Samsung is planning to take on Apple’s fancy new AirPods with its own wireless earbuds that will launch alongside the Galaxy S8, according to a new report.
It’s thought Samsung is unlikely to follow Apple’s decision to drop the 3.5mm headphone jack, but it will still push wireless alternatives as they become increasingly popular.
Apple’s most controversial moves have a major impact on the technology industry. Its decision to launch the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus without a headphone jack will undoubtedly boost the adoption of wireless headphones, and Samsung wants a piece of that pie.
According to SamMobile, the South Korean company is planning new wireless in-ear headphones that will launch alongside the Galaxy S8 next spring. “Samsung is surely looking to put out a product that competes with Apple’s AirPods,” reads the report.
It is unclear if the earphones will be sold separately or bundled with the Galaxy S8, or whether they will include Harman Kardon audio technology following Samsung’s acquisition of Harman International Industries last month.
Samsung already offers wireless earphones, like the Gear IconX. But they don’t match the simplicity and reliability of AirPods, which can pair with an iPhone with just one tap, and use Apple’s new W1 wireless chip that improves connectivity and efficiency.
Despite their high price tag, AirPods have been well-received by Apple fans and critics. Tim Cook called them a “runaway success” during an interview with CNBC this week and said Apple is making them “just as fast as we can,” though they’re currently sold out worldwide.
Killian Bell is a freelance writer based in the U.K. He has an interest in all things tech and also covers Android over at CultofAndroid.com. You can follow him on Twitter via @killianbell.
36 responses to “Samsung plans to rip off AirPods next”
There’s nothing to it. He says “Samsung is surely looking to put out a product that competes with Apple’s AirPod’s.”
Surely? Not “are”.
That’s Killian for you. The king of speculative ‘news’. Seriously, websites like this are becoming The Sun of the tech world…
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So basically the story goes like this:
– Samsung already has a product like that, the Gear Icon X
– Samsung actually released Icon X way before Apple even announced AirPods
– Samsung’s product is not AirPods therefore when Samsung releases its next generation headset it will be ripping Apple off…
Seriously Killian ? Products ‘like AirPods’ existed way before, even on Kickstarter…
As an Apple user I never subscribed to this but i’m starting to see why we’re being called ignorant, blind and stupid sheep…
only a blind or a idiot or a payed troll (samsung it’s well documented for this dirty things) cant see what samsung is doing from years..
yeah, so if Samsung, Sony or any other company releases a new product and then Apple releases its own product in the same category – they should all stop because suddenly they will be copying Apple if they released a second generation of that said product ? Do you even have a brain ?
your a dickhead .. why the fuck Samsung constantly is waiting for Apple to insist to a feature?
if wireless headphone was there, why the fuck they didn’t implemented on their flagship device? BEFORE?
WHY WAITING?
are you a dumb?
coz you look totally a dumb a fagdroid..
do a favor to yourself. go and update your antivirus coz probably your been hacked and it’s your crazy device full of backdoors talking for you
It really doesn’t make someone an idiot or a “payed” troll to point out that Samsung released a product before Apple did.
well insisting that Samsung isn’t copying Apple looks childish since Samsung already payed tons of dollars to Apple for that.. and this don’t make me dumb like that suspicious profile said to me
Samsung has copied Apple before, and Apple has copied Samsung before. Every companies borrows/copies designs from others. I won’t argue with that point, especially when the Galaxy S and S2 were very blatant copies of the original iPhones.
In this particular case, with wireless earbuds, Samsung wouldn’t be “copying” Apple because Samsung actually released theirs before Apple’s were even announced.
they are clearly copying since they waited to see if Apple would have success with those wireless headphones and then they decided to risk on their flagship devices
every year it’s the same .. even with the names.. 3GS – gs3, 4s – s4, 5s – s5, 6s – s6.. iPhone 6 Plus – Samsung Galaxy plus.. Siri – s-voice, fingerprint scanner – the same, passbook – wallet, gold color – the same .. 64 bit – promised, Live Photos – don’t remember the name.. now wireless headphones – I bet no one noticed that Samsung had a wireless headphone since they didn’t use it on their flagship..
none of those features was INVENTED by Apple , but since Apple introduced them.. all android devices implemented almost in the same time .. this is called copying
Practically every company is using the “letter and number” scheme on their phones now. The G4, G5, S6, S7, 5s, 6s, (Moto) X, M9, M8, etc. Not really copying there, just the industry practice at this point.
“I bet no one noticed that Samsung had a wireless headphone since they didn’t use it on their flagship…”
— Except they did promote them. They were marketed right alongside their Gear Fit2 wearable.
“since Apple introduced them.. all android devices implemented almost in the same time .. this is called copying”
— It’s simply not copying for Samsung to do something before Apple does it. That’s not how “copying” works. The actual order of events is important here.
eh.. it’s okay.. the letter where just a coincidence .. how about the look of iPhone 6 that changed the whole look of the whole devices out there?
and don’t tell me that even the decision to implement right now, after iphone used just wireless headphone was just another coincidence .. wait till all other android makers will implement them to.. just wait
for the 3D Touch it’s more complicated since it’s a hardware/software stuff and Samsung can’t copy that easily
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/93bd5ac37ddff8813dc9f1c6994993db6d15a4d5330af1febe6ed1788f6470b6.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/21833cff9b71b8f33e6a9e7c8fde470dec7e7507560b121276d4316e0a114cf9.jpg
HTC made a shameless copy, it’s true. They should be criticized for it. The S6/S7 are similar to the iPhone, but also different in fundamental ways – the glass back, for example, and there really are only so many ways that the speaker/microphone/headphone items can be arranged. Using a standard arrangement is good, it helps people transition more easily. Not really a case of copying.
But we could also talk about how the iPhone 6 took a lot of design from the HTC One M7 and the Sony Xperia Z. all-aluminum back with antenna lines? Not original. Curved edges with gaps for antenna bands? Not original.
No company is going to be 100% original, and while we should criticize the HTC A9 for being a blatant ripoff with no shame, let’s be real and admit that everything is standardized now and there’s very little real “copying going on.”
dude I like how you are trying to be rational.. for me it’s different .. I’m a designer.. just can’t denie what I see and what I feel when I watch those products .. for me it’s clear.. only Apple is changing with little steps, well planed.. the others are constantly moving forward without any particular vision ..
at the end I’m a fan..
I work in design as well (user-interaction), and I see some places that Apple has done a lot of good work and some where other companies have. Look at the way the Galaxy S7 is shaped – it’s slightly thicker, but the back edges taper to make it feel thinner when you’re holding it. That means more room for the battery, with a similar in-hand feel to the thinner iPhone. That is what I consider good design.
And Apple does great work too. I use an Apple Pencil occasionally, and I’ve never found anything like it. It’s perfectly weighted, smooth, and so fast. I love it, and that’s good design too!
What we need to do is recognize good design anywhere it occurs, whether it’s Apple or someone else, and praise that. We shouldn’t fall victim to thinking that *only* Apple or *only* Samsung or *only* someone else can be innovate, because that’s just not true.
designed a app last summer .. and you know what I finded?
that Apple had in their servers every single app ever published since 2008.. so Facebook has 150 versions aviable to download from their developers and this is valid for every stupid app ever made
when it comes to the interface design.. I just can’t get enough .. I’m a perfectionist and trust me.. it’s hard to find imperfections on Apple designs.. very hard
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/91d19f981ab2675a3ffa178ab8b0feb81b3e707e0634797be43293019b11db72.png
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8c7b45235ea06eeadc8840f660343d32e65b633bdfe9f9734342c7cdfafbbfc8.png
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f9584ecb2c4f3b2026d6036a35a99cac2184790826cdea364f27d85fa9d2c0cb.png https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1e4523cd01b259d93afd0a080bdb2e016b16ae76d8656cc279576f50410cba2c.png
Once you know how to use it it can be easy, and while it might be nice aesthetically, it’s not exactly intuitive to many people. With 3D Touch, for example, there’s just no visual indication that such an interaction model exists – you just have to press on an icon and see if it does anything. And if you’ve never heard of 3D Touch, you’d never really it was even a possibility! Giving good visual cues to the user about what is and isn’t possible on a given screen is important, and Apple frequently fails in that department.
in fact I’m not using to much 3D Touch .. this maybe since I’m still on iOS 9.3.5.. iOS 10 looks to be great and using the full potential of that..
do you know that is possible to measure weight with the 6s screen? truly it’s is possible ..
the most feature I like its RECHABILITY
double tap (not press) the home button and the screen come down and makes possible to reach the top part of web pages or apps that are in the top..
sorry for the English .. clearly im not that good :D https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7de1bed180e0359e15cc26754c80f6ba6875ee14d4d5599b3bb32d624b4474ff.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c27d8eeaf3ce59aabd6478ddb3e3975153a0424b50712dae591eade447ec1cf5.png https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f86d57c78c9b06ae09047b452243caa494f8182e4865232986a5722ec14bff0c.png
look https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/bdb1b226b86842eea15c25b6f2b07efbf6125a2acc7b76f7be4beb27bb987fb7.jpg
That’s comparative advertising. Tons of companies do it – not sure what’s your point here.
yeah.. they are trolling and after fucking even with their customers.. right after this disgusting advertising they removed the memory card and the removable battery
And then, after hearing the outrage, they added the microSD card back and enabled very fast charging to alleviate battery concerns. They listen to their customers, at least, which is more than you can say for Apple.
I’m not saying that customers are not benefiting from those changes.. but can’t really respect Samsung .. the only android phone I will consider one day is LG, they never removed the opsion the change the battery and their devices have radio.. I love the non Internet radio
I understand the concern about battery. I’d honestly recommend trying a phone with one built-in that has fast-charging tech. It’s not perfect, but it alleviates a lot of the concerns around “but I’ll need to plug it in for a while to let it charge.”
There are also a lot of phones that have FM capability, including the Galaxy S7 – it all depends on whether the carrier allows that option.
Funny, never heard anyone mention Gear Icon X ever before. Ever.
Must be a great product…
“I have never heard of this before, therefore it must not be very good”
Pretty bad way to approach the world.
Came here to comment this, glad to see someone beat me to it.
Companies do not exist in a vacuum. They respond to market trends and competitive forces. Samsung does this. Apple does this. Every company does this or withers. Few ever create something utterly innovative, and even then it will always be created from concepts and implementations seen in prior works. That’s the way the application of knowledge advances and why, in many ways, our current patent system is so absurd.
As others have noted, what about the Gear IconX, Killian? You know, Samsung’s wireless earbuds, came with a charging case and microphone…oh, and they included a pedometer and a heart-rate monitor, to use as fitness trackers. And they were announced before the AirPods too!
I realize this is a cult, but come on. Have some self-respect.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d1825dc25ee649b3caf982fd0f73f3a91c31a24bd5b7d66cab66b67dd5f85f6c.jpg
Haha, that’s creative! Too bad that didn’t happen to that phone, only happened to one line of their devices, only a few of those devices (a tiny fraction compared to the total number shipped), and was recalled and thus is no longer a problem. Maybe come up with something new?
You must be so much fun at parties.
I wonder if they catch on fire.