Xiaomi's first clip-on earbuds are coming — price still unknown
Xiaomi is entering the clip-on earbuds market for the first time, with company president Lu Weibing teasing the new open-ear design on Weibo ahead of a May 21, 2026 reveal event. No pricing or specs have been shared yet. The clip-on category is one of the fastest-growing segments in personal audio right now, with Bose and Shokz currently dominating the $200–$300 end of the market.
The design
Unlike standard earbuds, clip-on open-ear models attach to the outer ear rather than sitting in the ear canal — you can still hear what's going on around you while wearing them. Teasers show Xiaomi's version sporting a gloss mirror finish, a unibody construction, and a transparent sound-emitting sphere. The charging case gets the same reflective treatment. Lu Weibing promises "captivating" audio, though that claim is impossible to evaluate until the full product is out.
The new earbuds are set to launch alongside the Xiaomi 17 Max smartphone and the Smart Band 10 Pro on May 21, per Gizmochina.
The charging case matches the earbuds' reflective unibody design.
Where they fit in the market
The key unknown here is price. Budget clip-ons like the EarFun Clip 2 sit under $100 with solid battery life and multipoint connection, according to Scarbir. Bose's Ultra Open Earbuds run around $300. Xiaomi's existing earbuds sit firmly at the affordable end — Redmi Buds 8 Pro launched at £64.99 in the UK earlier this year — but the company hasn't signalled whether these clip-ons follow that same approach or aim higher.
Battery life, driver size, codec support, and any noise-management features are all unconfirmed. Until May 21, the design is all there is to go on.
Availability
Xiaomi is launching in China first on May 21. A UK and wider European rollout is likely, given Xiaomi's established retail presence through Amazon UK and other channels, but no timeline has been announced. Based on the pattern with Redmi Buds 8, expect a gap of three to six months before the earbuds reach UK shelves.
