Anyone who has lost an earbud while jogging or had it fall out during squats knows this problem. Now, Samsung itself seems to have recognized it: the company is developing a new Galaxy Buds model with ear hooks for securing, according to SamMobile citing the first images of the device.
What's wrong with regular earbuds
The problem of securing wireless earbuds during active movement is not new. Manufacturers have been trying to solve it in various ways for years: Apple added stabilizers to AirPods Pro, Beats created a separate Powerbeats sports line with rigid ear loops, and Samsung had relied mainly on interchangeable ear tips of different sizes.
Based on the leak, the company has recognized: this is not enough. The earbuds being developed under the codename Buds Canal 5 will receive flat hooks — a design that Samsung had previously avoided, apparently for aesthetic reasons. This is a direct signal: the sports earbuds market sets its own rules, and convenience there is more important than minimalist design.
Who is the competitor and why Samsung
Ear hooks are essentially an acknowledgment that the audience of runners and gym-goers is willing to pay for reliability rather than form. This segment has already been occupied for years by less well-known brands like Jabra Elite Active or Shokz — and now Samsung is trying to enter it with the resources of its large Galaxy ecosystem.
According to available information, the ear tips will be in-canal or semi-open — this is also a hint at a compromise: complete sound isolation is not always safe while running on city streets, so a more open design allows you to hear cars and pedestrians.
The company has not yet officially confirmed the device's existence and has not announced a presentation date
According to preliminary data, the debut could happen as early as early September — along with the more budget-friendly Galaxy Buds On model and the Galaxy S26 FE smartphone. This aligns with Samsung's strategy of covering all price and functional niches simultaneously, rather than releasing one flagship device per year.
Context: the lineup is already large
In February 2026, Galaxy Buds 4 sales started in Ukraine with automatic noise cancellation, and Buds 4 Pro received updated drivers for deeper sound. Adding yet another — sports — model means that Samsung is finally dividing the earbuds audience into segments, just as it once did with smartphones: basic, premium, and now specialized sports.
The only question is whether buyers are ready to pay for another pair of earbuds in the ecosystem, instead of simply buying ear hook attachments for their existing Buds — a solution offered by third-party manufacturers for a few dollars.
