Samsung’s next Unpacked event is expected in July, and while the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 are the main attractions, Samsung might have another surprise: a pair of earbuds that let you listen to music in all its fidelity without compromising your ability to hear. Digital Chat Station and Ice Universe, both reliable tipsters, shared the news on Weibo and listed the upcoming earbuds as “bone conduction” buds.
However, both sources also call these open wireless stereo (OWS) earbuds. This style of earbud usually transmits audio into the ear canal with air rather than through vibrations. While it isn’t entirely clear what Samsung has cooking, it seems likely the tech giant has a new project in the works.
OWS earbuds are popular with runners, cyclists, and people who need to keep an ear on their surroundings while they work out. These allow the wearer to listen to music without putting something in their ears and compromising their ability to hear approaching traffic.
The Galaxy Buds are a popular alternative to AirPods for Android users. The buds offer sound quality on par with high-end earbuds, a comfortable fit, and numerous features that make them an easy go-to. If Samsung’s new earbuds match or exceed the quality of the Galaxy Buds, then they will have no problem finding an audience.
The new earbuds are expected to debut at the next Unpacked event alongside the new handsets. The information we currently have is limited, but if recent trends are any indication, more leaks will emerge as the event draws near.
Another benefit of this announcement is that it could make bone-conduction earbuds — usually a higher-priced item — more accessible, especially as more companies begin to enter that section of the market.
Instagram is making its way to yet another screen, and this time, Apple TV is getting a taste of the Reels rabbit hole. The company has launched a dedicated Instagram app for Apple TV, bringing Reels, longer videos, and live shows to the big screen. So, if watching one quick clip on a phone somehow turns into an hour of scrolling, there's now a much larger screen for that.
Instagram brings Reels and more to Apple TV
Audio-Technica, a brand well known for making some of the best studio and professional headphones on the market, has just come out with the ATH-AWX7000, which the company itself claims to be its "finest headphones ever." The new flagship closed-back headphone has debuted at an eye-watering price of $3,799. It combines hand-finished Japanese woodwork with a newly developed 58mm driver.
The earcups are made from Kiso cypress, a prized wood historically used for Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Each housing is finished by hand with traditional Echizen lacquer, which brings out the grain and is expected to darken over time. The frame and sliders are finished in a deep navy kachi-iro shade traditionally associated with samurai.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
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