Samsung’s first clip-on earbuds, the $229 Galaxy Buds On, reach the US

Samsung is bringing its first cuff-style earbuds, the $229 Galaxy Buds On, to the US on 6 November. They clip around the earlobe and leave the ear canal open. They last 9.5 hours, the longest of any Galaxy Buds, and work with Google’s Gemini.

Samsung has launched its first clip-on earbuds, the $229 Galaxy Buds On, in the US, Bloomberg reported. They go on sale on 6 November, in black only, after a launch in South Korea earlier this month.

The C-shaped buds hug the earlobe, a bit like an earring, and leave the ear canal open. That lets people hear what is going on around them while they listen.

Samsung joins a growing group of clip-style earbuds from Sony, Bose and several Chinese brands. Sony’s LinkBuds Clip cost about the same, while Bose’s Ultra Open Earbuds sell for $299, SoundGuys noted.

Samsung said it shaped the buds using AI and more than 119 million data points from people’s ears, so they fit many different ear shapes. To stop others nearby hearing your music, a common problem with open earbuds, it says the buds send reversed sound waves from the back of the speaker.

The battery lasts 9.5 hours of playback, the longest of any Galaxy Buds, partly because there is no active noise cancelling. With the charging case, that rises to 38 hours.

The buds are rated IP54, so they can handle splashes but not swimming. They can turn the volume up or down to match the noise around you.

Like earlier Galaxy Buds, they work with Google’s Gemini assistant. Users can answer or reject calls by moving their head.

Ears and eyes are becoming a new way to talk to AI. Samsung helped Google build Gemini audio glasses and showed its own AI eyewear in July. In September, Qualcomm launched its first earbud chip built for AI assistants.