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Product Independently confirmed2 publishers 2 min read Published

Samsung prices its first clip-on Galaxy Buds at 299,000 won for a South Korea launch

Samsung will sell the Galaxy Buds On, its first clip-on open-ear earbuds, in South Korea from October 27 for 299,000 won, with Gemini Live built in. The AI carries over from existing Galaxy Buds, so buyers will judge this pair on fit and bass.

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What happened

  • The Buds On clip onto the side of the ear and position the driver into the ear, leaving room for ambient sound to come through.
  • Samsung says the buds adjust volume automatically, work to reduce sound leakage and carry upgraded call quality.
  • They run on a Snapdragon chip and are rated for 9.5 hours of battery life.
  • Gizmodo reports the launch covers South Korea only for now, with no U.S. release yet.

Why it matters

  • Who has to decide decision Buyers outside South Korea can only estimate the price from a currency conversion, so holding out for Buds On means waiting on both an unset price and an unset date.
  • What it limits constraint With no noise cancellation the Buds On have one listening mode: useful to people who want to hear their surroundings, and no help to someone trying to block out a loud room.
  • Who's exposed exposure Launch-day buyers in Korea pay 299,000 won with only Samsung's account of how TwinBoost lifts the bass, the spot where open earbuds usually fall short.

The first thing anyone does with a clip-on earbud is put it on and shake their head to see if it stays. Gizmodo wrote that "Clip-on wireless earbuds are just as much about the fit and the feel as they are about the sound" [18]. Samsung plans to reveal more on October 27, the day the Buds On go on sale in South Korea [14].

Most of Samsung's pitch is the existing Galaxy Buds feature list. According to 9to5Google, Gemini Live is supported here as it is on Samsung's other recent Galaxy Buds [9], and Gizmodo lists Galaxy AI as well [10]. Head gestures answer or end calls and dismiss alarms [9]. Samsung says the controls respond to "a light touch" on the back half of each bud [6]. The charging case is essentially the one from the Galaxy Buds 4 [16].

The clip is the new part, and it comes with the usual open-ear tradeoffs. Gizmodo credits the long battery life to the lack of active noise cancellation [12]. Bass is where open earbuds typically struggle, and Samsung's fix is a class-D amplifier plus a feature it calls TwinBoost [17].

Neither report includes sales or usage figures for clip-on earbuds. So the launch tells you Samsung is interested in the category, and nothing yet about how many people wear these. Samsung is putting the Galaxy Buds name on a style that a host of other brands made popular [5], and Gizmodo says the result looks similar to pairs from Shokz [15]. The price is 299,000 won [3]. 9to5Google converted that to over $200 [3] and Gizmodo to around $220, adding that the eventual U.S. cost is hard to say [13].

For a buyer, or for whoever picks earbuds for a team, the choice comes down to two things. One is whether the wearer needs to hear the room while listening. The other is whether they will use Gemini Live and head gestures day to day.

- Needs the room, uses the assistant: Buds On is the candidate, and whatever Samsung shows on October 27 [14] decides it. - Needs the room, ignores the assistant: Shokz's OpenDots 2, which Gizmodo calls a solid option [15], competes with Buds On on fit and price alone. - Wants quiet, uses the assistant: Samsung's other recent Galaxy Buds already support Gemini Live [9], and Buds On has no noise cancellation to offer [12]. - Wants quiet, ignores the assistant: this pair is built for someone else.

What to watch

  • Samsung's October 27 details and the first hands-on reports on how the Buds On fit and how the bass sounds.
  • A U.S. price and release date for the Buds On, and whether the price lands near the roughly $220 conversion.

Clarity's read

What the record supports and how the coverage leans. The claims behind it follow.

Reality

Evidence55
Adoption
Not scored
Hype gap+10
Incentives
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Confidence62
Why these scores

Claim ledger

Ranked by verification strength, evidence, and original report placement.

  1. [1]

    Samsung announced the Galaxy Buds On, its first truly open-ear Galaxy Buds, a pair of clip-style earbuds, on its newsroom in Korea.

    Reported Supported Source: 9to5GoogleView cited source
  2. [2]

    The Galaxy Buds On release date in Korea is October 27, with global markets "thereafter."

    Reported Supported Source: 9to5Google, quoting SamsungView cited source
  3. [3]

    In Korea the Galaxy Buds On will sell for 299,000 won, which 9to5Google says is over $200 USD.

    Reported Supported Source: 9to5GoogleView cited source
  4. [4]

    The clip-style design clips onto the side of the ear, positioning the driver into the ear but leaving room for ambient sounds to come through.

    Reported Supported Source: 9to5GoogleView cited source
  5. [5]

    The clip-on earbud design was made popular by a host of other brands.

    Reported Supported Source: 9to5GoogleView cited source
  6. [6]

    Samsung says users can interact with Galaxy Buds On via "a light touch" at the back half of the earbuds.

    Reported Supported Source: Samsung, via 9to5GoogleView cited source
  7. [7]

    Samsung says the Galaxy Buds On feature automatic volume adjustments, actively work to reduce noise leakage, and have upgraded call quality.

    Reported Supported Source: Samsung, via 9to5GoogleView cited source
  8. [8]

    The Galaxy Buds On run on a Snapdragon chip and have 9.5 hours of battery life.

    Reported Supported Source: 9to5GoogleView cited source
  9. [9]

    Gemini Live is supported on the Galaxy Buds On, just as on Samsung's other recent Galaxy Buds, and head gestures answer or end calls and dismiss alarms.

    Reported Supported Source: 9to5GoogleView cited source
  10. [10]

    The Galaxy Buds On support Galaxy AI and Gemini Live.

    Reported Supported Source: GizmodoView cited source
  11. [11]

    The Galaxy Buds On are not launching in the U.S. yet; the launch is South Korea only.

    Reported Supported Source: GizmodoView cited source
  12. [12]

    Gizmodo attributes the 9.5-hour battery life to the perks of not having active noise cancellation.

    Reported Supported Source: GizmodoView cited source
  13. [13]

    Gizmodo says 299,000 won works out to around $220 USD and that it is hard to say what the eventual U.S. cost would be.

    Reported Supported Source: GizmodoView cited source
  14. [14]

    Samsung says it plans to reveal more on October 27 when the Galaxy Buds On are released in South Korea.

    Reported Supported Source: Gizmodo, citing SamsungView cited source
  15. [15]

    The Galaxy Buds On look similar to pairs from Shokz, which makes solid options like the OpenDots 2.

    Reported Supported Source: GizmodoView cited source
  16. [16]

    The Galaxy Buds On charging case is essentially identical to the one used on Galaxy Buds 4.

    Reported Supported Source: 9to5GoogleView cited source
  17. [17]

    The Galaxy Buds On use a class-D amplifier and "TwinBoost" tech to help beef up bass, an area where open earbuds typically struggle.

    Reported Supported Source: GizmodoView cited source
  18. [18]

    "Clip-on wireless earbuds are just as much about the fit and the feel as they are about the sound"

    Reported Supported Source: Gizmodo writerView cited source

Sources

2 independent publishers whose own reporting we read for this story.

  1. 9to5google.com

    1 article · October 1, 2026

    Samsung’s open-ear Galaxy Buds On go official with late October release
  2. gizmodo.com

    1 article · October 1, 2026

    Samsung Officially Has Clip-On Wireless Earbuds, but There’s One Catch

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