Samsung Is Testing New Earhook Galaxy Buds

Samsung already has one new earbuds form factor leaking this month clip-on, open-ear buds reportedly landing as Galaxy Buds On. Now a second, completely different pair has surfaced: ear-hook earbuds internally codenamed Buds Canal 5, spotted through software references and leaked interface graphics rather than any Samsung announcement.

Several outlets pulled the same references within hours of each other today, and the leaked images show a design closer to Shokz’s OpenFit or Anker’s Soundcore workout earbuds than anything Samsung has shipped before flat hooks that loop around the outer ear, paired with an eartip that could sit fully or partially in the canal, something Samsung hasn’t finalized yet according to the leak. A model number, SM-U600, also turned up in the references, which is usually a stronger signal of a real product in development than a rendering alone.

The timing tells you where this fits in Samsung’s roadmap. Samsung’s current Galaxy Buds 4 and Buds 4 Pro launched in February alongside the Galaxy S26, and the company has historically refreshed its earbuds lineup every two years rather than annually. Given that pattern, and the “Canal 5” naming pointing toward a Buds 5 family tie-in, this ear-hook model likely isn’t landing this year; a 2027 debut alongside the Galaxy S27 looks far more probable, assuming Samsung moves forward with it at all.

What’s notable is that Samsung is chasing two distinct workout-earbud approaches at once. The clip-on Buds On is reportedly leaning on bone conduction technology for a fully open-ear experience, while Buds Canal 5 keeps a more traditional in-ear seal with the added hook for stability covering both ends of the fitness-earbuds spectrum rather than picking one lane.

Samsung hasn’t confirmed either product exists, and codenames rarely survive to retail unchanged. But the fact that references to two separate hook and clip-on designs are surfacing in the same month suggests Samsung is finally ready to compete in a workout-earbuds category; it’s mostly ignored while Shokz, Beats, and Anker built loyal followings there instead.