# Samsung's clip-on earbud reportedly ditches 'Buds' branding

Source: https://idevice.com/samsungs-clip-on-earbuds-could-be-called-galaxy-buds-on
Published: 2026-07-07

> Leaked code names a new Samsung earbud called Galaxy Able with model number SM-U600, but leaked artwork showing a clip-on design has people questioning whether it uses bone conduction at all.

Samsung's Galaxy Wearable app code has a name and model number for an earbud nobody's seen yet: [Galaxy Able, model number SM-U600](https://www.digitbin.com/galaxy-able-earbuds-name-leak/). It breaks from everything Samsung normally does with its earbuds. Every Galaxy Buds product carries an SM-R prefix and an internal codename pulled from a classical composer, [Handel and Bach among them](https://www.androidauthority.com/galaxy-buds-4-codenames-3610515/). [SM-U600](https://idevice.com/earbuds/samsung-galaxy-buds-on/roadmap) drops both, which points to Samsung treating this as a new product line instead of another Buds entry.

Early reports pointed to bone conduction, a method that sends sound through your cheekbones instead of your ear canal, but [leaked design art shows a clip-on shape](https://sammyguru.com/galaxy-buds-able-design/) that looks a lot like Sony's LinkBuds Clip. Sony's product doesn't actually use bone conduction to play audio. It uses bone conduction to pick up your voice more clearly on calls. [Samsung already does something similar in its Galaxy Buds4 Pro](https://www.digitbin.com/galaxy-able-earbuds-name-leak/) for call quality, so Able working the same way is just as plausible as it being a true bone conduction product.

Open-ear earbuds are having a moment regardless of which version Able turns out to be. [Shokz led the open-hook category with 25% market share](https://appleinsider.com/articles/26/06/10/wireless-earbuds-market-dominated-by-apple-open-ear-models-are-rising) in the first quarter of 2026, and Huawei led open-clip designs at 22%. Analysts expect open-hook shipments to grow 34% this year and open-clip shipments to grow 72%, while regular earbuds are on track to shrink 2%. Apple wasn't in the top ranks of either category.

A second pair of earbuds built for staying aware of your surroundings instead of blocking everything out is an easy upsell to anyone already inside the Galaxy ecosystem. [Apple holds about 23% of the global earbud market](https://appleinsider.com/articles/26/06/10/wireless-earbuds-market-dominated-by-apple-open-ear-models-are-rising) right now, and open-ear is one of the few corners of that market AirPods haven't touched.

## Sources

- [Samsung Confirms Radical 'Galaxy Buds' Companion In New Apple Threat](https://www.forbes.com/sites/paulmonckton/2026/07/07/samsung-galaxy-able-watch-leak/) (Forbes)
- [Android Authority](https://www.androidauthority.com/galaxy-buds-4-codenames-3610515/) (Android Authority)
- [SammyGuru](https://sammyguru.com/galaxy-buds-able-design/) (SammyGuru)
- [AppleInsider](https://appleinsider.com/articles/26/06/10/wireless-earbuds-market-dominated-by-apple-open-ear-models-are-rising) (AppleInsider)