Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Buds On on Oct. 1, its first clip-type wireless earphone in the Galaxy Buds series. They launch in Korea on Oct. 27, in black only, for KRW 299,000. Samsung gave no U.S. price or date.

What is new

  • Design: the buds rest lightly on the ear and do not block the ear canal, so you hear your surroundings while walking or exercising. Samsung says it analyzed many ear shapes to place the speaker and battery.
  • Battery: up to 9.5 hours of continuous music on one charge, per Samsung.
  • Chip: Snapdragon S7 Gen 1 Sound Platform with a Class-D amplifier.
  • Sound: TwinBoost speakers for bass, automatic volume that adapts to surroundings, and a first-time audio leakage reduction feature. Samsung notes some sound can still leak out in quiet rooms.
  • Calls: Intelligent Clear Call, with three microphones and a voice pickup sensor.
  • Controls: a touch area on the back of each bud, plus head gestures to answer calls or dismiss alarms.
  • Galaxy AI: with a Galaxy AI phone or tablet you get hands-free voice chat, voice memos and notification checks. Saying "Hey Google, let's talk live" starts Gemini Live.
  • Setup: opening the charging case connects them to a Galaxy phone or tablet. Volume and EQ live in phone settings, so the Galaxy Wearable app is not required.

Samsung's page does not mention noise cancelling, a water-resistance rating or weight, so we do not state any.

What this means for you

Samsung says the Buds On reach global markets "later, in stages," with details on Samsung.com on Oct. 27. No U.S. launch date or price is given.

The Korean price converts to roughly $220-225 at today's rate. That is only a guide: U.S. pricing and taxes can differ. If you want an open-ear pair for running or commuting, consider waiting for the U.S. listing rather than importing. Our Galaxy Buds4 Pro report covers the in-ear option, and more is on our audio and wearables page.

What we checked

We read Samsung Newsroom Korea's announcement, which is in Korean, for every spec, the price and the launch plan above. All battery and sound figures are Samsung's claims, not independent tests. The dollar figure is our own approximate conversion.

Related: UGREEN's ClipBuds Pro 2 open-ear earbuds.