Samsung Galaxy Buds On Leak Reveals Clip-On Design And AI Tricks

by Aaron Leong — Friday, September 11, 2026, 10:46 AM EDT

Early look at Samsung's Galaxy Buds On - Image: Sammy Guru

A bunch of leaks have just given us a fresh look at Samsung’s upcoming open-ear clip-on buds, i.e. the Galaxy Buds On.

Continuing the craze started by (we believe) Huawei's FreeClips back in 2023, Samsung is adding a clip-on earbud version to its Galaxy Buds line. Known internally as "Able," the Galaxy Buds On utilize two rounded, bulbous sections connected by a flexible, arched bridge, according to leaked renders.

Like pretty much all others of the same ilk, the design allows the earbuds to hug the outer ear, resting comfortably inside the concha without sealing the ear canal or entering the ear canal directly. The leak (exclusive on Sammy Guru) shows that the outer module sports a concave touch-sensitive area for media controls, while APK teardowns of the Buds Manager app hint at upcoming black and white colorways.

Speaking of the app, the leak also reveals a suite of intelligent audio and gesture features. The Buds On is going to have something called Auto Volume, which dynamically adjusts audio gain up in chaotic environments and decreases it when ambient noise subsides. To combat the natural sound insulation trade-offs inherent to open-ear designs, Samsung has also baked in a Volume Boost mode for maximum output in exceptionally loud settings. We're crossing our fingers that these features can be disabled by the user as previous attempts at this by other manufacturers have proven to be inconsistent at best.

Various device tips for the Buds On were found in the Buds Manager app teardown — Various device tips for the Buds On were found in a Buds Manager app teardown - Image: Sammy Guru

Aside from voice triggers for Gemini and Bixby, there are head-gesture controls, which allow users to answer incoming calls, dismiss alerts, or interact with prompts simply by nodding or shaking their heads. You'll look like a crazy person in public, but hey, the functions are there if you want them. By the way, users can activate Bixby to record a quick voice memo that is then transcribed into text, letting users perform hands-free searches across their past notes on devices running One UI 8.5 or newer.

Samsung is also addressing nighttime listening habits with a feature titled "Pause media while you're asleep". Requiring One UI 9.0 or later, the feature leverages connected smartphone sensors to automatically halt audio playback once the user drifts off to sleep, preventing podcasts or music from running throughout the night.

Regulatory listings, including India's BIS certification under model number SM-U600, indicate that manufacturing and regional firmware builds are already well underway across Asia. So expect Samsung to formally launch the Galaxy Buds On in the fourth quarter of 2026 as a direct competitor to offerings like the Bose Ultra Open ($258.41) and Anker soundcore Aeroclip ($149.99).