconX” tags are less straightforward to understand for the average consumer. The last addition to the Gear IconX family launched over a year ago in the form of the Gear IconX (2018) — pictured above — and the South Korean firm has yet to mention a potential successor to that lineup. The previous device was met with overwhelmingly positive reviews from both tech critics and consumers, with its biggest shortcoming being a relatively high price tag.
Impact: With the holiday season now fast-approaching and Samsung failing to announce new wireless earbuds at IFA, its next major opportunity to do so will be the next edition of Las Vegas-based CES in January. Provided the Samsung Buds truly end up being a direct follow-up on the Gear IconX (2018), the device is likely to feature a price tag of approximately $200, as was the case with its predecessor. Built-in Bixby 2.0 support appears to be a given for any new wearable made by Samsung, much like high-capacity local storage, Bluetooth 5.0, and advanced fitness tracking capabilities.