Samsung’s Galaxy Buds On Are Official at About $220. Americans Will Have to Wait

Samsung’s clip-on earbuds are no longer a leak or an FCC filing. The company made the Galaxy Buds On official on October 1 through its Korean newsroom, calling them its “first truly open-ear Galaxy Buds.” They go on sale in South Korea on October 27 for 299,000 won, which works out to roughly $220.

The catch for readers here: Samsung hasn’t said when they’ll reach the U.S., or what they’ll cost when they do.

A different kind of Galaxy Buds

Every Galaxy Buds model until now has sat inside your ear canal. The Buds On clip around the side of the ear instead, with the speaker resting near the opening so you still hear traffic, coworkers and the barista calling your name. It’s the design Shokz popularized and Bose pushed upmarket with its Ultra Open Earbuds.

Samsung says the Buds On use a wider contact area to spread pressure, which matters for a design that clamps onto cartilage for hours. That claim needs real-world testing, but it’s the right problem to be thinking about.

The specs that matter

• Chip: Qualcomm Snapdragon S7 Gen 1 Sound Platform with a Class-D amplifier
• Battery: up to 9.5 hours of playback per charge
• Speakers: a TwinBooster speaker system with automatic volume adjustment
• Privacy: Audio Leakage Reduction, meant to keep people nearby from hearing your podcast
• Calls: three microphones plus a voice pickup sensor, with machine learning to separate your voice from noise
• Controls: touch controls on the back of each bud, plus head gestures to answer or end calls and dismiss alarms
• Color: black at launch

That 9.5-hour figure is strong for open-ear buds, a category where battery life often trails sealed earbuds. 9to5Google reports the charging case is the same one used for the Galaxy Buds 4.

Gemini comes along for the ride

Samsung is pitching the Buds On as an AI accessory as much as an audio one. They support hands-free Gemini Live, and Android Central notes a Quick Voice Memos feature that records notes you can later search with Bixby. Open-ear buds make a lot of sense for a voice assistant you talk to while walking or cooking, since you aren’t sealed off from the world while you do it.

What Samsung hasn’t told us

There are real gaps in the announcement. Samsung didn’t list an IP rating, which matters for anything aimed at runners and gym-goers. It didn’t share weight either, or confirm whether the case supports wireless charging. And U.S. pricing could land at or above the Korean equivalent once tariffs and the memory-driven price creep hitting every gadget this year are factored in.

A wider global release is obviously coming, but the company hasn’t said when. — SoundGuys

Compatibility is the other question. Samsung lists support for Galaxy devices, and features like head gestures and Gemini Live integration usually work best, or only, on Samsung phones. Pixel and Motorola owners should expect basic Bluetooth earbuds with some extras missing until proven otherwise.

Should you wait for them?

If you own a recent Galaxy phone and you’ve been eyeing open-ear buds for running or the office, yes, hold off a few weeks. Samsung’s integration and that battery life make the Buds On worth a look before you commit to a Shokz pair.

If you’re on a Pixel or another Android phone, there’s less reason to wait. The open-ear market already has good options that don’t depend on Samsung’s ecosystem. Either way, don’t preorder anything until there’s a U.S. price and an IP rating on the box.

Sources: 9to5Google, Android Central, SoundGuys. Photo by Jenny Hill on Unsplash.