AT&T has always removed the included air buds from the note line since the Note 2 included them. The note two was a bigger S4 with the note features and upgraded hardware, so each carrier that provided them included the original faux wood box, and the ear buds, but AT&T has been swiping them since and have replaced the svelte looking box with the crappy staple orange and white box. I originally called Samsung about the issue and mentioned that mine did not come with it and I noticed that everyone else's did. they informed me that they were aware that AT&T were not supplying them, and also that it is under the carrier's discretion at that point whether they wanted to include it or not... AT&T loss major points on that for me, but being as though I have other ear buds, like my beats tour, and headphones, I didn't make a grand fuss about it... still sucks though.