Samsung Galaxy Buds On Open US Preorders at $229, Taking Aim Between Buds 4 and Buds 4 Pro

Samsung now sells three very different pairs of earbuds, and the new Galaxy Buds On lands right in the middle of the price ladder at $229. Preorders opened in the US on October 28, with shipping set for early November, according to 9to5Google. Samsung has not named an exact release day yet.

The Buds On are Samsung's first clip-on, open-ear earbuds, as Engadget put it. Instead of sitting inside your ear canal, they hook around the ear and leave it open, so you hear traffic, coworkers and your own voice while music plays. The design first launched in Korea earlier this month before coming to the US.

That makes the buying decision less obvious than usual. At $229, the Buds On cost $50 more than the $179 Galaxy Buds 4 and $20 less than the $249 Galaxy Buds 4 Pro. Here is how the three compare, and who each one suits.

Three Samsung earbuds, three ways to wear them

Price only tells part of the story. Each pair takes a different approach to how much of the outside world you hear.

Galaxy Buds On at $229

These clip onto the ear with what Engadget describes as a low pressure fit. Samsung says it used data from over 119 million ear scans to shape them for different ear sizes. Key details reported so far:

• Battery: about 9.5 hours of music per charge and up to 38 hours with the case, per Engadget
• Water resistance: IP54
• Microphones: three mics plus a voice pickup unit that senses speech vibrations, trained on noise like construction and car horns
• Controls: nod or shake your head to accept or decline calls, dismiss alarms and skip notification readouts
• Color: black only, with the same case design as the Buds 4 line, according to 9to5Google

Samsung also added an Audio Leakage Reduction feature that uses reversed sound waves at the back of each bud to cut how much music spills out to people nearby. That matters for open designs, which tend to leak sound in quiet rooms. A new Class D amplifier aims to balance battery use with punchy sound.

Galaxy Buds 4 at $179

The standard Buds 4 use an open type, semi in ear shape that Engadget compares to recent AirPods. They sit at the edge of the ear canal rather than sealing it, so they also let in some outside sound. For many people this is the cheapest way into Samsung's current earbud lineup, and it keeps the familiar look of a regular pair of buds.

Galaxy Buds 4 Pro at $249

The Pro model is the one to buy if silence is the goal. Engadget notes the Buds On do not offer the higher level noise cancellation found on the Buds 4 Pro. If you ride loud trains, fly often or work in an open office, that gap is the deciding factor. The Pro is Samsung's most expensive pair, and the Buds On now sit as its second most expensive, per 9to5Google.

Galaxy features that come with every pair

All three connect quickly to Galaxy phones, and the Buds On pair as soon as you open the case. Engadget says they support Gemini Live and Quick Voice Memo recordings. 9to5Google adds Intelligent Clear Call, automatic volume adjustments and Bixby support for searching your voice memos hands free.

As with past Samsung earbuds, the best experience is tied to a Galaxy phone. If you carry an iPhone, our iPhone vs Samsung guide covers how much of Samsung's ecosystem you give up by mixing brands. Shoppers who want a cheaper Galaxy phone to pair with them can check how Samsung's refurbished Galaxy phones on Amazon work.

Why Samsung is betting on open ear audio now

Open ear earbuds were a niche product a few years ago. Now Sony, Bose and Sennheiser all have their own takes, Engadget notes, and Samsung clearly did not want to sit out. The category got more crowded this month too, after Bose agreed to buy Skullcandy, a deal that pulls another big audio name under one roof.

The appeal is simple. Runners and cyclists want to hear cars. Office workers want to hear their name. Parents want to hear the kids in the next room. Sealed earbuds with transparency modes try to fake that openness, while clip-on designs simply never block the ear.

Which Samsung earbuds fit your day

• Pick the Galaxy Buds On if you exercise outdoors, wear earbuds for hours at a desk, or dislike the pressure of buds inside the ear. The IP54 rating covers sweat and light rain.
• Pick the Galaxy Buds 4 if you want a lighter budget and a familiar AirPods style fit, and you do not need strong noise blocking.
• Pick the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro if you commute on loud transit or fly often. Noise cancellation is the one thing the Buds On cannot match.

One caution before preordering: open ear designs give up bass and isolation by nature, and no full US review of the Buds On has been published yet. If sound quality in noisy places matters most, waiting a few weeks for hands on testing costs nothing, since the buds do not ship until early November anyway. For more launches like this, browse our gadgets coverage or see how other wearables makers are competing, such as in the Oura and Ultrahuman ring lawsuit.