Gadgets
Samsung Galaxy Buds On Clear the FCC Ahead of a U.S. Launch
A Sept. 15 FCC grant for Samsung’s SM-U600 Bluetooth headset matches the unreleased clip-on Galaxy Buds On, clearing U.S. marketing without setting a ship date.
WASHINGTON · Maya Chen, Gadgets · Sep 15 2026
WASHINGTON - Samsung Electronics Co. received U.S. Federal Communications Commission equipment authorization on Sept. 15 for a Bluetooth headset listed as model SM-U600 under FCC ID A3LSMU600, a filing that matches the unreleased open-ear earbuds widely tracked as Galaxy Buds On. The grant classifies the device as a Bluetooth headset operating in the 2.4 GHz band and clears Samsung to market the product in the United States.
Authorization does not set a ship date. Prior reporting from SammyGuru and others has pointed to a late September, October, or broader fourth-quarter 2026 introduction, and Samsung has not confirmed pricing or retail availability.
Photo: SammyGuru
The SM-U600 model number sits outside the SM-Rxx pattern used for prior Galaxy Buds, a detail tipsters have cited as evidence of a new form factor. Leaked Buds Manager assets and renders published this month show a cuff-style, clip-on design: two rounded modules joined by a curved bridge that wraps around the outer ear rather than seating inside the ear canal. The open-ear approach is meant to leave ambient sound audible, similar to clip-on earbuds already sold by other brands.
Photo: SammyGuru
Photo: 9to5Google / SammyGuru
Those same leak assets describe software features including Auto Volume, head nod and shake gestures for controls, voice-memo capture with automatic transcription, and assistant access tied to Bixby or Gemini. Some strings also reference pausing playback when the wearer is detected to be asleep. Active noise cancellation and 360 Audio are not listed in the leaked menus reviewed by outlets covering the files. Samsung has not verified those features.
Photo: SammyGuru
Photo: SammyGuru
The retail name remains unconfirmed. Earlier tips used Able as an internal codename before Buds On appeared in app and certification trails. India BIS certification for SM-U600 and firmware sightings across Asia had already signaled a near-term launch window before the FCC grant. Samsung typically holds product names and pricing until an official event or store listing. With U.S. radio approval now in hand, the remaining public unknowns are mainly when the company will unveil the buds, what they will cost, and whether Able or On becomes the final label on the box.
