[7:00am] Monday, we meet again. Time to get up and start another week off on the right track with a quick shower and a hearty breakfast. Once I’m ready, I dig my smartphone out from under my blanket and glance toward the nightstand at my Gear IconX’s pill-shaped case. The green lights tell me that the earbuds are fully charged and ready to go. Let’s do this.

[8:00am] On the subway, when I plug the Gear IconX into my ears and it senses my heart beat, the earbuds automatically connect to my smartphone. From there, all it takes to start enjoying my music is a simple tap. The subway car’s full to bursting as usual, and I adjust the volume with a quick swipe of the touchpad. I’m glad I can, too. I couldn’t reach my smartphone to turn it up even if I tried.

[9:30am] Time for work, so I store the Gear IconX in its case for safe keeping and to charge. I usually work for 9 hours, but after a single charge of the case and earbuds, and factoring in the two additional charges the case provides, my Gear IconX works for longer; it’s good to go for up to 11 hours of standalone play. Plus, the case is sleek and refined, blends in nicely with my workstation, and makes keeping track of the earbuds easy. I won’t have to worry about finding them at all.

[12:00pm] Lunch time! The weather’s nice, so after a quick bite, I put on my Gear IconX to stream some music while I go for a walk. When I approach the intersection by our office, I hear a car horn blare as a driver runs a red light and speeds through the crosswalk in front of me. Close call. Thanks to Gear IconX’s Ambient Sound mode, however, I was able to respond to the noise and come out safe and sound. Relieved, I head back upstairs.

[3:30pm] During a break from work, I connect my phone to the Gear IconX via a USB connector and cable to add a few more songs a friend recommended. Both earbuds feature built-in storage – 4GB in all – which means I can easily enjoy tons of tracks even without my phone. I’ve got about 500 saved on them now, and their memory is only half full. Plenty of room to discover more great tunes.

[6:30pm] After clocking out, I test out the new songs on the way home. Just before I reach my door, I hear a call from my brother Sean coming in and take it with a double tap of the Gear IconX’s touchpad. Looks like he’s going to be latefor dinner at the sushi bar tonight. I assure him it’s fine. It just means the meal is on him.

[7:00pm] There’s nothing like a good run to decompress after a long day. Before I got my Gear IconX, I had to make sure that I brought my earphones, smartphone and fitness tracker (all charged, of course) with me as my “running mates”. Now, the Gear IconX is all I need to go for a quick run. Before I start, I activate the Gear IconX’s fitness tracking mode by pressing on its touchpad until I hear “Start workout”. Even when I run, the earbuds fit comfortably. My ears are definitely on the bigger side, but the ear- and wing-tip attachments allowed me to find a snug fit.

[7:30pm] The Gear IconX’s Voice Guide tells me I’m 5K into my run, absolutely incinerating the calories from last night’s monstrous lasagna, and firmly within my vigorous intensity zone. I’m pleased to hear that I’m making good time, too; the high-energy tracks I loaded onto the earbuds yesterday are definitely helping.

[9:00pm] After my workout, I check S Health to view the Gear IconX’s collected measurements. Mission accomplished; my most active day this month. I’m very happy with its burned-calorie and heart-rate reports, and judging by the distance of my run, I’m not surprised that I’ve worked up such an appetite. I make a note to order an extra California roll on Sean’s dime to reward myself.

[11:00pm] After dinner, I head home to relax and get ready for bed. Before turning in, I connect the Gear IconX’s case to my PC via USB cable and open the Gear IconX Manager, which allows me to conveniently compile tomorrow’s playlist with tracks from my hard drive. I feel a ‘Techno Tuesday’ coming on. After finishing, I plug in the case and head to bed. I’ll need my rest; I’ve got a new step record to beat tomorrow.

Assistant Manager Jiho Lee (left) and Manager Sanghyun Kim

Q. How did you come up with the Gear IconX’s “independent” concept?

Sanghyun Kim: For many people, preparing for exercise entails grabbing three devices: their smartphone, fitness tracker and earphones. But managing all three during a workout can be cumbersome. So, in an effort to streamline the experience, we dreamt up a wireless music player that could work independently, minimizing any hassle.

We began by envisioning a standalone device that could function simultaneously as a music player and fitness tracker and provide real-time exercise data. We decided to make it cordless in pursuit of complete convenience, and ran numerous ergonomic tests to find a design that would fit every ear.

Q. What was the most difficult aspect of incorporating the fitness tracking technology?

Jiho Lee: The earbuds feature built-in acceleration and heart rate sensors, but when it comes to heart rate, accuracy can vary depending on where the sensor is positioned and how it comes into contact with the body.

It was therefore difficult to find a spot to install the sensor that would work universally, for all ear shapes. What’s more, it was actually our first time utilizing such a sensor on ears. Our existing devices were designed to collect heart rate data from fingers or wrists.

While we could have placed the sensors in greater contact with users’ ears, we believed that doing so would compromise the device’s attractive aesthetic. We therefore carefully honed the product to strike a perfect balance of accuracy and design.

Q. How did you design the earbuds to support crisp music playback on their own?

Sanghyun Kim: In order to facilitate an ideal standalone listening experience, we included built-in memory storage in both earbuds. In use, the device draws from both, and does not suffer from the loss of sound quality due to data compression that’s typical with other wireless earphones. This is how the Gear IconX manages to deliver better sound despite being completely cord free.

Jiho Lee: To streamline file transfers, we decided to launch dedicated PC software—for the first time in the history of the Gear collection—and modified the Gear Manager app to foster the direct transmission of music from users’ phones to their earbuds.

Q. What led you to opt for touch-based controls?

Jiho Lee: Adding physical buttons for different commands would’ve been the easiest route. However, we decided not to put up with the possible inconvenience that hard keys could bring, including requiring a larger design to properly accommodate them and creating irritating pressure on the ear when pressed.

We wanted the earbuds’ controls to be easy to use, conducive to a small design and unlikely to malfunction, which made a touch-based interface ideal. Ultimately honing the controls’ design and selecting what command to assign to each variation of swipe, tap and press took a great deal of deliberation.

Q. What steps did you take to optimize battery capacity?

Jiho Lee: The Gear IconX is capable of running for 3.8 hours in Standalone Mode and 1.6 hours when streaming from a smartphone. According to our research, people usually listen to music for no longer than 1.5 hours at a time.

Because the earbuds are completely cordless, we decided to provide a dedicated case that would allow users to safely and conveniently store and charge them when they’re not in use. By designing the product to recharge during storage, we allow it to be more available for users’ enjoyment.

Q. How do you hope the Gear IconX will contribute to users’ listening experience?

Sanghyun Kim: What makes me happy as a product planner is when people find a device utterly easy to use. The Gear IconX, for example, automatically pairs to users’ phones via Bluetooth as soon as they put the earbuds on, meaning no long button presses to initiate connections. The built-in storage also means immediate access to music—no fishing for a phone or untangling earphones required.

Our goal was to enrich the listening experience during exercise with convenient and intuitive functionality, and we believe users are seeing that. I was especially proud when, at the Rio Olympics, I saw a visitor to the Samsung Galaxy Studio grab the earbuds without any instruction, plug them in and start grooving to some music.

Senior Engineer Kidong Hong (left) and Principal Engineer Jiyoung Kong (right)

Q. How did you come to add a fitness tracker to these Bluetooth earbuds?

Jiyoung Kong: We wanted to make the Gear IconX the most convenient choice for users to accurately measure their activity. A new, cord-free standalone device.

Because music playback is a must to keep boredom at bay during workouts, it was only natural for us to develop the Gear IconX as a combination of a music player and fitness tracker.

As a developer of S Health, I’m delighted that we now have another line of fitness trackers to add to our wristbands and smartphones. Though smartphones excel in computational functions, we usually find them bothersome while at the gym. I am glad to see more diversity in wearable devices because it will surely help us meet our users’ increasingly diversifying needs.

Q. What was the main focus when incorporating S Health support into the Gear IconX?

Kidong Hong: Although the earbuds may look simple, it took a lot of collaboration with other teams to incorporate support for fitness tracking features—such as exercise recording and heart rate measurement—while ensuring that the Gear IconX still delivered a top-rate Bluetooth listening experience.

Since we have numerous fitness tracking options available in other Samsung wearable devices and smartphones, S Health now has more sources to help users collect and optimize exercise data. So we also focused on ensuring optimal usability when the Gear IconX is connected to the app. For instance, we had many discussions regarding how the earbuds would send information to S Health and how that data would be displayed.

Q. How exactly does the Gear IconX’s fitness tracking technology work?

Kidong Hong: The Gear IconX comes with a built-in acceleration sensor and a CPU. When the sensor detects your movement, the CPU calculates speed and distance based on that information.

The device tracks walking and running by detecting how your feet leave the ground. While wristband-type fitness trackers usually measure how much your arms swing, the Gear IconX, being earbuds, does its job by noting how much your head shakes.

We set our measurement standards based on verification with a dedicated sports lab and also consulted our own database, which features relevant data we’ve gathered since launching the Gear series.

Q. What kind of information does the Gear IconX’s voice guide relay during workouts?

Kidong Hong: The voice guide tells you the duration, distance and speed of your exercise, as well as your heart rate and the number of calories you’ve burned. You can check all of this information on the S Health app.

You can choose the items you’d like to have announced, and set a time or distance interval for updates. The voice guide also notices when you’ve reached the high-intensity workout zone corresponding with your heart rate. All of these features provide users with more significant information and reinforce the Gear IconX’s extensive capabilities as a standalone fitness device.

Q. What’s the difference between using the Gear IconX on its own and with a smartphone?

Jiyoung Kong: While the Gear IconX certainly supports independent use, we have also carefully considered how it works with a smartphone. To this end, we are working on a situation-based framework to work out how to best alternate functions between the two devices, determining in which circumstances one will operate as the main fitness tracker and the other will support.

For example, when you press the Gear IconX’s button and start running, the framework prevents your smartphone from recording your activity, deeming that you clearly expressed your intention to rely on the earbuds instead. On the other hand, when you choose not to activate the Gear IconX and start walking or running, it automatically turns the fitness tracker on your smartphone on. In this case, the earbuds function as accessories to measure your heart rate.

Heart rate is certainly one of the most useful bits of information for people who enjoy working out; it serves as a sort of stamina indicator. By incorporating valuable, advanced functions into S Health, including the Program feature, which helps you get accustomed to regular exercise more easily, and Pace Goals, which offers runners guided training through different intensity zones, we tried to help people use their smartphone and wearable together to work out smarter.

Senior Designer Seounghyun Son (left) and Engineer Sunghan Park

Q. How did you approach the Gear IconX’s design?

Seounghyun Son: For the Gear IconX, we needed a design that would be iconic as both a wearable and an audio product, and would reflect the company’s innovative identity.

When it comes to crafting wearables, too much focus solely on design can be a detriment, and can even cause a product to be uncomfortable to wear. For the Gear IconX, we focused on achieving a balance, so it wouldn’t become too complex, nor too simple. The smooth triangular shape of the earbud is modern and intense, and we shaped it just right in order to evoke the sophisticated aesthetic that Samsung pursues.

Q. How did you select the three colors?

Seounghyun Son: The Gear IconX was designed for fitness as well as everyday wear, meaning it had to be wearable not only when exercising, but in daily life, too. That’s why we selected an understated black, white and blue.

To be clear, the variations are black and lime, white and silver, and blue and cyan. The main body of the earbud was given a muted color treatment and accented with aluminum highlights. When decorating the Gear IconX, we deliberated on which combination of colors would yield distinct character. The combination of black and lime, for instance, is sporty, trendy and enduring.

Q. What efforts were made to achieve an optimal fit?

Seounghyun Son: We measured the ears of numerous people, and they all differed in size and shape. So we focused on setting a range and finding a secure balance with the eartips and wingtips. There was no other way to test their fit but to try them out, one by one.

We adjusted the angle of the tip that goes inside the ear by 0.5-degree increments until we found the optimal slant. When it was decided, we altered the sizes of the eartips and wingtips and calculated an adequate range. In order to improve the fit, we conducted various internal tests, as well as satisfaction surveys with approximately 200 people who used the product during exercise.

Sunghan Park: There were a lot of factors to consider, as the Gear IconX is a small wearable device. For the wingtips, it was difficult to choose the three standard sizes, and we also put a lot of effort into honing the shape and choosing an ideal material.

The rubber wingtips wrap around the main body of the earbud, but they are thin and have holes, and can tear easily after being taken off several times. While a soft material would fit nicely, it would also tear easily. A harder material would be durable, but might hurt when worn.

In order to satisfy fit and durability requirements, the wingtips were given different intensities so that the part that directly touched the ear would feel soft and secure. It was also important to develop the product in a way that would allow it to remain pristine during use.

Q. What were some of the challenges in developing such a small product?

Seounghyun Son: It was nice to be in a position to set new rules—designing a new and completely cord-free product. But it was also challenging, as a lot of functions needed to be packaged in such a small frame.

Normally, sound quality improves with bigger drivers. However, we developed a new, smaller driver that could be loaded into the Gear IconX in order to facilitate both premium sound quality and a small frame. We also had to create enough room for an adequate touch area, and needed to consider how best to apply the aluminum detailing in order to achieve the premium-design aesthetic we were after.

Sunghan Park: The challenge was to create a structure that could fulfill various functions while maintaining a small profile. Structurally, the earbuds are divided into upper and lower parts, but these can become separated when subjected to external shocks, because secure connections are generally harder to achieve in small products. Also, if a user drops the Gear IconX, it will fall from a greater height than other earbuds. We therefore put a lot of effort into ensuring that the product would be stable and able to withstand falls.

Q. How did you incorporate the Gear IconX’s heart rate sensor?

Sunghan Park: The Gear IconX’s heart rate sensor slightly protrudes, because the function works better the closer it is to the skin. Finding the optimal angle and degree of that protrusion required several attempts.

We also carefully considered the design of the window covering the sensor. This process was more difficult than expected, because a change in the window’s shape would require modification of the left and right wingtips and the case design as well.

Q. Which factors did you focus on when making the charging case?

Sunghan Park: We were able to create a slim charging case by modeling its design after glasses cases, with a lid that could be closed after placing the earbuds inside. The lid’s design also required detailed consideration. The case needed to be able to be closed firmly for charging, but if it were too tight, the opening “click” would not feel right. So we found a nice balance.

The case matches the earbuds’ color, and we use a machine called a jig to hold and paint it. However, it was difficult to hold the case with the jig because it has a curved design and its inside also has curves corresponding to the shape of the earbuds. So finding a method to paint it evenly took some deliberation.

The Samsung Design America team collaborated to create the Gear IconX. From left to right: Adam Smith-Kipnis, Sameer Bhalla, James Lee, Alejandro Vallejo, Dennis Miloseski, Seounghyun Son, Rhys Bonahoom and Howard Nuk.

Q. What makes Gear IconX different from other wireless earbuds?

First, Gear IconX is completely, 100-percent cord-free, offering you more freedom to comfortably listen to music or take a phone call on the go than would be possible with wired or otherwise tethered earphones.

Beyond that freedom of movement, Gear IconX also works as a standalone fitness tracker and music player. The earbuds come with 4GB of built-in storage and are equipped with an accelerometer and heartrate monitor (HRM) sensor, allowing you to both listen to music and accurately track workouts while leaving your phone at home.

Q. What kind of information does Gear IconX gather from my ears?

Gear IconX cuts cords, not corners. So whenever you walk or run these earbuds will accurately track the duration of your workout, as well as your speed, distance, calories burned and heartrate, and efficiently relay the information to your ear via motivating notifications recorded by real people.

You’ll also be notified when you reach your vigorous-intensity zone—your optimal heart rate range for effective exercise—keeping you focused and motivated by ensuring maximum efficiency in your workout.

Of course, all of Gear IconX’s accumulated health information syncs seamlessly with the S Health app, helping users attain a more complete picture of their health.

Q. My workouts can get pretty intense. What keeps the earbuds from falling out?

Gear IconX’s inner eartips are molded to fit your ear’s internal acoustic canals, while the outer wingtips ensure a secure grip during even your toughest workouts.

Both the ear- and wingtips come in three sizes—large, medium and small—allowing you to mix and match to find the most comfortable combination for your ears. They’ll fit snugly, so you can run, jump and carry on with life worry free. They aren’t going anywhere.

Q. If the earbuds are button-less, how do I control them?

Gear IconX’s earbuds utilize built-in HRM sensors to detect when you’re wearing them and automatically power on.

From there, an intuitive design aided by voice prompts allows you to control volume, play, pause and skip tracks, manage calls and toggle additional functions simply by tapping, swiping or pressing and holding the earbuds’ touch-sensitive surface.

Q. How’s the sound quality?

While it is true that many manufacturers concentrate more on convenience than sound quality in their wireless earphone designs, as we’ve outlined here, Gear IconX are no ordinary earbuds.

Gear IconX is distinguished by its standalone capability, which allows users to listen to music saved in the each earbud’s built-in storage, independent of a smartphone. Because it’s capable of playing music directly into users’ ears, the listening experience doesn’t suffer from the loss of sound quality due to compression that’s typical when using more traditional wireless earphones.

In short, Gear IconX delivers the level of sound quality expected of wired earbuds, just without the wires.

Q. How often will I need to charge them?

When fully charged, Gear IconX will last for 3.8 hours in standalone mode and 1.6 hours in audio streaming mode. You can easily extend your use, however, with the included charging case, which allows you to store and recharge the earbuds whenever you’re not using them.

So with a single charge of the case and earbuds, and factoring in the two additional charges the case provides when you’re out and about, Gear IconX will be good to go for up to 11 hours of standalone play.

For these people, Samsung launched the latest wearable device Gear IconX last week. Featuring a truly cord-free earbuds design, a heart rate monitor and standalone music player, the Gear IconX provides a whole new fitness experience.

When you first see the Samsung Gear IconX, you might be perplexed a little. It’s because you cannot find a power switch.

With curiosity, you begin to explore the Gear IconX by choosing the right size wingtip and eartip for you – the Gear IconX comes with three sizes of each.

Not knowing what else to do, you plug one earbud into your ear. Instantly, you can hear a light “buzzing” sound. When you insert the other earbud, you hear a “ding dong” sound and a voice saying “connected.” And then, the default music just starts playing. They simply turn on automatically when you put them in their ears, and turn off when you take them off. A heart rate monitor in the earbuds recognizes when you have them in place.

What about the music? Yes, you can listen to music by coupling it with your smartphone, like any other Bluetooth headset. But one advantage of the Gear IconX is that it can also play music without a smartphone. The earbuds have internal memory for storing music – up to 1,000 songs.

How do you transfer your music to the earbuds? This is where the USB connector and charging case come in. The charging case serves as a case for the earbuds, keeping them safe and also providing up to two additional charges.

But the charging case has one more function – transferring music to the earbuds. Once you connect the charging case to your Galaxy smartphone by the USB connector and launch the Samsung Gear app, you can manage the Music Setting. You can check out the songs saved on earbuds. If you select Add at the top of the screen, it causes the songs saved on the smartphone to appear. The process is just as straightforward for PCs, too.

Finally, it is time to work out. After you firmly fix the earbuds in your ears, just lightly tap once and the music starts playing. Right away, you can notice that surrounding noises are being blocked, so you can simply enjoy the sound of your music.

With two taps to the side of one earbud, the player advances to the next song, and with three taps it goes back to the previous song. You can also control the volume by swiping the earbud up or down. When you need to remain aware of your surroundings, like when you’re standing on a busy street, it is easy to turn on the Gear IconX’s ambient sound mode.

With a tap and hold of the earbud touchpad, you can hear the Gear IconX announce “workout started.” It’s time to get started. After running about 1 km, the device informs you of your workout distance, time, speed, heart rate and how many calories you have burned so far, as measured by the in-ear heart rate sensor. It is really encouraging to know you are actually making progress and getting into shape. Of course, you can use the Gear app to choose what kind of workout information to receive and how often to receive it.

The Gear IconX can automatically recognize two types of workouts – running and walking – and it is integrated with S Health, so it offers a thorough range of health-related tips, tracking and functions.

Additionally, if you get a message or notification when you’re wearing the Gear IconX, it alerts you and reads it for you. This voice guide is provided in fifteen languages at this moment. You can also respond to incoming calls using the earbud of your choice, left or right. It can connect to your smartphone and measure your heart rate.

Check out how you too can make Gear IconX part of your life!

Samsung Electronics today announced the launch of the truly cord-free earbuds, the Gear IconX, in select markets including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Russia, Canada, Australia and Korea. The Gear IconX will then gradually be launched around the rest of the globe.

The Gear IconX offers a new fitness experience, with an in-ear heart rate monitor and standalone music player. It can track and provide instant feedback for fitness data, such as distance, speed, duration, heart rate and calories burned, and easily syncs with S Health app.

With internal storage large enough for up to 1,000 MP3s and easy-to-use controls so people can operate their music by simple tapping or swiping the earbuds, users don’t need carry a smartphone anymore to listen to music during a workout.

Featuring a lightweight, secure and comfortable fit with three different sizes of eartips and wingtips, the Gear IconX is available in three colors – black, blue and white.

In addition, the Gear IconX comes with a charging case that not only keeps your earbuds safe, but also holds for up to two additional charges that begin automatically when the earbuds are placed inside.