Samsung officially introduced the Galaxy Buds On in its home market of South Korea on Thursday, marking the company’s entry into the clip-on earbud segment. This new addition brings the open-ear form factor, which has been championed by competitors such as Bose, Huawei, and Shokz, to the Samsung Galaxy ecosystem.
The Galaxy Buds On are designed to clip onto the outer ear, leaving the ear canal open. While this configuration appeals to users who dislike the sensation of in-ear devices, open designs typically suffer from audio leakage. Samsung claims to have addressed this issue through its TwinBoost speaker system, which reportedly enhances bass response, combined with an automatic volume adjustment feature that adapts to surrounding noise levels.
To improve wearing comfort, the earbuds feature a wide contact area intended to distribute pressure evenly across the band. Interaction is managed via touch controls located on the rear of each bud, and a voice-isolation technology is included to support clearer phone calls. Observers from 9to5Google have noted that the charging case appears externally similar to the one packaged with the Galaxy Buds 4.
Users with compatible Galaxy smartphones will have access to additional premium features. These include hands-free call controls via head gestures, integration with Gemini Live, and a Quick Voice Memo function triggered by holding down the touch sensor.
Available exclusively in black, the Galaxy Buds On will hit South Korean stores on October 27 with a price tag of 299,000 won, equivalent to approximately $220. Samsung confirmed that an international release is planned but has not yet disclosed specific regions, launch dates, or pricing for markets outside of Korea.
Wait, so they just clipped on the market now? Huawei has had these for ages. A bit late to the party, Samsung.
The head gesture controls sound neat for hands-free calls, but I’m skeptical about touch accuracy while adjusting them.
Is $220 really necessary for open-ear buds? Shokz does this for half the price without the smartphone ecosystem lock-in.
Finally, Samsung is entering the open-ear game. I’ve been waiting for this since Bose set the standard here.