In brief: Samsung is bringing its first open-ear earbuds to the US. Dubbed the Galaxy Buds On, they combine essential earbud functionality like listening to music and taking calls with a unique clip-on design that's said to offer greater freedom and flexibility.
The South Korean electronics giant said it drew on nearly 120 million ear data points during its AI-assisted design and test phase, simulating a range of ear shapes and use scenarios. The result is a clip-on design that wraps around the back of the ear rather than nestling into the ear canal as traditional buds often do. For some that dislike the fit and feel of conventional buds, this could be a welcome change.
Each bud weighs 6.65 grams, and support tap controls. Samsung says users can adjust the band's angle to best fit their ear shape, and that the buds should remain in place even under vigorous head movement. The included charging case tips the scales at 41 grams.
The buds use what Samsung calls a TwinBoost speaker, an 11.3mm driver tuned for enhanced bass compared with previous Galaxy Buds models, along with automatic volume adjustment based on environmental noise. Directional audio, or what Samsung labels as Audio Leakage Reduction technology, is employed to keep audio more private to the listener.
A series of three digital microphones and a voice pickup array assist with voice calls, helping to isolate the wearer's voice and remove noise when they aren't speaking. Head gestures such as nodding to accept or shaking to decline lend to the hands-free experience.
Battery life is rated at up to 9.5 hours of music playback and up to 5.5 hours of talk time on a single charge, and you can get up to 38 hours of total runtime thanks to the included charging case. The buds connect wirelessly via Bluetooth 6.2, and carry an IP54 rating against dust and water splashes.
Samsung's Galaxy Buds On will be available in the US from early November priced at $229. For now, they'll be offered in a single color – black.