Did you know? Samsung's first clip-on earbuds, the Galaxy Buds On, don't go inside your ear at all
The Galaxy Buds On are Samsung's first clip-on open-ear earbuds: 6.65g, 38-hour battery, IP54, US$229. What makes them special, and when are they coming to Malaysia?
In this article
Hate earbuds that plug your ears until your head hurts? Samsung has just released its answer: the Galaxy Buds On, Samsung's first clip-on open-ear earbuds.
They don't go inside your ear canal. Instead, they clip onto the side of your ear, so you can still hear what's going on around you.
What are open-ear earbuds?
Regular earbuds like the Galaxy Buds 4 sit inside your ear canal and block outside sound. Open-ear earbuds sit outside the ear canal.
The upsides:
- More comfortable for long sessions, with no pressure inside your ear
- You still hear your surroundings: cars, horns, station announcements
- Good for exercise, especially running or cycling outdoors
The downsides: the bass usually isn't as punchy as regular earbuds, and the person next to you may hear a bit of your music.
Key specs
According to FoneArena and Samsung:
| Spec | Galaxy Buds On |
|---|---|
| Weight | 6.65g per earbud |
| Speaker | 11.3mm TwinBoost |
| Chip | Qualcomm Snapdragon S7 Gen 1 |
| Battery (music) | 9.5 hours, up to 38 hours with the case |
| Battery (calls) | 5.5 hours, up to 25 hours with the case |
| Water & dust resistance | IP54 |
| Microphones | 3 mics + VPU (picks up jaw vibrations) |
| Bluetooth | 6.2 |
| Colour | Black only |
Standout features
- Audio Leakage Reduction: technology that reduces how much sound escapes, so people nearby hear less
- TwinBoost: automatically raises the volume when your surroundings get noisy
- Head gestures: nod to answer a call, shake your head to decline
- Gemini: say "Hey Google, let's talk live" to chat with the AI
- Quick Voice Memo: long-press an earbud to record a voice note
Did you know? Samsung says the Buds On's shape was designed using more than 119 million ear data points, so it fits a wide range of ear shapes and sizes.
Price and availability
- United States: US$229, on sale from early November 2026 (Android Central)
- South Korea: launched there first, before other markets (Lowyat.NET)
- Malaysia: no official date or price yet
At current exchange rates, US$229 is about RM929 (Lowyat.NET). Lowyat.NET expects the Malaysian price to land in a similar range, but this hasn't been confirmed by Samsung Malaysia.
Note: the Buds On need a phone running Android 12 or later.
Worth waiting for?
- Runners, cyclists, gym-goers: the Buds On look appealing because you can still hear traffic
- People who sit at a computer all day: more comfortable than regular earbuds
- Bass lovers or anyone riding a packed LRT: regular earbuds with ANC are still the better choice
We'll update this article once Samsung Malaysia announces official pricing.
Do you prefer in-ear earbuds, or clip-on ones like these?
Sources
- Samsung Mobile Press, Samsung Brings Galaxy Buds On to the US for Comfortable, Open-Ear Listening (Oct 2026)
- Lowyat.NET, Samsung Galaxy Buds On Earclips To Launch Globally In November; Gets A US$229 Price Tag (Oct 2026)
- FoneArena, Samsung Galaxy Buds On open-ear earbuds announced (Oct 2026)
- Android Central, Samsung's open-ear Galaxy Buds On hit the US soon for $229 (Oct 2026)
