Samsung is throwing its hat into the ring of the growing clip-on style earbuds space with the new Galaxy Buds On, which will be available in the U.S. (no word on Canada yet).
The Galaxy Buds On clip onto your ear as with others, pointing towards your ear canals versus plugging the ears. You can enjoy AI experiences, hands-free controls, and situational awareness, though there’s no noise cancelling.
You get a TwinBoost Speaker paired with automatic volume adjustment. Samsung’s Audio Leakage Reduction technology reduces escaping sound by projecting reversed sound waves from the rear of the speaker, which Samsung says helps keep audio more private to the listener.
Intelligent Clear Call uses the three microphones and a Voice Pickup Unit (VPU), a vibration sensor that detects when you are speaking based on bone and skin movement, to help isolate your voice and remove noise when you are not talking. Simultaneously, a machine-learning call solution, trained on a wide range of ambient sounds like car horns and construction, is designed to remove background noises for a clean call even in noisy surroundings.
Powered by the Snapdragon S7 Gen 1 Sound Platform and with a high-efficiency Class-D amplifier designed to optimize power consumption, you get extended playback periods at elevated volume levels. The earbuds offer up to 9.5 hours of music playback on a single charge and up to 38 hours in total with the charging case.
The band promises a secure fit during daily activities, the design reportedly refined using AI-assisted optimizations and physics simulations to accommodate a diverse range of ear shapes. Computational modeling helped optimize speaker and battery geometry to create a low-pressure fit around the ear as well, and the stiffness and shape of the band have been designed to offer a secure, comfortable fit.
Weighing 6.65 grams per earbud, the Galaxy Buds On support tap controls and comes with a slim charging case. They can be used with any Bluetooth device but integrate seamlessly with Samsung Galaxy smartphones and the Galaxy AI ecosystem. You can do things like manage music, notifications, and other settings directly through the Buds with a compatible connected device. Through hands-free AI voice access, you can converse with Gemini Live by saying “Hey Google, let’s talk live.” Quick Voice Memo captures thoughts through the Buds’ microphone: long-press the earbuds and start speaking. And with Bixby, you can search recordings hands-free.
The buds work with Head Gestures, including nodding to accept and shaking to decline, as well as dismissing alarms and reading out notifications. Setting them up with a Galaxy phone is simple, too. You don’t need the Galaxy Wearable app: just open the cradle to connect the Buds to a phone or tablet, then control and customize volume or EQ through the Buds shortcut in the Quick Panel.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds On will be available in the U.S. starting in November. They come in black and will sell for US$229.