Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Watch Active and Galaxy Buds have cropped up in new renders, showcasing the wearable gadgets in far more detail than previous leaks, initially reported by Droid Shout. No information regarding where the leaked images come from but the renders are indicated to be official. Both accessories are predicted to appear at this year’s Samsung Unpacked event on February 20 just ahead of MWC 2019.
The first images provide an angled view of the latest iteration of Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Active in three of its four expected colors. Those include black, silver, and rose gold, although the watch is expected to appear in a green configuration as well.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active appears to have completely abandoned the previous design to take a more clean watch aesthetic with no rotating bezel and smooth, low-profile buttons. The silicone bands are featured with metal clasp hardware that matches up neatly with each watches’ respective color. The bands themselves each feature a smooth comfortable curve at the edges.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds are shown in two of the three expected colors, white and black, with the previously leaked yellow coloration not making an appearance. Although the renders do show off a clean design, following in the footsteps of the Samsung Galaxy Active smartwatch, they too have been completely reworked. All edges of the true wireless earbuds have been smoothed over and the shape appears to allow for a much more compact earbud.
All of the sensors found in the original design — for both the Samsung Gear IconX and its charging case — seem to be present here too. That means the touch sensors and indicators are all still in place but have been moved around to fit the more compact size, with only two charging contacts visible compared to the original device’s four.
The charging case for the Samsung Galaxy Gear Buds has undergone a similar rework, smoothing out the edges with curves and reducing the number of separated LED lights on the front.
Suspected specs
Appearances aren’t the only expected changes with the new wearable accessories either. The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active is expected to be trimmed back from the larger version of its predecessor and offered in only one size — 40mm.
That will be centered around a 1.3-inch display, while it will be driven internally by the in-house Exynos 9110 SoC found in the recently launched Samsung Galaxy Watch. 4GB of memory are said to be included alongside a battery that’s been downsized from the Samsung Gear SPort to 230mAh rather than 300mAh. NFC will be supported for wireless mobile payments and a heart rate monitor will assist the watch in measuring fitness and activity metrics.
Samsung’s own Tizen 4.0 is expected to drive the user experience.
Samsung’s new Galaxy Buds are expected to be a direct follow-up to the previously released Samsung Gear iconX earbuds but will push things to new heights with Bluetooth 5.0 and 8GB of internal storage. That’s on top of the touch-based interactions found in the original design. The battery inside of those is predicted to come in at just 58mAh while its charging case will feature a 252mAh battery for keeping things charged up while on the go.
Pricing and bundles
Each of the new accessories is set to be officially unveiled on February 20 alongside Samsung’s latest flagship handsets the aptly named Samsung Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10, and Galaxy S10+. The tenth-anniversary devices could feasibly come packed in with the new accessories in some instances as part of a sales promotion or bundle but pricing details haven’t been divulged in the meantime.
Samsung’s Gear IconX 2 earbuds were initially sold for around $200 while the Samsung Galaxy Watch ranged from $329 to $349. Although not confirmed or guaranteed, pricing should remain within that ballpark for the new devices as well.
