The Galaxy Buds+ have been leaked, not through Samsung's own landing pages like the Galaxy S20 series, but through what seems to be a brand new iOS application designed to pair the earphones with iPhones.
Several screenshots depicting the app and the Galaxy Buds+ have been shared on Twitter by leakers including @ishanagarwal24 and @MaxWinebach. The app can't be found on the App Store at the time of this writing, but its logo is nearly identical to the logo of existing Samsung iPhone apps including Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Fit.
The ongoing Galaxy Buds don't have an iOS app, but this will apparently change with the launch of the Buds+. The app seems to be able to show the battery levels of each earbud individually, and also informs users of how much charge there's left in the carrying case. Likewise, the app seems to provide general information about the Galaxy Buds+ and it allows users to check for software updates.
Samsung might be able to steal some of Apple's TWS market share
The Apple AirPods are the most popular totally wireless headphones in the world, but even so, the ongoing Galaxy Buds do offer some advantages over Apple's product, such as a wireless charging case in the standard retail package. Despite this, the Galaxy Buds+ are rumored to launch for $149, which would be $10 lower than the base price for the AirPods 2. With the Galaxy Buds+ and a brand new dedicated iOS app on its way, Samsung seems to want and steal some of Apple's wearable market share, or at least pose a bigger threat to Xiaomi by making it easier for iPhone users to choose the Galaxy Buds+ as their wireless audio solution.
The Galaxy Buds+ should be unveiled on February 11 along with the Galaxy S20 series and the Galaxy Z Flip. The new earphones are also likely to be offered for free to those who'll pre-order the Galaxy S20 Ultra, at least in some markets. As for the iOS app itself, it remains to be seen if Samsung will launch it on the same day as the hardware itself, or if it will arrive in the App Store later down the line. We'll keep you posted.
