Samsung brings $229 Galaxy Buds On clip-on earbuds to US on 6 November

Launch and pricing

Samsung is bringing its first clip-on earbuds, the Galaxy Buds On, to the United States, where they go on sale on 6 November for $229. The company first unveiled the model in South Korea in early October 2026 and announced the US release on Wednesday, 28 October. The buds come in black only. Samsung says they will reach Europe in early 2027, and TechRadar reports that the European price has not been confirmed.

Design and fit

The C-shaped buds sit around the earlobe, somewhat like an earring, and leave the ear canal open so wearers can still hear their surroundings. Samsung says it used AI and more than 119 million ear data points to fit a wide range of ear shapes. Engineers tuned the speaker and battery placement, the band stiffness and the shape to create a low-pressure fit. Each earpiece weighs 6.65 grams, according to TechRadar. The buds carry an IP54 rating, which covers splashes and sweat but not swimming.

A Samsung executive told TechRadar how difficult the design process was.

“Designing these buds is a complex challenge because of the unique anatomy of ears and the difficulty to find the perfect balance between a secure fit and a comfortable fit.”

Audio and battery

Samsung's Audio Leakage Reduction technology projects reversed sound waves from the back of each speaker, which is meant to keep the music from reaching people nearby. The buds have no active noise cancelling. Playback lasts up to 9.5 hours on a charge, the longest of any Galaxy Buds model, and the charging case brings the total to 38 hours. For calls, the figures are 5.5 hours per charge and 25 hours with the case. Inside are a Snapdragon S7 Gen 1 Sound Platform, three microphones and a voice pickup unit that detects speech through bone and skin movement.

Software and features

Like earlier Galaxy Buds, the new model works with Google's Gemini assistant, which can be summoned hands-free. Wearers can accept or decline calls by nodding or shaking their head, and the same gestures dismiss alarms and notification readouts. The buds connect to Galaxy phones as soon as the case is opened, and Quick Voice Memo recordings can be captured through them. ZDNET says ecosystem integration is Samsung's main edge over rivals from Sony, Shokz and Bose, because Samsung controls both the hardware and the software. Samsung also helped Google build Gemini audio glasses and showed its own AI eyewear in July 2026.

Price against rivals

At $229, the Galaxy Buds On match the Sony LinkBuds Clip and cost more than the Shokz OpenDots at $199. The Shokz Openfit Pro costs $249.95, and Bose's Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen), released in September, sell for $299. TechRadar calls $229 a significant sum for open earbuds, which tend to be cheap. Samsung's own Galaxy Buds 4 Pro launched at the start of 2026 for $249.

Galaxy Buds On229

Sony LinkBuds Clip229

Shokz OpenDots199

Shokz Openfit Pro249.95

Galaxy Buds 4 Pro249

Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen)299

Galaxy Buds On

229 USD

Sony LinkBuds Clip

229 USD

Shokz OpenDots

199 USD

Shokz Openfit Pro

249.95 USD

Galaxy Buds 4 Pro

249 USD

Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen)

299 USD

Data from the article text

What comes next

US sales start on 6 November, and Samsung expects the buds in Europe in early 2027. No European price has been set so far. The launch extends a wider push by Samsung into AI wearables, following its work with Google on Gemini audio glasses and its own AI eyewear shown in July 2026. The next test for the buds is whether the $229 price holds against cheaper open-ear rivals once US sales begin.