What you should know
- The Korean tech giant Samsung is planning to add an OLED display to the case of their Galaxy earbuds.
- This new feature is currently a prototype and was showcased at the CES 2024 expo.
- The display on the earbuds case is fully functional, showing things like battery level, audio modes, and the status of active noise cancellation.
- Users could potentially adjust many settings directly from the case, without needing to open the earbuds app on a paired phone.
Full Story
Remember that Oprah episode from 20 years ago? The one where she gave everyone in the studio audience a brand new Pontiac G6 car? It was a moment that left some almost having a heart attack. But not everyone was thrilled the next day, thanks to something called “gift tax”. But that’s a tale for another time.
A particular phrase was born that day. It’s now considered meme material. It was Oprah, frantically shouting into the mic, “You get a car… you get a car… and you get a car!”
Now, imagine if Samsung hired Oprah to recreate that moment. But instead of a live audience, they’d place various devices in front of her – phones, tablets, smartwatches, earbuds. “You get a display… you get a display… and you get a display!”
For Samsung, it’s not enough that their Flip and Fold phones from the Galaxy Z line feature external displays. They’re going the extra mile. They’re adding an OLED display to the Galaxy earbuds case.
But wait, there’s another. You might’ve come across another earbuds case with a display. It’s a JBL model (JBL’s Tour Pro 2, to be exact). The on-case screen is rectangular, making it look like an iPod from a parallel universe.
Now, back to Samsung and their latest cool gadget. They’ve showcased many new types of OLED screens at the ongoing CES 2024 expo. Brighter TV and monitor screens, thinner laptop screens, dual-foldable screens for phones, curved and rollable screens for cars, and even OLED touchscreens for wireless earbuds (via SamMobile).
This is only a prototype, but it looks pretty cool with the circular OLED panel. It’s called the “Earbuds OLED Case”. The display is fully functional – it can show things like the battery level of the earbuds and the case, audio modes, and the status of ANC (active noise cancellation). Potentially, many settings could be adjusted right from the case rather than opening up the earbuds app on a paired phone. Users could also switch to another device right from the display on the earbuds case.
CNET’s senior editor Lisa Eadicicco posted a short, but very informative video on YouTube. It shows the Earbuds OLED Case in all its glory.
So, what do you think? Are you hooked? Do you want a display on your earbuds case? Or are you worried this thing is fragile and will crack quickly?
