Samsung Launches 'Galaxy Buds' AirPods Competitor

Alongside its new Galaxy S10 smartphone lineup and the Galaxy Fold, Samsung today announced a new wearable accessory, the Galaxy Buds.

The Galaxy Buds are Samsung's new wire-free earbuds, similar to the AirPods. Samsung focused on sound with the Galaxy Buds, partnering with AKG. An Enhanced Ambient Sound feature allows users to better hear their surroundings with the earbuds in the ears, and an Adaptive Dual Microphone provides clear voice in loud and quiet environments alike.

Samsung says the Galaxy Buds are 30 percent smaller and lighter than the previous-generation earbuds, making them Samsung's most compact wearable earbuds yet. The battery in the Galaxy Buds supports 5 hours of calls or six hours of music on one charge.

There's a wireless charging case that's used to charge the Galaxy Buds, and it can be charged using any Qi-based wireless charger. It can also be charged via a Galaxy S10 smartphone using the new wireless PowerShare feature.

The Galaxy Buds support Bixby integration for making calls, sending text messages, checking battery level, and more.

Along with the Galaxy Buds, Samsung today also unveiled two new wrist-worn devices, the Galaxy Watch Active and the Galaxy Fit. The Galaxy Watch Active is a round smart watch with a minimal design, featuring blood pressure monitoring, heart rate monitoring, stress checking and breathing exercises, fitness tracking, and Bixby integration.

The Galaxy Fit is a thin, lightweight wearable that's made for activity tracking. It features automatic workout tracking, heart rate monitoring, built-in alerts and messages, data like weather, calendar, and alarms from your smartphone, and more.

The Galaxy Watch Active will be available starting on March 8 for $200, while the Galaxy Fit is coming in the second quarter of 2019.