The open-ear market, which does not block the ear canal, grew 69% in a year.
Launched on Oct. 27, Samsung’s first clip-on earbuds sold out of their initial online stock by the afternoon of Oct. 30. Reservations are being accepted, with deliveries scheduled to begin Nov. 8.
Galaxy Buds On sit on the outer ear rather than inside the ear canal. Because they let in ambient sounds, they are designed for outdoor activities such as running and cycling, where it is important to hear traffic.
Samsung Electronics’ first clip-on earbuds sold out online just three days after launch. According to industry sources on Nov. 1, the initial stock of the Galaxy Buds On, released on Oct. 27, was gone from major online sales channels by the afternoon of Oct. 30.
Major retailers including Samsung.com, Coupang and Naver are sold out and are accepting reservations only. Samsung.com says deliveries will begin sequentially from Nov. 7. Samsung has not disclosed the size of its initial stock.
Earbuds that do not block the ear
The Buds On are the first clip-on model in the Galaxy Buds lineup, designed to hook over the outer ear. While conventional Galaxy Buds fit inside the ear canal, the Buds On rest on the outside of the ear.
Because they do not block the ear, users can hear surrounding sounds while listening to music. The design is intended for outdoor activities such as running, cycling and walking, when it is important to hear traffic and other people. Samsung said it is targeting consumers who enjoy outdoor exercise, including running.
The part that hooks over the ear is made with shape-memory alloy. It bends to fit different ear shapes and returns to its original form to sit securely. Open-ear earbuds typically have weaker bass and can leak sound.
Samsung addresses these drawbacks with Twin Boost speakers, which strengthen bass, and sound-leakage reduction technology that helps keep audio from being heard by people nearby. For calls, Intelligent Clear Call uses three microphones and a voice sensor that detects bone vibrations to transmit the user’s voice clearly.
The earbuds also support Galaxy AI-based voice commands and a gesture feature that lets users answer calls by nodding. They provide up to 9.5 hours of music playback on a single charge. They are priced at 299,000 won and are available in South Korea in black only. They are compatible with accessories for the existing Galaxy Buds4 series.
Samsung enters the market late
Open-ear earbuds, which do not block the ear, are the only segment of the wireless earbud market growing rapidly. According to market research firm Omdia, shipments of open-ear earbuds reached 10.3 million units in the third quarter of last year, up 69% from 6.1 million a year earlier. Over the same period, shipments of conventional wireless earbuds that fit inside the ear canal fell 4% to 82 million units. Overall wireless earbud shipments were flat at 92.6 million, while the open-ear segment alone expanded. Omdia forecasts that open-ear earbud shipments will reach 40 million units this year, accounting for 10% of all wireless earbuds.
Chinese companies got a head start in the market. Omdia’s third-quarter rankings for open-ear brands put Huawei at 8%, followed by Edifier, Sanag, Baseus and Anker at 7% each. In the premium open-ear segment, Huawei and Shokz, known for its bone-conduction earbuds, are in the lead.
Bose has also released the Ultra Open Earbuds, which hook over the outer ear. Samsung has competed with Apple’s AirPods using earbuds that fit inside the ear canal, but it had no open-ear option. The Buds On is its first product to fill that gap.
It is impossible to tell whether the sellout after three days reflects a surge in demand or a small initial stock, as Samsung has not disclosed the quantity. What is clear is that the open-ear market has grown 69% in a year and that the Buds On is the first product of its kind in Samsung’s ecosystem. Samsung plans to expand the product’s availability overseas in stages after its launch in South Korea.