July 7 update below: Why a Clip-On design could be a key strategic upgrade to Samsung’s product catalog. This article was originally published on July 5
Samsung has quietly revealed the names of three new Galaxy devices ahead of launch.
According to data buried in the company’s own Galaxy Wearable app, Samsung is set to release the “Galaxy Watch 9,” successor to the current Galaxy Watch 8, and “Galaxy Watch Ultra 2,” a replacement for the Galaxy Watch Ultra. A third update reveals the name “Galaxy Able,” tipped to be a new type of earbud initially thought to deploy bone conduction technology to produce sound.
Samsung Galaxy Able: A Radical Departure
According to Sammobile, the three unannounced product names are explicitly mentioned for the first time in the code for version 2.2.70.26060861 of the Galaxy Wearable app, with the watch product names corroborated in screenshots provided by the leaker @Alfaturk16 on X.
Aside from the expected Galaxy Watch updates, the name “Galaxy Able” is unusual in that it drops the ubiquitous “buds” designation altogether, a significant change from the previous term “Galaxy Buds Able” found in an earlier version of the Galaxy Wearable app.
Android Authority’s initial report from April 2026 noted that the product then described in the code as “BUDSABLE” bore the model number SM-U600. This is a radical departure from the current “SM-R” prefix used by existing Galaxy Buds products which also used internal codenames based on composers like “Handel” and “Bach.” While there are real composers with the spelling “Abel,” the new product’s “Able” moniker remains entirely composer-free, strongly suggesting an entirely new, distinct product line.
Galaxy Buds Able’s initial discovery garnered polarized responses from social media. Community response immediately cast doubt as to whether the product will really use bone conduction technology to produce audio. Its expected clip-on design revealed in earlier leaked artwork appears to contradict this mode of operation, looking instead rather like Sony’s existing LinkBuds Clip product. Sony’s product doesn’t use bone conduction to play back sound, but it does use it to enhance the quality of the microphone during voice calls. Samsung already deploys a similar bone-conduction-based voice enhancement technology in its flagship closed-ear Galaxy Buds4 Pro product. This tech would translate nicely into any new open-ear design, providing a similar boost in call quality.
The Open Ear Advantage
True bone-conducting earbuds offer an interesting listening proposition: they leave your ears completely open and unobstructed. By offering what is essentially the opposite experience to noise cancelling earphones, open-ear designs of various technologies allow you to remain fully aware of ambient sounds around you at all times. This is perfect for users, like athletes or cyclists who want permanent situational awareness for safety reasons.
The big disadvantage, however, is the sound quality, especially deep bass reproduction which typically relies on achieving an effective seal in or around your ear if you are to hear such low frequencies from tiny earbud-sized drivers. Users of Sony’s LinkBuds Clip note that deep bass performance can be compromised compared to traditional close-ear designs.
July 7 update: Market implications of Samsung’s potential entry into the open-ear airbuds category
Samsung Galaxy Able: A Threat To Apple’s AirPod Supremacy?
Samsung’s anticipated clip-on form factor device would pose a unique threat to Apple’s category-leading 23% TWS market share. By moving into territory already tested by the Sony LinkBuds Clip, Samsung could provide the deep integration into the Galaxy ecosystem required to transform the open-ear form factor from a niche accessory into a truly mainstream product category. This move capitalizes on a gap in the AirPod range that Apple can’t fill.
A mainstream open-ear audio product would offer a compelling Android-based alternative to a large group of users currently relying on Apple AirPods, like runners and office workers who demand unobstructed situational awareness and a high level of comfort.
Apple’s AirPods Pro attempt to solve situational awareness digitally using Transparency Mode. However, AirPods, like all closed-ear designs, also cause ear canal fatigue under prolonged wear.
In contrast, clip-on, open-ear buds like the Sony LinkBuds Clip leave the ear canal entirely unblocked. This, Sony claims, allows them to be worn comfortably “all day,” and many users simply don’t like the feeling of in-ear silicone tips at all. Extended wearing times also present new opportunities for persistent health monitoring that Samsung could integrate into its Samsung Health ecosystem. But, perhaps more importantly, a new open-ear Galaxy Able product would provide an opportunity to sell a second pair of earphones to existing customers. They could use closed-ear devices for isolation in noisy environments and switch to the more comfortable, situationally transparent open-ear product while working out or cycling.
Alfaturk16’s leak locks in a July 22 release date for the new Galaxy Watches, potentially giving Samsung just a few weeks to unveil what could prove to be a radical addition to the company’s wearable portfolio.
