The Icon X earbuds won’t be released until the third quarter, but Samsung gave a sneak peek at the completely wireless audio product, which can hold up to 1,000 songs. The earbuds were introduced Thursday evening at Samsung’s 837 event space in New York City, alongside the Gear Fit 2 fitness tracker.
The Icon X consist of two separate earbuds with no wiring. They can pair with a smartphone (running Android 4.4 of higher) or be used a standalone device with playback and fitness tracker abilities. Users can sync the Icon X to Samsung’s S-Health application as well as apps including MapMyRun, Endomondo, RunKeeper and Strava. The Icon X include sensors, which track blood flow to determine heart rate.
When playing music, users can do touch commands to control playback; a single tap on the side of the earbuds to play or pause music, a double tap to skip to the next song and a triple tap to go to the previous song. Additionally, users can move their finger up and down on the earbuds for volume control. The Icon X can also be used for phone calls and include a noise cancellation mechanism. With 4GB of internal storage, the earbuds can store music for standalone playback, but also connect to Spotify for streaming.
One major disadvantage to the Icon X is battery life. Samsung currently promises up to 3.5 hours of battery life for the Icon X when streaming, but only 1.5 hours for battery life if the earbuds are being used as a standalone product. Many wired Bluetooth headphones promise between six and 10 hours of use.
However, the Icon X case doubles as a charging dock, which holds up to two full charges of power. Users can charge up the case with a micro USB and take them when out and about for a recharge.
The Icon X will sell for $199 at launch, according to Samsung. They will be available in black, white and blue color options.
