Samsung's first open-ear earbuds are coming to the US. Samsung Electronics America said in an announcement dated October 28 that Galaxy Buds On will go on sale in Black for $229 beginning early November 2026. They clip onto the outside of the ear instead of sitting in the ear canal, and Samsung pitches hands-free AI alongside the sound: Gemini Live by voice, a quick voice memo button, and head nods to answer calls.
Here is what the AI features actually do, what each one needs, and the fine print that decides whether you get them.
What Galaxy Buds On is
Galaxy Buds On is a clip-on design with a band that wraps around the ear and leaves the ear canal open, so you can still hear traffic, people and cyclists while music plays. Samsung's global newsroom hands-on calls it the company's first open-ear earbuds. Samsung pitches it as a second pair rather than a replacement: in its words, you would use in-ear buds like Galaxy Buds4 Pro for deep focus and noise cancellation, then switch to Buds On for things like outdoor runs.
The buds were first shown quietly about four weeks earlier. Android Authority reported on October 1 that they appeared alongside the US launch of the Galaxy Tab S12 series, with a South Korea launch set for October 27 at 299,000 won. GSMArena reports that Samsung plans to bring them to Europe in early 2027.
The AI features, one by one
Gemini Live, hands-free. Say "Hey Google, let's talk live" and you start a voice conversation with Google's Gemini Live without touching your phone or the buds. Samsung's hands-on shows a runner asking Gemini for route ideas while warming up. Samsung's footnotes add the conditions: you need a Google Gemini account and an internet connection, Gemini Live is only for users 18 and older, and it works on select devices, languages and countries. Samsung's global newsroom says the hands-free access works when the buds are paired with a Galaxy AI-enabled phone.
For how Gemini Live compares with Siri and ChatGPT Voice on a phone, see our guide to phone voice assistants.
Quick Voice Memo. Press and hold an earbud and start talking, and it records through the buds' microphones. Later you can ask Bixby, Samsung's own assistant, to find or read back what you said, so you do not have to dig through recordings. This one needs a Galaxy AI supported device plus the Samsung Voice Recorder and Bixby apps, and the press-and-hold action has to be set up separately in Settings.
Head Gestures. Nod to accept a call, shake your head to decline. Samsung says the same gestures can also dismiss alarms and read out notifications. The fine print matters here. Head Gestures are off by default and need One UI 8.5 or later, Samsung's version of Android. Alarm dismissal and notification reading need One UI 9.0 or above. Alarm dismissal only works with Samsung Clock, Reminder and Calendar, and notification reading only works for apps that have Galaxy Buds notification reading turned on.
Voice commands for music. The hands-on lists simple spoken commands such as "Next song", "Previous song", "Volume up" and "Volume down".
Automatic volume. The buds can raise or lower volume based on surrounding noise. Samsung labels Auto Volume an experimental Labs feature on One UI 8.5 or above, turned on under Advanced features, then Labs.
Where AI shows up in the hardware
Two parts of the hardware lean on machine learning or AI-assisted design, according to Samsung.
- Fit. Samsung says it drew on more than 119 million ear data points and used AI-assisted optimizations and physics simulations to shape the buds for a wide range of ears. Computer modeling set the speaker and battery placement for a low-pressure fit and tuned the band's stiffness.
- Calls. Intelligent Clear Call combines three microphones with a Voice Pickup Unit, a vibration sensor that detects when you are speaking from bone and skin movement. A machine-learning call model, which Samsung says was trained on sounds like car horns and construction, removes background noise.
Open-ear designs can leak sound, so Samsung added Audio Leakage Reduction, which projects reversed sound waves from the back of the speaker. Samsung's own footnote says some sound may still leak depending on volume, ear shape and how quiet the room is.
Specs and battery
From Samsung's US spec sheet:
- Price: $229, Black, US availability beginning early November 2026
- Weight: 6.65g per earbud, 41.0g charging case
- Music time: up to 9.5 hours per charge, up to 38 hours with the case
- Talk time: up to 5.5 hours per charge, up to 25 hours with the case
- Audio: 11.3mm TwinBoost speaker, Snapdragon S7 Gen 1 Sound Platform
- Connection: Bluetooth 6.2; SSC, SSC UHQ, AAC, SBC and LC3 codecs
- Water and dust: IP54 on the earbuds only. Samsung says they are not advised for beach or pool use, and the case is not water resistant.
- Compatibility: Android 12 or higher with more than 1.5GB of memory. Samsung notes some features may not be available on non-Samsung devices. The spec sheet does not list iPhone.
Setup is simpler on a Galaxy phone: Samsung says there is no need to install the Galaxy Wearable app. Opening the case connects the buds, and volume and EQ sit in a Buds shortcut in the Quick Panel.
Why it matters
Samsung pitches Buds On as a way to talk to Gemini Live without taking out your phone, in open-ear buds it says are designed to be worn throughout the day. Samsung is betting the Gemini Live wake phrase, memo button and head gestures are reasons to wear a second pair.
Google is also putting Gemini into glasses. The XREAL AURA Android XR glasses went on sale on October 28 with Gemini built in.
The catch is that the AI value depends on the phone. Most of the features above need a Galaxy AI device, a specific One UI version, or Samsung's own apps, and Gemini Live has its own account, age and country limits. A Galaxy AI phone on One UI 9.0 or later, with the Samsung Voice Recorder and Bixby apps, meets every phone requirement Samsung lists. On a non-Samsung Android phone, Samsung says only that some features may not be available, without listing which.
If you mainly want awareness on runs or commutes, the hardware story is the fit, the leak reduction and the 9.5-hour battery. If you want the AI features, check your phone's One UI version first.
