Whether it’s back to taking business calls on the go, tuning into a virtual lecture of a new school year or watching your favorite streaming service as the nights get darker, the Galaxy Buds2 Pro are an essential accessory to making fall activities fabulous.

Bolstered with functionality, the Galaxy Buds2 Pro are truly a must-have accessory for those seeking premium audio experiences that can suit every lifestyle, needs and personality. With the introduction of this latest entrant into the Galaxy Buds lineup, Samsung is continuing to innovate the earbuds market with top-of-the-line features that provide the ultimate wireless audio listening experiences.

Made for the Music Aficionado

For those who love to curate the perfect fall playlist, taking morning walks while listening to the latest tracks or podcasts on their way to work, premium audio quality is essential. With this in mind, the Galaxy Buds2 Pro were created to deliver crisp, rich sound for a fully immersive listening experience.

For music lovers, the Galaxy Buds2 Pro provide the perfect way to experience your favorite albums, with a high-dynamic range and crystal-clear sound resolution now in wireless Hi-Fi 24bit Audio, allowing listeners to hear the quietest melodies or the most nuanced harmonies.

Thanks to 24bit processing from the latest Galaxy smartphones, the Galaxy Buds2 Pro provide 256 times richer data and robust audio that fights against interference, allowing users to hear every sound with unrivaled clarity.

Perfect for the Productivity Seeker

While fall brings colorful foliage and crisp air, it comes with more frequent commuting to work. Outside distractions can hinder productivity when trying to take calls on the go, whether that be traffic noises, sirens of an ambulance driving by, or fellow commuters being a little too noisy. To help users stay focused on the content they’re enjoying, the Galaxy Buds2 Pro combat the sounds of everyday life, minimizing distractions and maximizing immersion.

The Galaxy Buds2 Pro offer a powerful active noise cancellation (ANC) capability to help you stay connected and focused when chatting with co-workers during your morning or evening commute. The enhanced ANC features, improved by 40% compared to the previous model, make sure that you only hear what you want to hear while cancelling out unnecessary noise. Thanks to the improvement in ANC, Buds2 Pro can assist with various aspects of your daily life, allowing you to stay connected and tuned in wherever you may be.

The Galaxy Buds2 Pro also offer Conversation Mode which focuses on face-to-face discussions to add an extra layer of crystal-clear resolution.

Essential for the Entertainment Enthusiast

The end of summer and return of fall brings with it all new movies and TV shows back for their next season, and our favorite sports return to primetime. This is the ideal time of year for the entertainment enthusiast. The Galaxy Buds2 Pro allow you to fully immerse yourself in whatever you’re watching by delivering the ultimate entertainment experience.

Equipped with Intelligent 360 Audio, Buds2 Pro offer hyper-realistic sound to make it feel like users are centered in the action or part of the stadium crowd, creating the ultimate entertainment experience. The deeper, richer audio provided in full surround sound creates a fully immersive experience and is supported by 360 Audio with Direct Multi-channel, which is one of the most ‘realistic’ audio capabilities on the earbuds market. Plus, with the Galaxy Buds2 Pro customized and secure fit, the wearing experience is more comfortable than ever before.

So, while it’s never easy to bid farewell to summer, Samsung is helping making your fall easier, more productive and more enjoyable with the Galaxy Buds2 Pro.

Buds2 Pro’s 24bit Hi-Fi sound highlights the details that bring your music and entertainment to life, while 360 Audio delivers cinematic sound that feels large and intimate all at once. Designed with a more compact and ergonomic fit, you can enjoy comfortable audio experiences for longer, whether you’re listening through your favorite playlists or enjoying a movie marathon.

Furthermore, updated Intelligent Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) cuts out background noise better than ever while boosting the sounds you need from your calls and music, and Voice Detect helps you tune in better to in-person conversations even when you’re plugged in.

Take a look at the infographic below to learn more about Buds2 Pro.

With a range of new features to take your audio experiences to the next level, Galaxy Buds2 not only make your voice clearer on calls but they also allow you to be completely immersed in your music, videos, and entertainment. Galaxy Buds2 are the lightest and smallest earbuds in the entire Galaxy Buds series and boast an iconic curved shape design that comes in four contemporary colors—graphite, white, olive, and lavender. Made to fit seamlessly into the Galaxy ecosystem and equipped with a long-lasting battery, Galaxy Buds2 deliver immersive sound experiences with an expressive, stylish case.

Take a look at the infographic below to learn more

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!

But what if your earbuds not only kept the rhythm flowing, but also offered real-time, in-ear feedback of your performance and let you take calls, all the while being completely cord-free?

Samsung Electronics’ all-new Gear IconX aims to do all of the above. The two earbuds provide all of your fitness tracking and music needs, ensuring that no awkward devices weigh down your pockets and no cords keep you from achieving your fitness goals.

A Reinvented Design—Music to Your Ears

At first glance, it’s clear that Samsung’s Gear IconX is no ordinary set of earbuds.

By reinventing traditional earbuds through an ergonomic design, the Gear IconX maximizes comfort, whether you’re engaging in fitness activities or simply listening to music during your daily commute.

Featuring three sizes of eartips and wingtips, the earbuds comfortably fit your ears, while three color options—black, blue and white—ensure that they also fit your style. And for those that prefer a bit more subtlety, the Gear IconX’s small design discreetly conceals your earbuds whether you’re at the gym or on the go.

Spice up your fitness routine with your favorite workout tunes by transferring music from a Samsung smartphone or a PC to the Gear IconX, or accessing music through Bluetooth connectivity.

With up to 4GB of internal storage (which can play up to 1,000 songs), users can enjoy a seamless and fully standalone music listening experience, easily controlled by a user-friendly interface. Play or pause music, adjust volume or switch tracks by simply tapping or swiping the Gear IconX earbuds.

For those times that you are on the go, the convenient charging case of the Gear IconX not only keeps your earbuds safe, but also allows for up to two additional charges that begin automatically when the earbuds are placed inside.

An In-Ear Fitness Tracker and More

The Gear IconX is optimized to complement your personal fitness level, whether you’re training, jogging or taking a morning stroll through the neighborhood.

To activate the device, simply place the Gear IconX in your ears. With a tap and hold of the touchpad located on the earbud, you can launch activity tracking and receive real-time status updates.

The earbuds provide data such as heart rate, distance, speed, duration and calories burned through the Voice Guide, even without a smartphone. In addition, utilizing its built-in heart rate monitor, the Gear IconX’s standalone voice guide helps you stay in the Vigorous Intensity Zone for a more effective workout.

After your workout, you can transfer and manage recorded data on your smartphone with seamless integration with the S Health application. Through Bluetooth connectivity, Gear IconX also provides real-time heart rate data transfer to select third-party applications.

Additionally, if you’re training in areas where you need to be more aware of your surroundings, Gear IconX supports ambient sound mode for your safety.

* All functionality features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation.