The Samsung Galaxy Buds On are open-ear wireless earbuds developed and manufactured by Samsung Electronics. Announced on October 1, 2026, they are the first product in the Galaxy Buds line to use a clip-on form factor, in which the earbud wraps around the outer ear instead of sealing the ear canal.
The earbuds use the Qualcomm Snapdragon S7 Gen 1 Sound Platform with a Class-D amplifier, are rated for up to 9.5 hours of continuous music playback, and introduce an Audio Leakage Reduction feature that Samsung describes as a first for the Galaxy Buds line. They are scheduled to go on sale in South Korea on October 27, 2026 in a single black colour at , with other markets to follow in stages.
Background Every previous model in the Galaxy Buds series used either a canal-type or an open-fit in-ear design and carried an SM-R model number. The Galaxy Buds On instead carries the model number SM-U600, which appeared in a Federal Communications Commission authorisation dated September 15, 2026; reporting at the time read the change of prefix as an indication that Samsung treated the product as a separate category rather than as a successor to an existing model.
Samsung announced the earbuds through its Korean newsroom on October 1, 2026, on the same day as the Galaxy Tab S12 series and the Galaxy SmartTag 3, and without a dedicated launch event. The company positioned the model as a complement to its in-ear earbuds rather than a replacement, suggesting canal-type Galaxy Buds for focused listening and the Galaxy Buds On for situations such as outdoor running where the wearer needs to hear their surroundings.
Design Each earbud consists of a rounded driver housing joined to a flat outer touch surface by a flexible band, which clips over the ridge of the outer ear and leaves the ear canal unobstructed. Samsung states that it analysed data from a range of ear shapes and ran simulations to position the speaker and the battery, widened the contact area so that clamping pressure is spread more evenly, and tuned the elasticity of the band to keep the earbuds in place during movement.
Playback and call controls are operated by tapping a touch area on the back of each earbud. Each earbud weighs and the charging case weighs ; the earbuds carry an IP54 rating for dust and splash resistance, which does not extend to the case. The charging case is externally similar to the one supplied with the Galaxy Buds 4 and supports wireless charging.
Audio Each earbud houses an driver that Samsung markets as a TwinBoost speaker, intended to compensate for the loss of low-frequency output that open-ear designs typically exhibit. An automatic volume feature adjusts the playback level according to ambient noise.
The Galaxy Buds On are the first Galaxy Buds model to include Audio Leakage Reduction, which is intended to limit how much sound escapes to people nearby so that the earbuds can be used in quiet environments such as libraries and cafés. Samsung notes that some leakage can still occur depending on playback volume, ear shape and the surrounding noise level, and that the effect is more noticeable in quiet settings.
Audio processing runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon S7 Gen 1 Sound Platform paired with a high-efficiency Class-D amplifier, a combination Samsung credits for the rated playback time of up to 9.5 hours. The earbuds connect over Bluetooth 6.2 and support the Samsung Seamless Codec and its ultra-high-quality variant, together with AAC, SBC and LC3. No active noise cancellation is listed; reporting attributed its absence to the open design, which provides no acoustic seal for noise cancellation to work against.
Calls Call processing uses Intelligent Clear Call, a feature carried over from earlier Galaxy Buds models. Three microphones, a bone-conduction Voice Pickup Unit sensor that detects the vibration produced when the wearer speaks, and a machine learning model separate the wearer's voice from background noise; Samsung cites strong wind outdoors and a running vacuum cleaner indoors as test conditions. Call time is rated at up to 5.5 hours on a charge and up to 25 hours with the charging case, against up to 38 hours of music playback with the case.
Software and features Opening the charging case connects the earbuds to a paired Galaxy smartphone or tablet, and volume and equaliser settings can be changed from the phone's settings panel and quick panel without installing the Galaxy Wearable application. The earbuds are compatible with devices running Android 12 or later with at least 1.5 GB of memory.
Several functions require a paired device that supports Galaxy AI. A voice trigger launches Gemini Live for spoken conversation through the earbuds; Quick Voice Memo records audio while the touch area is held down, with the recordings searchable afterwards through Bixby, which Samsung notes requires its Voice Recorder and Bixby applications; and Head Gestures let the wearer accept or end calls, dismiss alarms and have message notifications read out by nodding or shaking the head.
Specifications Feature Galaxy Buds On Model SM-U600 Design Clip-on, open-ear Driver 11.3 mm TwinBoost speaker Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon S7 Gen 1 Sound Platform with Class-D amplifier Microphones 3, plus bone-conduction Voice Pickup Unit sensor Music playback Up to 9.5 hours; up to 38 hours with charging case Call time Up to 5.5 hours; up to 25 hours with charging case Connectivity Bluetooth 6.2; SSC, SSC UHQ, AAC, SBC, LC3 Durability IP54 (earbuds only) Weight 6.65 g per earbud; 41 g charging case Charging Wired and wireless charging Colour Black Compatibility Android 12 or later, 1.5 GB of memory or more
Availability The Galaxy Buds On are scheduled for release in South Korea on October 27, 2026 at , equivalent to about , in a single black colour. Samsung said that other markets would follow in stages but announced no dates or prices for them, and the earbuds were not released in the United States alongside the Korean launch despite the FCC authorisation granted in September 2026.
Reception Coverage of the announcement placed the product as a late entry into a category already occupied by Bose, Huawei, Sony and Shokz, with Engadget writing that Samsung was adopting a style those brands had popularised and that its own contribution was the TwinBoost speaker system and the automatic volume adjustment. Gizmodo found the hardware broadly similar to existing clip-on earbuds and treated the restriction to South Korea as the main drawback for readers elsewhere. PhoneArena described the Korean price as steep for a model without active noise cancellation and noted that total battery life, the software support period and pricing outside South Korea were left unstated at the announcement. SoundGuys noted that the launch came as open-ear designs were gaining attention and suggested that Samsung's entry could broaden the category among Galaxy users.
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