'We analyzed 119 million ear data points' — how Samsung builtGalaxy Buds Open, its first open-type earbuds

Samsung has introduced its inaugural open-ear earbuds, the Galaxy Buds Open, featuring dual drivers and adaptive open listening. The trend of open-ear earbuds, popularized by companies like Sony, Anker, and Bose, is now embraced by Samsung with its new offering. The challenge in designing these buds lies in striking a balance between a secure fit and comfortable wear, as ears vary vastly in shape and size.

To address this, Samsung employed artificial intelligence and analyzed 119 million ear data points to determine the ideal fit for a broad user base. This data-driven approach guided component optimization, such as wire length, weight, bridge length, battery, speaker positioning, and the choice of a flexible alloy for the clip-on elements.

Samsung asserts that the Galaxy Buds Open are virtually invisible when worn. The audio design employs TwinBoost drivers to enhance open-ear sound quality while minimizing audio leakage by projecting inverse soundwaves to cancel out sound escaping from the speakers. While these buds do not seal out external noises, they facilitate clear calls through three microphones that also factor in jaw movements to isolate the user's voice from background noise.

Samsung has integrated machine learning to automatically suppress recognized ambient sounds, such as car horns and construction work, through the earbuds. With head gestures, users can easily manage calls, access Gemini, and record quick voice memos. The Galaxy Buds Open boast up to 9.5 hours of audio playback on a single charge and an extended 38 hours with the included charging case.

Priced at $229 (or approximately $249 in other regions), these open-ear earbuds offer a more budget-friendly alternative to the Bose Ultra Open, which retails at $299.