The Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro bring new tricks and familiar limitations

Samsung’s Galaxy S26 series launch was accompanied by two new pairs of true wireless earbuds. The Galaxy Buds 4 and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro pick up where 2024’s Galaxy Buds 3 range left off, albeit without the rocky launch due to build issues and unfavorable comparisons to Apple’s AirPods in terms of design.

Has Samsung learned from its mistakes with the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro ($249.99 at Samsung)? I took them for a spin to find out.

A major design departure from Buds 3 Pro

The first thing I noticed about the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro after unboxing them was the new horizontal charging case — a significant change from the Buds 3 Pros’ case with the top flap. I can’t say it’s a big difference in terms of convenience, as I preferred the Buds 3 Pro’s color-coded approach to slotting in your buds, though it does give the whole package a more distinct aesthetic. Otherwise, you’ll find a single LED on the front below the Samsung logo, while the USB-C port and a single button are available on the back. This button handles traditional pairing, but can also be used to find your phone when both buds are in the case.

Staying with design changes, the actual earbuds diverge from the AirPods-styled Buds 3 Pro. The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro offer flat, metal-plated stems that help lend a more premium look and feel. If anything, this entire package evokes Nothing’s transparent and stylish Ear series more than Apple’s wares. I’m not complaining, though.

The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro stems also feature very subtle indents on the side, which supposedly let you better feel the touch points. I can’t say it made a big difference to my tactile experience. Pinch controls are responsive, but they’re still quite spongy. At least the new design means the buds don’t fall into my hand when I pinch a little too hard, as my colleague Ryan Haines experienced with the triangular-stemmed Buds 3 Pro. In addition to squeeze/pinch controls, you can still tap and swipe the earbuds.

I’m also glad to report that these earbuds are a pretty good fit for me. I haven’t done much while wearing them beyond shopping and household chores, so I can’t be certain that they won’t get loose or fall out during strenuous physical activity (e.g., running or cycling). Nevertheless, I wasn’t constantly adjusting them or worrying about them falling into the kitchen sink while doing dishes.

Samsung’s previous earbuds had a notably difficult start due to inconsistent build quality. These issues ranged from visible seams and easily torn silicone eartips to earbuds that sat at different heights in their case. For what it’s worth, my earbuds look just fine, while the silicone eartips are soft but seem to withstand some tugging. This doesn’t mean much, as we’ll need to wait for more people to get their hands on the buds. Nevertheless, I hope this bodes well for the production run at large.

What about audio quality and features?

Much like previous Galaxy Buds, pairing the Buds 4 Pro to a Samsung phone is a simple affair, as the phone seamlessly detects the earbuds when you open the case and prompts you to connect. However, it’s worth noting that Fast Pair isn’t supported here. So that means you’re out of luck if you’d like to seamlessly pair with other Android devices and Chromebooks. Instead, you’ll need to pair the earbuds the old-fashioned way. There’s also no proper multi-point connectivity, in case you wanted to connect these buds to your phone and PC simultaneously.

Samsung continues to offer great audio quality on these buds, though. Thankfully, the company doesn’t fall into the old trap of delivering overwhelming amounts of bass by default. There’s also the usual array of customization options in tow, so you’re bound to find a sound that works for you. These options include preset and custom equalizer settings, the ability to adjust sound to the earbud fit, an option to adapt sound to your age range (or create a custom profile), and an ultra-high-quality audio toggle.

Unfortunately, Samsung still doesn’t support the high-quality LDAC audio codec or aptX HD format. Instead, the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro only support the SSC codec for high-quality wireless audio (24-bit/96kHz) via Samsung gadgets. That’s a real shame in light of the $250 price tag, as cheaper rivals ship with LDAC support. So if high-quality wireless audio is a priority and you don’t have a Samsung device, you’d better look elsewhere.

Otherwise, Samsung’s earbuds maintain solid active noise cancelation (ANC). The feature set will be familiar to owners of previous buds, allowing you to adjust the strength of the cancellation, switch between various profiles (e.g., ambient sound, adaptive, active noise canceling), and more. The Galaxy maker also promises that you can adjust the strength of cancellation for specific scenarios, like sirens, walking around, and more.

However, I did find that even with the maximum ANC level, I could still hear a small amount of background noise (e.g. metal gates being opened, some birds). But it still does a good job when I need zero distractions. Our friends over at our sister site SoundGuys found that ANC was a “huge improvement” over the Buds 3 Pro, also noting that they are quick to switch from ANC to ambient modes when needed.

Samsung is also offering so-called Super Clear Call tech this time, delivering higher-quality audio during calls. I’m not sure if the toggle supports WhatsApp calls, but I still called a friend via WhatsApp with it enabled. He found that call quality was a step above typical earbuds but not quite on par with phone-based calls, which is what you’d expect with any buds.

The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro bring a few other additions to the table. This includes head gestures and the ability to find your phone by double-tapping the case’s pairing button. Unfortunately, none of these features were available via my trusty Galaxy S23 Ultra at the time of testing. Our colleagues at SoundGuys found that head gestures worked well enough, even though generally it seems like a niche feature that some will ignore completely. This feature supports accepting and rejecting calls, as well as dismissing notifications.

You’ve also got previous Galaxy Buds features aboard here. I quite like the simple voice commands for switching tracks, adjusting volume, and more. I’m not a fan of voice input in the first place, but this is very handy when I’m cooking or washing the dishes. I’m also glad to see the trusty neck-stretch reminder functionality returning here, as I’m typing this with a stiff neck and back.

Other legacy Galaxy Buds features worth knowing include a gaming mode via Samsung Labs, 360-degree audio support, and the UHQ Audio toggle for high-quality audio.

I’ve long been a neckband-and-headphones guy due to their superior battery life compared to most wireless earbuds. The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro won’t change your mind if you want 15 or 20 hours of playback on a charge, but its endurance is certainly solid for earbuds. Samsung promises six hours of ANC-enabled playback and 26 hours with the charging case, while switching off ANC yields seven hours and 30 hours, respectively. I managed to get around seven hours of playback with ANC and the volume below 50%. That’s pretty good, although it lags behind top dogs like Sony’s XM6 earbuds.

Samsung says the charging time hasn’t changed significantly compared to the previous earbuds. However, I would’ve liked to see a OnePlus-style fast-charging option to get some meaningful juice in a few minutes. For example, it would’ve been great to get two hours of playback after placing the earbuds in the case for 10 or 15 minutes. At least wireless charging is still available here, allowing you to top up via a charging pad or with reverse wireless charging from your phone.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro verdict: Should you buy them?

Judged purely on aesthetics, the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are definitely worth a look if you want premium wireless earbuds that aren’t blatant AirPods rip-offs. It also doesn’t hurt that Samsung has brought plenty more features to the table, such as head gesture support, HD Voice, Find My Phone functionality, and easier AI commands. Toss in good battery life and solid audio quality, and you have great earbuds if you’ve got a Samsung phone.

Unfortunately, it’s harder to recommend the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro if you’ve got any other Android phone. While you’re still getting a decent number of features, Samsung’s continued decision to skip Fast Pair and LDAC support is more glaring with each generation. So there are plenty of other options out there if these particular features are important to you. I would’ve also liked to see some fast charging capabilities and more tactile physical controls.

Looking for Galaxy Buds 4 Pro alternatives? Then the Sony WF-1000XM6 ($329.99 at Amazon) are probably the best pick. Sony’s buds are more expensive and don’t match Samsung’s IP57 rating, but support more high-quality audio codecs and offer much better battery life.