Key takeaways in 3 points:
- A leaked Samsung app code suggests Galaxy Buds 3 could use pinch gestures instead of touch controls.
- Pinch gestures might be more deliberate and less prone to accidental activation than swipes.
- Specific functionality of pinch gestures remains unclear but could include play/pause, volume control, and ANC switching.
Numerous leaks have surrounded the upcoming Galaxy Buds 3 ahead of Samsung’s Unpacked event. These leaks hinted at a potential shift towards a more traditional earbud design with a stem. Now, a teardown of the Samsung Members app by our team, in collaboration with AssembleDebug, has revealed not only the design once again but also the intriguing inclusion of pinch sensors.
An APK teardown essentially involves analyzing app code to potentially predict features that might be introduced in the future. It’s important to remember, however, that these features might not always make it to the final public release.
The teardown of the Samsung Members app version 5.0.00.11 unearthed references to pinch sensors specifically for the Galaxy Buds 3 series. Interestingly, the code also includes images showcasing the earbuds and corresponding pinch gestures. While it remains unclear whether both the Buds 3 and Buds 3 Pro will sport these sensors and gestures, the leaks offer a fascinating glimpse into what could be.
While the specific functionality of the pinch gestures hasn’t been explicitly mentioned, several brands like Apple, Xiaomi, and Nothing already offer similar pinch control functionalities on their earbuds. These controls typically involve basic actions like a single pinch to pause, a double pinch to skip a track, and a triple pinch to go back. However, based on personal experience with the vivo TWS 2, there’s definite room for improvement regarding haptic and physical feedback in certain earbuds.
Existing pinch controls from Apple, Xiaomi, and Nothing often extend to toggling noise cancellation or transparency modes with a pinch-and-hold gesture. Vivo’s offering goes a step further, allowing users to pinch and swipe up for volume control. On the other hand, Nothing’s implementation of a double-pinch-and-hold gesture for volume control received mixed reviews, with our colleague Rita El-Khoury finding it somewhat finicky.
Considering these existing functionalities, it’s reasonable to expect Samsung to adopt a similar approach with the Galaxy Buds 3 series, leveraging the newly discovered pinch sensors. This could be a significant improvement, as Rita has previously expressed a preference for pinch gestures over traditional touch/swipe controls. Pinch and squeeze gestures generally require more deliberate user input, minimizing the chances of accidental activation compared to touch/swipe controls, which can be triggered inadvertently by hair brushing against the earbud or simply adjusting its position in the ear.
The leaked images also reveal red or blue lights at the base of the stem on the Samsung buds. This could potentially be linked to the recently leaked rumors surrounding “blade lights” on the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro.
