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Amazon has cut the price of Bose's Ultra Open Earbuds from $299 to $199, a $100 discount that marks their lowest price yet. The clip-on, cuff-style buds sit outside the ear canal, offering situational awareness alongside fuller sound than typical open-ear designs.
WIRED's latest roundup of open-ear headphones tests options across price points, including the Nothing Ear (Open) at $99, JLab Epic Open Sport at $100, EarFun Clip at $70, Shokz OpenFit Pro at $250, and the Suunto Wing 2 at $179. The reviewer is also currently testing the newer, cheaper Shokz OpenRun Air 2 as a potential budget alternative to pricier models.
Omdia data show Apple shipped 16.8 million true wireless stereo earbuds in Q2 2026, up 1.2% year over year, giving it 20.5% market share even as the overall TWS category shrank 0.7%. Meanwhile, the open wireless stereo segment—clip-on and ear-hook designs that leave the ear canal open—grew 12%, led by Shokz with a 10.3% share after 107.9% growth.
Bose has released the Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) at $299, improving on the original clip-on-style open earbuds with new drivers, louder sound, deeper bass, TrueSpatial audio with a new Cinema mode, and longer 9-hour battery life. Alongside them, Bose introduced the $199 Sport Open Earbuds, a lighter, more durable design built specifically for workouts. Both models open for preorder September 19 and begin shipping October 1.
Bose is expanding its open-ear lineup with two new clip-on earbuds: the fitness-focused Sport Open and the upgraded Ultra Open (2nd Gen). Both go on sale October 1, with the second-gen Ultra Open adding deeper bass, louder output, clearer calls, a new Cinema spatial audio mode, and support for AptX hi-res codecs, Google Fast Pair, and Find Hub.
Bose is releasing two open-ear earbud models on October 1: the Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen), an update to its 2024 flagship, and the all-new Bose Sport Open Earbuds. The Ultra model keeps its cuff-clip design but adds a beveled finish, wireless charging case, improved bass driver, Cinema Mode spatial audio, and up to nine hours of battery life. The Sport model reuses the OpenAudio tech from the Ultra line but is a distinct product from Bose's discontinued 2021 earbuds of the same name.
Bose has refreshed its clip-on Ultra Open Earbuds with a new driver for louder, deeper bass sound, longer battery life of up to nine hours, and a subtly redesigned beveled metal cap. Alongside this, Bose introduced a cheaper $199 Sport Open Earbuds model built for a more secure fit during workouts. Both open-ear designs skip noise cancellation on purpose, letting wearers stay aware of their surroundings while listening.
The SHOKZ OpenFit 2 open-ear earbuds are currently discounted by $40, bringing the price down to $139.95. The earbuds are designed for workouts, offering strong battery life and an open-ear fit that lets users stay aware of their surroundings.
Apple's new AirPods 5 lineup starts at $129, with a $149 version including a wireless charging case, both undercutting the $179 AirPods 4 with ANC by at least $30. Unlike the previous generation, both new models include active noise cancellation, adaptive audio, transparency mode, and an IP57 rating, while the pricier version adds swipe-based volume controls on the stem for the first time on non-Pro AirPods.
Amazon has cut the price of SHOKZ's OpenDots ONE open-ear earbuds by 30% off their retail price, saving buyers $60. This matches the lowest price the earbuds have hit since launch.
Apple unveiled the AirPods 5, an update to 2024's AirPods 4, featuring a redesigned acoustic architecture and adaptive active noise cancellation that Apple claims reduces noise 50 percent better than before. A higher-end model adds stem-based volume controls, up to five hours of ANC playback, and a wireless charging case compatible with Qi and Apple Watch chargers. The base model costs $129 while the wireless-charging version is $149—$30 cheaper than its predecessor—with both available for preorder now and shipping September 18th.