Samsung Galaxy Buds FE Likely Coming Soon With Sub-$100 Price Tag – CNET [CNET]

Various leaks point to Samsung’s new more affordable earbuds being released in the first week of October.

I still run into a lot of people who tell me they miss Samsung’s discontinued Galaxy Buds Plus earbuds, which were just the right size and came with a set of swappable fins that helped create a secure, comfortable fit. Now Samsung appears to be on the verge of releasing the spiritual successor to those buds, the Galaxy Buds FE, which rumors strongly suggest will cost less than $100.

The buds have leaked online on Samsung’s Argentina website and a product page on Amazon India. Those pages have been taken down — but not before screen grabs were captured by SamMobile. Also, back on Sept. 15, Roland Quandt, a usually reliable leakster, provided some early specs for the Galaxy Buds FE, listing them as coming in black or white for $100 and having 12mm AKG-tuned drivers. (AKG is owned by Samsung.)

Those leaked product pages reveal the Galaxy Buds FE will have a single driver, three mics on each earbud and active noise canceling. They appear to charge in a case that’s the same size and shape as what you currently get with all of Samsung’s latest Galaxy Buds, including the the Galaxy Buds 2 and Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. 

Read more: Best Wireless Earbuds of 2023

The Galaxy Buds 2 list for $150, but frequently sell for closer to $100. We won’t see discounts like that on the Galaxy Buds FE right away, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see them discounted during the holiday buying season by $20 or $30. While they likely won’t sound as good as the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, which feature two-way drivers (10mm woofer, 5.3mm tweeter), the Galaxy Buds FE’s integrated fins should appeal to a lot of people who are looking for a secure, comfortable fit. 

In the coming days, Samsung is also expected to unveil other new mobile devices in its more affordable FE line, including the Galaxy S23 FE, Galaxy Tab S9 and Tab S9 Plus FE.

Samsung didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the leaks.

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