Samsung’s next Galaxy earbuds could surprise with an earclip design

By Shikhar Mehrotra Published April 20, 2026

Samsung’s next audio product might just clip onto your ear. A new icon discovered by SammyGuru, buried inside One UI firmware, has revealed a product: Galaxy Buds Able. 

What’s interesting is that the earbuds don’t look like any Galaxy Buds that we’ve seen so far. 

The leaked icon shows a clip-style earbud design that sits on the outer ear, directing sound toward the ear canal, without sealing it off from the outside world. The design puts the earbuds in the open-ear territory, a growing category that has been embraced by brands like Bose and Anker. 

The Galaxy Buds Able carry an SM-U series model number, unlike the current SM-R identifiers. This strongly suggests that this could be an entirely new product category for Samsung. 

Tipster Ice Universe had previously pointed to the company working on bone conduction headphones under the “Able” codename, with early Korean reports hinting at a late 2025 launch. However, that never happened. 

The newly surfaced icon, however, indicates that Samsung may have switched from conventional open-ear technology instead. While bone conduction hasn’t been ruled out entirely, it might not be on the cards for the immediate releases.

For everyday users, the appeal of open-ear audio is real, as it lets you stay aware of your surroundings while listening to music, podcasts, or scrolling through reels. These make the earphones ideal for commutes, workouts, or long work sessions. 

Samsung might be preparing these earbuds for a launch alongside its next-generation foldables, including the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Flip 8. Samsung’s acknowledgment of the open-ear audio is no longer a niche; the category has hit a mainstream tipping point.

I believe that the demand for open-ear earbuds is fuelled by safety, comfort, and all-day wearability, all combined in the form factor of a compact, easy-to-carry, and dependable wireless audio device, and Samsung already has a lot of experience in a majority of those things.