Mobile music lovers are pretty much spoiled for choice when it comes to true wireless earphones these days, and now there's another option courtesy of Samsung – the much rumored, and quite unusual-looking, Galaxy Buds Live.
Rather than plug the ear canal like, say, Sony's WF-1000XM3 or Apple's AirPods Pro buds, the speaker drivers of the Galaxy Buds Live earpieces rest against it, and stay in place thanks to their unusual shape. Samsung says that by laying out the internal components horizontally instead of vertically, the earpieces don't stick out from the ears for a smoother and cleaner aesthetic. And where in-ear buds come with different-sized tips, the Buds Live are supplied with two sizes of wingtips to ensure a snug fit.
Like those from Sony and Apple, Samsung's true wireless earphones feature active noise cancellation, though this flavor is specifically designed for open type earphones. with Samsung reckoning that you should be able to "tune out distractions like passing cars and loud laundry machines, while still being able to tune into important announcements and conversations."
On the audio front, the company's designers have leveraged the sonic know-how of AKG, with deep, rich and natural-sounding output promised from the 12-mm speaker drivers and bass duct. Playback can be controlled by touching the outer housing, and the earphones feature three microphones and a unit that homes in on the wearer's voice to ensure call clarity.
Up to six hours of music on the move can be had from the earphones, with another 15 available from the included charging case, with five minutes of quick charging giving an hour of playback.
In addition to being able to switch between music source devices without having to disconnect and reconnect, Samsung is offering extra functionality when paired over Bluetooth 5.0 with the latest Galaxy devices. By way of example, the Buds Live can be used in place of a wireless microphone if used with the Note20, or can cut down on playback lag in Game Mode. Users can navigate music, open apps and send messages by interacting with the Bixby digital assistant, and there's even a feature that enables music sharing with other Buds Live users.
The IPX2 water-resistant, bean-shaped Buds Live earphones go on sale from August 6 for US$169.99.
Product page: Galaxy Buds Live