We have seen multiple rumors about the Galaxy Buds 3 at this point. The earbuds will ditch the bean-shaped design for a more conventional one with a stem. The latest news is that the earphones will also come with some changes in functionality. Specifically, the swipe gesture will reportedly be replaced with a pinch. However, it is unclear whether the pinch gesture will be available to both the Galaxy Buds 3 and Buds 3 Pro or will be exclusive to the Pro model.
Information from the Samsung Members App
Notably, the pinch gesture isn’t entirely new to the product category. In fact, Apple, Nothing, Xiaomi, and several other companies have already used pinch sensors in their products.
The information is revealed through the APK teardown of the Samsung Members app, which suggests the use of pinch sensors in the Galaxy Buds 3 series. AssembleDebug discovered references to pinch sensors in the Samsung Members app version 5.0.00.11. It also includes images showing how to use the gesture.
Functionality and Implementation
It’s not clear from the APK teardown how Samsung may utilize the new sensor. However, the brands that have previously offered the pinch sensor have used it for basic controls like pinching once to pause, pinching twice to skip, and thrice to go back. The earbuds from Xiaomi, Apple, or Nothing also let you enable or disable noise cancellation and transparency modes with pinch gestures.
It’s possible that Samsung will offer a similar implementation of the pinch gestures in the upcoming Galaxy Buds 3 series. Samsung’s shift in functionality could be due to the fact that a pinch gesture feels more natural to use and has a lower rate of false triggers.
However, the leaked real-life images of the Galaxy Buds 3 packaging box reveal a rather underwhelming design. It could be especially disappointing for those familiar with the previous design.
