Samsung is including a pair of AKG earphones with each Galaxy S8

Back in late 2015, LG released a smartphone called the V10. It was a great device with a lot of high-quality features, several of which stood out from the rest. One of those was the impressive audio—the LG V10 included an ESS Sabre hi-fi DAC, which promised to make your music sound the way it was meant to. In some regions, LG also bundled a unique accessory: high-quality earphones. The LG Quadbeat 3 (tuned by headphone maker AKG) were a clear step above the cheap buds bundled with other smartphones. It made perfect sense to include them with a phone dedicated to great-sounding audio.

Fast forward to early 2017, and great smartphone audio is more the norm than the exception. LG's V10 successors feature it; so do phones by Sony, ZTE and HTC. Even Samsung's flagship phones, probably the cream of the premium Android smartphone crop, have very capable audio reproduction. But, for some reason, several of these companies still include cheap, low-quality earphones with their expensive, high-quality devices. It doesn't make much sense, and Samsung has finally recognized that.

The Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus were officially announced today, and Samsung revealed that both devices will come bundled with AKG earphones. AKG, which specializes in high-end audio products, is known for consistently creating great headphones and earphones (hence LG's partnership with them). Unfortunately, Samsung didn't reveal any details on specs; it only mentioned that they are wired, made from "metal-fabric", and feature noise cancellation.

Samsung also mentioned that a Bluetooth, over-the-ear headphone version will be available for $99. Purchasing these headphones also gets buyers a free 256 GB microSD card (perfect for storing a bunch of hi-res music files).

Lack of specific details aside, it's almost certain that this AKG offering will be superior to any earphones Samsung has previously included with its devices.

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