Samsung's First Open-Ear Galaxy Buds Cost $229 and Should Arrive in Early November

You like having music or a podcast going on the walk to work. You also like hearing the bus before it hits you. Regular earbuds make you pick one, because they plug the ear and mute the street.

Samsung's new Galaxy Buds On try to give you both. They are the company's first "open-ear" earbuds, which means the speaker sits beside your ear canal instead of inside it, so traffic, voices and your name being called still reach you. They cost $229 (price as of Oct 28, 2026; official source (opens in a new tab)) in the U.S., and the release is set for early November 2026.

The Galaxy Buds On are Samsung's first earbuds that sit outside the ear canal. Image: Samsung

What this means for you

If you walk, run or bike in busy places, or you spend the day in an office where you need to hear a coworker call your name, these are built for that. The same goes for anyone whose ears get sore from silicone tips after an hour. Nothing goes into the canal, so there is nothing to press on it.

Skip them if you want the world turned down. Samsung's spec list for the Buds On doesn't include noise canceling, and that fits a design meant to let the street in. On a loud train or a plane, the Galaxy Buds4 Pro, which do cancel noise, are the better fit.

iPhone owners should skip them too. The Buds On need Android 12 or newer, and some features may not work on phones that aren't Samsung's. Quick Voice Memo, one of the headline tricks, needs a Galaxy phone with Galaxy AI, and Gemini Live needs a Google Gemini account.

One more caution comes from Samsung's own fine print: depending on volume, ear shape and surroundings, some sound may leak out, and that is easier to notice in a quiet room. Open-ear earbuds trade a little privacy for awareness.

How they stay on and what they do

Each earbud has a thin band that hooks over the top of your ear, so it behaves more like a small clip than a bud. The shape was refined using more than 119 million ear data points, and the clip is meant to work with glasses on.

The band wraps the top of the ear, and the speaker rests next to the canal. Image: Samsung

Each earbud weighs 6.65 grams. That is heavier than the Galaxy Buds4 at 4.6 grams, but the weight rests on the outside of the ear instead of pushing in.

Battery is the big number. The earbuds are rated for up to 9.5 hours of music on a charge and up to 38 hours with the case. The case also charges wirelessly. For calls, the earbuds last up to 5.5 hours and up to 25 with the case. Those figures come from Samsung's own testing at default settings, so a long day at high volume should land lower.

The case holds the pair and charges wirelessly. Image: Samsung

Open-ear designs leak sound, so Samsung adds what it calls Audio Leakage Reduction, a trick meant to keep your music from becoming everyone else's. An Auto Volume setting also raises or lowers the sound as your surroundings change. It is an experimental switch in the Labs menu and needs One UI 8.5 or newer, which is the software on Samsung's phones.

Calls get three microphones plus a sensor that picks up the vibration of your voice. You can also nod to answer a call or shake your head to decline it. Head gestures are off until you switch them on, and they need One UI 8.5 or newer.

Three microphones and a voice sensor are meant to keep calls clear in busy spots. Image: Samsung

A spoken "Hey Google, let's talk live" starts a Gemini Live chat while you walk. Press and hold an earbud to record a Quick Voice Memo, then ask Bixby later what the action items were.

Gemini Live runs through the earbuds on supported phones. Image: Samsung

Buds On next to Samsung's other earbuds

The closest match in Samsung's line is the Galaxy Buds4 at $179.99 (price as of Oct 28, 2026; official source (opens in a new tab)), which uses an "open-fit" shape. That is a different idea, though. Those still sit in the ear and do cancel noise, while the Buds On sit outside it. The Buds4 Pro, at $249.99 (price as of Oct 28, 2026; official source (opens in a new tab)), are the top model, the one for noise canceling and Hi-Fi sound.

Prices are from Samsung's U.S. newsroom and store pages as of Oct. 28, 2026. The Buds On number for noise canceling is "Not listed" because Samsung's spec sheet doesn't include it.

The price gap is the practical part. At $229, the Buds On cost about $49 more than the Buds4 and about $21 less than the Buds4 Pro. The extra money goes to the fit and the battery rather than to noise control.

The split is simple. The Buds4 Pro suit focusing on the music or canceling noise, and the Buds On suit staying aware of what's around you.

When you can get a pair

No exact day is on Samsung's pages yet. The U.S. product page still reads "coming soon" this morning and doesn't show an order button for the Buds On, and the only timing is early November 2026. They come in black.

The place to watch is Samsung's Galaxy Buds On page, where the order button should show up. If you can try a pair in a store first, do that, since fit decides whether an open-ear design works for you. Read the return terms at checkout either way.

References

• Source: Samsung U.S. Newsroom: Samsung Brings Galaxy Buds On to the US for Comfortable, Open-Ear Listening
• Source: Samsung U.S.: Discover Galaxy Buds On Open-Ear Headphones
• Source: Samsung Global Newsroom: Hands-On: Comfort, Convenience, and More: A Day With Galaxy Buds On
• Source: Samsung U.S. Newsroom: Samsung Unveils Galaxy Buds4 Series: Best Hi-Fi Sound to Date, with Enhanced Comfort and Fit
• Source: Samsung U.S. store: Galaxy Buds4 Pro
• Source: 9to5Google: Galaxy Buds On will cost $229 in the US, pre-orders open now
• Source: Engadget: Samsung's Galaxy Buds On are its first clip-on, open-ear wireless earbuds
• Source: Android Authority: Samsung's open-ear Galaxy Buds On are coming to the US, and we finally know when