- Galaxy Unpacked 2026 was Buds-less
- A new report tips an end-of-year announcement
- Perhaps announced alongside tablets and FE (or 'Fan Edition') devices
Samsung's latest product launch event, Galaxy Unpacked 2026, was uneventful. Well, uneventful for audio fans; there were three foldable phones, two smartwatches and some all-seeing glasses... but where were the much-rumored Galaxy Buds Able?
This is a new pair of open earbuds, which we'd heard would be released alongside the foldables (it didn't). So where are they?
Well, shortly before Galaxy Unpacked, we may have heard our answer. According to a Korean publication called Electronic Times, which commonly reports on industry news, the Able are coming much later in the year.
The report states that the buds will release in 'Q4', though separately says September or October (September is Q3). Either way, expect them later in the year.
That could see the buds come alongside new tablets, or new FE smartphones or earbuds, all of which we're expecting to see before Santa's visit in December.
UnAble to launch?
According to the report, Samsung delayed the launch of the Galaxy Buds Able, implying they were originally meant to release alongside the Folds and Flips.
They're said to be delayed so that Samsung could evaluate "the product's quality and launch timing". The latter point is fair enough; the Galaxy Buds 4 haven't been on shelves for long.
The latter point also implies that Samsung doesn't think the Able is 'there' yet, and that's also fair enough; open earbuds — especially the even newer ear-cuff or clipping kind — aren't as easy as normal buds. The fit and audio architecture is a lot more important, and brands need to figure out a way to ensure audio quality isn't lost as the music is beamed from the buds to your ear.
To compete with big rivals from Shokz and Bose, the Galaxy Buds Able need to be top-quality, and I imagine Samsung won't launch anything until it can hit that bar.
So essentially, pencil in a rough 'September or October' date in your calendar for these new earbuds — and keep following our news coverage. As we know, so shall you.
➡️ Read our full guide to the best open earbuds
1. Best overall:
Shokz OpenFit 2+
2. Best cheap around-ear design:
Huawei FreeArc
3. Best cheap clip design:
Shokz OpenDots One
4. Best high-end clip design:
Bose Ultra Open
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