Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy earbuds could ditch touch controls for something better

Summary

• Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Buds to have AirPods-like design with pinch sensors, stem shape for voice quality.
• Leak suggests pinch gestures for music control, stem tap for call answering, and possible Blade Lights feature.
• Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 3 series may offer significant upgrades in battery life, call quality, sound.

Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy earbuds could sport an AirPods-like design, ditching their sleek look in favor of a stem. The company itself accidentally confirmed the new design through its diagnostic app. The stem-like shape will apparently help the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro deliver better voice call quality and ANC. A new leak now confirms the presence of pinch sensors on the Galaxy Buds 3 series and how the supported gestures could work.

Android Authority found references to the Galaxy Buds 3 series in the Samsung Members app v 5.0.00.11. The imagery once again confirms the earbuds’ design and the presence of pinch sensors.

It’s difficult to ascertain how the pinch gestures will work from the leak. But if the AirPods and some of our favorite wireless earbuds are anything to go by, pressing the sensor should control music playback.

A double-press or tap should skip to the next track, while a triple-press will likely take you to the previous song. To accept an incoming call, you will mostly have to press on the stem when your phone rings.

On the Nothing Ear, you can long-press the stem to switch between ANC and transparency modes. Samsung will likely provide similar functionality on its upcoming earbuds as well.

Oh, and remember the Blade Lights on the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro from a recent specs leak? The report claims the earbuds will have red or blue lights at the bottom of their stem, which Samsung will possibly market as Blade Lights. They could flash when the earbuds are low on battery power or during an incoming call to catch your attention.

Galaxy Buds touch controls need a major upgrade

As a Galaxy Buds 2, Buds Pro, and Buds 2 Pro, I do not like Samsung’s current touch controls. They are finicky at best and do not work properly. In comparison, I find the pinch controls on my wife’s Nothing Ear earbuds much easier to use. If Samsung’s implementation is anywhere close, it would be a significant step up from its current crop of Galaxy earbuds.

Based on all the leaks so far, it appears Samsung is giving its Galaxy Buds lineup a huge overhaul with the Buds 3 series. While the earbuds will lose the sleek design of their predecessors, they should bring notable improvements in all key areas, including battery life, voice call quality, and sound quality.