Samsung Galaxy Buds On clip-on earbuds cost $229 in the US

Samsung has announced US pricing for the Galaxy Buds On, its new clip-on open-ear earbuds. They cost $229, pre-orders are open, and shipping is set for early November 2026. The earbuds first went on sale in Korea earlier this month.

The Buds On use a clip-style design that leaves the ear canal uncovered. Per 9to5Google, the form factor is new to Samsung’s lineup, though other brands already use it. Samsung says it used data from more than 119 million ear scans to fit a range of ear shapes and sizes, and the design is meant to keep pressure on the ear low.

Key details from the reports:

• Battery: up to 9.5 hours of music playback per charge, and up to 38 hours with the charging case.
• Water resistance: IP54, the same rating as the regular Galaxy Buds 4 and below the IP57 of the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, according to SamMobile.
• Audio: a high-efficiency Class-D amplifier and Samsung’s Audio Leakage Reduction tech, which is meant to cancel sound escaping from the rear of each bud. SamMobile also lists a TwinBoost Speaker and the Snapdragon S7 Gen 1 Sound Platform.
• Calls: three microphones plus a voice pickup unit that detects speech vibrations, under the name Intelligent Clear Call.
• Controls: nod or shake your head to accept or decline calls and dismiss alarms and notification readouts.
• Galaxy integration: Gemini Live, Quick Voice Memo, and automatic connection to Galaxy phones when the case is opened. 9to5Google adds Bixby integration for searching recordings hands-free.
• Design: the buds are ambidextrous and detect which ear they are in to set the channels. They come only in black, and the case matches the Galaxy Buds 4 and Buds 4 Pro.

Why it matters

At $229, the Buds On are Samsung’s second-most expensive earbuds, behind the $249 Galaxy Buds 4 Pro. The Galaxy Buds 4 cost $179. Engadget notes that the Buds On lack the high-level noise cancellation of the Buds 4 Pro, so they target a different kind of listener: someone who wants awareness of their surroundings.

Engadget points to Sony, Bose and Sennheiser as rivals that have recently revealed their own open-ear earbuds. Samsung’s earlier open-type model, the Galaxy Buds Live, was described by Engadget as underwhelming. The Galaxy Buds 4 launched earlier this year with an open-type, semi-in-ear shape.

The Buds On also last longer on one charge than the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, according to SamMobile.

What we don’t know yet

Samsung has not given an exact US release date beyond “early November.” SamMobile reports that Europe will not get the earbuds in time for the holidays. Samsung says they will arrive there in early 2027 and has not narrowed that down or announced European pricing.