Samsung could bundle its own AirPod competitors with the Note 8

Samsung is busy working on some Bixby-powered AirPod competitors ready to launch alongside the Galaxy Note 8, according to Korean outlet ETNews, giving Samsung fans the opportunity to show off their very own awkward-looking wireless earbuds.

ETNews doesn't have the most reliable record when it comes to Samsung and Apple leaks, but it would be a surprise if Samsung wasn't developing some kind of tech like this - it likes to keep parity with Apple at all times, and its Bixby smart assistant just launched in the US.

The report says the headphones are going to feature noise-cancelling technology to optimize your listening experience, and we're presuming they're going to be backwards compatible with the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus too.

Smart assistant wars

Samsung itself is staying tight-lipped, as you would expect, but the move would give some much-needed publicity to its fledgling smart assistant. Rumors had been swirling that a Bixby-powered smart speaker was on the way too, but that idea has apparently now been shelved by Samsung.

Sources speaking to ETNews say the device isn't final yet, so it might not be ready in time for the Galaxy Note 8 launch, which we're expecting on August 23. If Samsung isn't happy with the headphones then they might not see the light of day at all.

Developing a smart, competent, versatile assistant app isn't easy, as Samsung is finding, especially considering the likes of Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Apple have such a big head start. The next few months could determine whether Bixby sinks or swims.