Samsung’s first clip-on Galaxy Buds let you hear your music and the world around you

I love my in-ear earbuds, but I rarely wear them on outdoor runs or during exercise. They are not good at staying in my ears, and they block out too much traffic noise, making it a safety hazard. Samsung’s answer is the Galaxy Buds On, the first clip-on earphones in the Galaxy Buds lineup.

Instead of sitting inside your ear canal, the Galaxy Buds On clip lightly onto your ear and leave it open. This means you can wear them for hours without discomfort and still hear cars, cyclists, and people around you while walking or working out.

Will open earbuds sound any good?

Open earbuds usually struggle with bass, and Samsung has tried to fix this with TwinBoost speakers. The volume also adjusts automatically based on how noisy your surroundings are. My favorite feature is Audio Leakage Reduction, which Samsung is using for the first time. It keeps your music from spilling out, so you won’t annoy the people sitting next to you in a library or café.

You get up to 9.5 hours of music playback on a single charge. Calls should sound clear as well, since three microphones and a bone conduction sensor work together to isolate your voice, even in strong winds or next to a running vacuum. Samsung studied a wide range of ear shapes to place the speaker and battery, and tuned the band’s elasticity so the earbuds stay put during workouts.

What can you do without touching your phone?

Pair the Galaxy Buds On with a Galaxy AI device, and you can say “Hey Google, let’s talk live” to start chatting with Gemini Live. You can also long-press the earbud to record a quick voice memo and find it later using Bixby. If your hands are full, simply nod or shake your head to answer and end calls, dismiss alarms, or hear message notifications.

When can you buy them?

The Galaxy Buds On launches in Korea on October 27 in black for 299,000 won, with a global rollout planned later.

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