SONY LinkBuds Clip Open-Ear Earphones Launched — All-Day Barely-There Fit, 37-Hour Battery, HK$1,499

SONY has officially launched the LinkBuds Clip (WF-LC900) — its first clip-on open-ear earphones — in Black, Off-White, Green, and Lavender Purple, priced at HK$1,499.

The LinkBuds Clip offers three listening modes you can toggle with a tap: Standard, Voice Enhance, and Leakage Suppression — the latter reduces how much your music bleeds out in quiet environments, a pragmatic touch for an open-ear design. Sonyʼs Precise Voice Pickup technology handles call clarity, while a 10mm dynamic driver paired with DSEE upscaling keeps the overall sound balanced rather than adventurous.

The interesting choice here is what Sony didnʼt include: no LDAC, and no ANC. LDAC is Sonyʼs own high-resolution Bluetooth codec — a staple on virtually every flagship pair they make. Leaving it out in favour of SBC and AAC isnʼt a technical limitation; itʼs positioning. The core brief of a clip-on open earphone has never been about outright sonic fidelity — itʼs about being so comfortable you forget youʼre wearing them all day. In that world, battery life and call clarity matter far more than high-bitrate codecs.

The clip-on open-ear category has grown fast through 2025–2026, with the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (US$229) standing as one of its defining products. On price, the LinkBuds Clip goes nearly head-to-head with Bose — but Sonyʼs strategy is different. You get longer total battery life (37 vs 27 hours), a lighter per-earbud weight (about 6.4g), and integration with Sonyʼs own 360 Reality Audio ecosystem. Where Bose leans into the fashion-accessory angle, Sony is aiming for the fully-featured everyday tool.

In terms of actual fit, the LinkBuds Clip uses a C-shaped clip that rests on the mid-helix without entering the ear canal. Sony also offers Air Fitting Cushions — silicone accessories sold separately — to help smaller ears get a secure fit. Control is handled via a tap on the tragus (the small cartilage flap in front of the ear canal), so youʼre tapping your ear rather than the earbud itself — a thoughtful touch that avoids the discomfort of pressing an earbud deeper into your ear.

A Sony earphone without LDAC sounds like a contradiction. But when you reposition the device from “a thing for listening to music” to “a thing that lives on your ear all day as a life accessory,” the trade-off clicks. The LinkBuds Clip probably isnʼt for audiophiles. For anyone who wants an open-ear earphone with the smallest possible footprint, ample battery, and dependable call quality, it might be the most complete answer on the market right now.