Galaxy Buds On Korea launch: KRW 299,000 and Gemini voice access

Samsung launched Galaxy Buds On in South Korea on October 27 for KRW 299,000, in black. Paired with compatible Galaxy AI devices, they offer Gemini Live voice access and press-and-hold voice memos.

Samsung announced sales on October 26; its product page is now available. It first unveiled Buds On on October 1.

The clips sit around the outer ear, leaving the ear canal open. Samsung says shape-memory alloy adapts to the ear. Its sound-leakage reduction comes with a qualification: playback volume, ear shape and ambient noise affect leakage, which can be more noticeable in quiet surroundings.

AI access depends on the connected phone

Google’s headphone documentation requires Gemini to be the primary Google assistant on an eligible phone or tablet. Starting a conversation by voice also requires Hey Google and Voice Match on that connected device. Samsung’s product page advertises calling Gemini Live without touching the phone or earbuds.

Google’s mobile-app requirements list Android 9 or later and at least 2 GB of RAM, with Korean among supported languages. Work or school accounts need access to Gemini Apps through an eligible plan or license. The mobile app is unavailable in Android Work Profiles. Individual Galaxy AI features also have Samsung compatibility requirements.

Google says it is gradually releasing the feature to Gemini-enabled or Google Assistant-enabled headphones. Reading message notifications through headphones also requires notification access for the relevant apps. Galaxy AI availability varies by model. Those conditions connect the advertised voice experience to the assistant and permissions on the phone.

Google’s separate Live documentation describes spoken, back-and-forth conversations that can be interrupted to add details or change topics. It also allows conversation while using other phone apps, provided Gemini Live notifications are enabled. The earbuds provide an audio route into that phone-based conversation.

Quick Voice Memo uses a different action: pressing and holding an earbud after assigning that gesture to the recording app. It requires a Galaxy AI device, Samsung Voice Recorder and Bixby. Samsung describes saving speech as text for Bixby retrieval.

In its own October 27 feature, Samsung illustrates recording tasks after a meeting, then asking Bixby to find or summarize the saved memo. Another company example asks Gemini Live about a running route. These are Samsung’s demonstrations of the advertised functions.

Call-answering and rejection gestures default to off, with phone settings available from One UI 8.5. Alarm dismissal and notification reading require One UI 9.0: alarms cover Samsung Clock, Reminder and Calendar; notifications cover enabled apps.

Samsung describes three microphones, speech-vibration sensing and machine learning for calls. Rated music playback reaches 9.5 hours per charge. Samsung tested preproduction hardware at default settings; actual endurance varies with conditions.

Samsung sells it online and in Korean stores. A launch promotion gives eligible purchasers two coupons for 30 percent off selected accessories. Purchases qualify from October 27 through November 30, and the coupons can be used until December 20.