Ever since Apple's decision to remove the free earpiece and charging brick from the iPhone 12, there have been rumors that other cell phone companies, especially Samsung, would follow suit.

Now, new reports claim that it's not all bad news. Samsung will stop offering AKG earbuds with the Galaxy S21, but Korean news site TopDaily reports that it will offer something better instead.

Some people may not mind losing the free earbuds, as the bundled earbuds are usually quite poor. Premium earbuds often offer better sound, sturdier construction, and a better feature set than free earbuds, making them more valuable to the user. Nevertheless, everyone agrees that free wireless earbuds are much better.

This assumes, of course, that the Galaxy Buds Beyond are truly wireless earbuds. So far, little or nothing is known about this product other than the name pulled from a European trademark application. However, all previous Galaxy Buds have been fully wireless, so it stands to reason that Buds Beyond will be as well.

Samsung is accustomed to offering its latest wireless earbuds alongside its flagship models. However, they are usually only available as a limited-time pre-order offer, and cannot be obtained by purchasing the phone weeks or months in advance. The bundling of these two products will change this situation for those who, for whatever reason, are unable to purchase the Galaxy S21 before its release.

It would also be a smart PR move on Samsung's part. After Apple eliminated the charging brick with the iPhone 12, it would be very nice to see its biggest competitor start bundling more accessories for new customers. That is, of course, if the rumors that Samsung will also discontinue the charging brick are not true.

The rumor so far is that the Samsung Galaxy S21 will be released by the end of the month, with a January 14 launch date. In other words, we don't have to wait very long to learn exactly what Samsung's plans are.