Samsung Galaxy Buds On: $229 open-ear buds coming to the US

Samsung has confirmed US pricing for the Galaxy Buds On, its first clip-on open-ear earbuds. They cost $229 in Black and go on sale in the US in early November 2026; Android Authority reports a November 6 date. The buds launched in Korea on October 27 at ₩299,000.

Open-ear, clip-on design

Instead of sitting in the ear canal, the Buds On clip around the edge of the ear, leaving it open so you can hear traffic, announcements or the people around you. Samsung says it used 119 million ear data points to shape the fit. Each earbud weighs 6.65 g, and the case weighs 41.0 g.

Open-ear buds trade isolation for awareness, so they won't block noise like sealed earbuds with ANC. To limit how much others hear, Samsung uses an 11.3 mm TwinBoost speaker with Audio Leakage Reduction. The buds run on Qualcomm's Snapdragon S7 Gen 1 Sound Platform.

Calls, Gemini and gestures

• Three microphones plus a VPU (Voice Pickup Unit) and Intelligent Clear Call for calls.
• Gemini Live starts with "Hey Google, let's talk live".
• Quick Voice Memo for recording notes.
• Head Gestures to answer calls with a nod or shake (One UI 8.5 or later; alarm and notification gestures need One UI 9).
• Auto Volume as a Labs feature.
• Setup from the Quick Panel on Galaxy phones, without the Galaxy Wearable app.

Battery and specs

How they compare

The Buds On join a growing clip-on category; OnePlus recently launched the OnePlus Buds Clip. They make most sense for runners, cyclists and office use where you need to hear what's around you. If you want quiet on a plane or train, a sealed pair is still the better choice; our wireless earbuds buying guide and noise-cancelling headphones guide explain the trade-offs.