Samsung has announced the Galaxy Buds On, its first set of open-ear clip-on wireless earbuds, priced at $229. According to The Shortcut, which reported the launch, the new earbuds clip around the ear rather than sealing inside it, and arrive with an IP54 water-resistance rating, 9.5 hours of playback on a single charge and a charging case that extends total listening time to 38 hours.
The Shortcut reports that Samsung is entering a market sector “currently dominated by Sony and Bose” with the release.
How the Galaxy Buds On Differ From Samsung’s Earlier Open Designs
The new buds use a clip-on design that The Shortcut describes as offering a more secure fit than some of Samsung’s older open earbuds. They are not Samsung’s first attempt at an open design: the company released the Galaxy Buds Live some years ago, and the newer Galaxy Buds 4 use an open-type, semi-in-ear profile similar to recent AirPods. They are, however, the first Samsung buds to use the clip-on form factor that has become the defining shape of the open-ear category.
Because open-ear designs leave the ear canal unblocked, keeping audio from escaping is one of the central engineering problems. Samsung’s answer is a feature it calls Audio Leakage Reduction, which the company says reduces sound leakage for people around the wearer. The Shortcut reports that the technology works by projecting reversed sound waves at the rear of each earbud.
Fit Shaped by 119 Million Ear Scans
Samsung says it drew on data from more than 119 million ear scans to help the buds fit a wide range of ear shapes and sizes. The stated goal is a low-pressure fit that sits around the ear, which Samsung says makes the buds more comfortable over long stretches than typical earbuds.
The IP54 rating covers protection against dust and water spray, which The Shortcut notes is a useful addition for fitness users and commuters. That positioning is consistent with the open-ear category more broadly, where buyers can hear traffic and announcements while still listening to audio.
Snapdragon S7 Gen 1 Sound Platform and Battery Life
Inside, the buds are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S7 Gen 1 Sound Platform, which The Shortcut describes as energy-efficient and capable of longer playback at higher volumes. The platform is driven by a high-efficiency Class-D amplifier that Samsung says is intricately designed to optimize power consumption.
Samsung is claiming 9.5 hours of playback on a single charge, with the charging case raising the total to 38 hours. The Shortcut calls the 9.5-hour figure “solid” for the format and attributes the efficiency gains in part to the new Class-D amplifier, which it says also delivers punchier audio.
Three Mics, Vibration Pickup and Head-Gesture Controls
For voice calls, the earbuds use three microphones alongside a voice pickup unit that detects vibrations. The two systems work together to cut background noise and isolate the speaker’s voice, and Samsung has added algorithms trained to cancel ambient sounds including construction noise and car horns.
Samsung has also built in gesture controls. Wearers can nod or shake their head to accept or decline a call, and the same gestures can dismiss notification readouts, according to The Shortcut’s report. Owners of Galaxy smartphones get additional software hooks, including access to Gemini Live and Quick Voice Memo recordings. The buds connect to a paired phone as soon as the case is opened.
Assistant integration has become a standard selling point for premium earbuds, and voice tools are spreading quickly across consumer hardware and workplace software alike — workplace data has even begun to show how AI tools are reshaping the length of the working day.
Price and Availability for the Galaxy Buds On
The Shortcut reports that the Galaxy Buds On will launch in early November 2026 at a price of $229. The outlet’s own summary of the announcement puts availability as “from next month,” so the two parts of its report do not line up precisely on timing; the detailed body of the report gives the early November 2026 window.
At $229, the new buds sit at the upper end of the open-ear bracket that The Shortcut says Sony and Bose currently lead. Samsung has not, in the reporting available, detailed colour options or regional rollout beyond the dollar price and the launch window.
A Crowded Category for Connected Audio
The open-ear segment has grown quickly as buyers look for earbuds they can wear while running, cycling or working without losing awareness of their surroundings. Samsung’s pitch leans on three things: the clip-on fit derived from its ear-scan data, the Audio Leakage Reduction system, and the efficiency of the Snapdragon S7 Gen 1 Sound Platform paired with the Class-D amplifier.
As with any always-connected device that pairs to a phone and an assistant, the amount of data flowing between hardware and handset is worth watching; consumer electronics makers have faced scrutiny over that question before, including a case involving smart TV tracking that continued after users opted out.
Samsung’s full technical specifications beyond those listed above have not been published in the reporting covered here.
