Wearable tech has been trying too hard to look like tech. Samsung’s new Slac concept takes a different approach: if something lives on your body all day, it should actually look like it belongs there.
The circular ear ring and wrist piece read more like contemporary jewelry than consumer electronics. The open hoop design hugs your ear with a sculptural quality that traditional earbuds can’t match.
When you’re done listening, the ear ring snaps magnetically onto the wrist component, transforming into what reads as a chunky bracelet. No pocket case required.
Designed by Youngha Rho, Minchae Kim, Doa Kim, Si Heon Song, and Seunghee Kim, Slac wraps around your ear without jamming anything into your ear canal. You stay aware of conversations and traffic while your music layers on top.
The AI tracks your 24-hour audio cycle and builds preference profiles automatically. Cycling to work? Traffic noise gets punched up alongside your playlist. Working at a coffee shop? Background chatter filters out while your focus playlist stays crisp.
The gesture control, called “Slate,” is genuinely clever. Rotate your hand in a circular motion while wearing both rings, mimicking that clapperboard snap before a film take. One rotation flips you between content-focused and environment-focused modes. No app diving required.
The aesthetic commits fully to the jewelry angle. Both black and metallic colorways carry enough visual mass to feel intentional. You could wear this to contexts where regular earbuds feel socially awkward.
Will this exist any time soon? Probably not, it’s still just a concept. These large-scale design programs imagine alternate futures, hoping insights trickle into existing products.
But the theme of technology as jewelry is already here: smartwatches, AI pins. Given how often we wear earbuds, an earbud that masquerades as jewelry seems like the logical next step.
Designers: Youngha Rho, Minchae Kim, Doa Kim, Si Heon Song, Seunghee Kim
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