'Fantastic, and a disappointment': I love the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, but they don't fix the problems of the past

Date:
Mon, 09 Mar 2026 17:31:02 +0000

Description:
Samsung's new premium buds sound great, with a range of handy features, and they're pretty good-looking too. That said, they fail to fix key Buds 3 Pro issues.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro: Two-minute review Can earbuds be fantastic, and a disappointment, at the same time? Apparently so: the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4
Pro are some of the best earbuds Ive ever tested, but the company has failed to address any of the issues which put buyers (myself included) off the Buds
3 Pro . The latest AirPods Pro rivals from Samsung were released alongside
the Galaxy S26 Ultra and co., including a cheaper Galaxy Buds 4 with a few choice downgrades. The Korean company doesnt just upgrade its audio line-up annually, seemingly waiting for tech to move on enough to justify a newer model. And the good news is, theres no doubt that these 2026 earbuds prove themselves against their predecessors. The Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro sit
among the best-sounding earbuds Ive ever tested, with a driver upgrade
letting them stack up against audiophile-designed premium options Ive tried like the triple-driver Status Pro X and slightly-more-affordable Creative Aurvana Ace 3 . Youre going to have to pay a lot to get better in-ear sounds, or opt for a wired pair.

The upgrade is in the woofer, designed for bass, which Samsung says is 20% bigger than before. This allows for meaty but controlled bass, allowing the buds to retain the warm sound of past models but without overshadowing mids and trebles.

You can also get incredibly high-quality sound thanks to Samsungs own SSC Bluetooth standard, but only if youre using a Galaxy phone. The fact that you need a handset from the company to unlock all the features is something we complained about in the past buds, and its just one of several issues from older models that hasnt been addressed. As TechRadar's audio editor wrote recently, if Samsung revived Milk Music so we never had to leave the Galaxy ecosystem, it might be a different story , in the way that Apple Music is the irrefutable bridge between Apple's AirPods and its iPhone, but that isn't the case (so I do still have to mention it).

And that's not the only issue that's been carried over. Take, for example,
the proprietary ear-tip locking system which saw the Buds 3 Pro delayed . Its still here! Removing and replacing them is much more fiddly than it needs to be, and yanking them off runs the risk of tearing your tip in two you also cant use the vast majority of standard ear-tips here, so if youve got a selection youve bought or leftovers from past earbuds youve owned, theyre basically landfill now. Please cough up more cash for Samsung-approved ones.

Compounding the problem is the fit: the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro didnt stay in my ear especially well, and I know this is a problem that plagued 3 Pro users too. The tip material doesnt offer enough friction to keep the buds in there when youre on the go, and theres a lack of any other stabilizing design features like a fin or balanced weighting, which could go some way in rectifying the problem. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your
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Many of my Galaxy Buds 4 Pro gripes are smaller pain points that youll easily get used to, but the fit problem is a real shame: it was a complained-about point a year and a half ago on the older model, and its something that doesnt get better over time.

Know this: I struggled with whether to list the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro with a 4-star or 4.5-star review rating, but I keep coming back to the excellent sound quality and ANC efficacy. If you've got a Samsung phone, you know they'll fit OK, you're good at charging your buds regularly and you're not fussed about switching the ear-tips, they're a 4.5-star product all day long. For the rest of the music-loving market? They're a solid 4 Samsung Galaxy
Buds 4 Pro review: Price and release date (Image credit: Future) Announced in February 2026, released March Sells for $249 / 219 / AU$399 No price hike
from past models The Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro were unveiled on February 25, 2026, and put on sale on March 11. Thats the same as the phones they were announced alongside: the Galaxy S26 series.

To buy the new buds, youll have to shell out $249 / 219 / AU$399. Thats certainly a high price for earbuds in today's market, signalling them as premium options, though its worth noting that the previous model also
launched at this price.

Lets put that in context: the latest AirPods Pro cost $249 / 219 / AU$429 so its a similar price in most places, but Samsung undercuts Apple in Australia. The standard Galaxy Buds 4 go for $179 / 159 / AU$299 so theyre naturally cheaper, but youre getting an open-style bud for that price (think Apple's AirPods 4). Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro review: Specs Swipe to scroll horizontally

Drivers

11mm woofer + 5.5mm planar tweeter

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Battery life (ANC off)

7 hours buds, 30 hours case

Weight

5.1g buds, 44.3g case

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.1

Frequency response

Not specified

Waterproofing

IP57 Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro review: Features (Image credit: Future) 7/30-hour battery life, less with ANC or features Fantastic ANC, and intelligent ambient mode Plenty of useful features in app Samsung doesnt make as much of a song and dance about its ANC capabilities as, say, Bose (literally calling its headphones QuietComfort), but the good news is, these are still incredible at reducing background noise. I spent hours of testing near busy roads, while work was being done on my neighbors home, and on flights, and found them some of the most adept noise-removers Ive used.

Even better, they have an ambient mode thats actually good. It does what
these modes should do: dampens your surroundings, but retains speech and
other important nearby noises. It could be stronger in the noise cancellation department, letting in a little more than Id always like, but its still much better than the vast majority of alternatives.

Battery life here is unchanged from the past models: 7 hours of ANC-off listening, with the case granting extra up to 30 hours. Thats not a particularly competitive battery life today, especially when you consider
that the listening time is even less with ANC turned on: expect about 4-5 hours in the buds if you try to remove background noise, and even less if you use all the features on offer.

Using your smartphone, you can get a few more features from the Buds 4 Pro. You can change noise cancellation modes, toggle what the touch controls do, enable head gestures (nod or shake your head for incoming calls or to Bixby), and setup an on-bud assistant. (Image credit: Future) Theres also a nine-band equalizer with a custom mode or several presets, and several ways to
customize your sound including 360 audio, loudness normalisation, adaptive listening and a hearing test. This latter is simpler than the alternatives offered by many rivals, and didnt have an audible impact on music. Im not convinced by this one.

Two other neat features are the ability to set up bespoke per-app settings that automatically apply, and the ability to tap into audio streams around
you or broadcast them yourself (including to hearing aids). I can see
business or accessibility benefits to both of these, and neither are perks Im used to seeing in earbuds apps generally.

Theres a small handful of extra modes I wouldve liked to see, most glaringly any kind of low-latency mode to make gaming on a phone better. I also couldnt find a way to enable multipoint pairing.

The earbuds use Bluetooth 6.1 for connectivity, which I dont recall seeing in any earbuds before now. This is apparently meant to offer unparalleled connectivity, although I had a small handful of Bluetooth drop-outs in my testing time. Features score: 4/5 Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro review: Design (Image credit: Future) Redesigned buds are sleek and light Case sees new
look; improvement in a few ways Eartips are hard to remove and don't stick in ear well Theres no denying that Galaxy Buds Pro are AirPods Pro-alikes, but with each successive generation Samsung blazes its own trail a little more, and thats evident in the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro with their reimagined blade look.

The buds now have a brushed-metal edge, which looks lovely and understated in the white model I tested, and pretty good in the black or pink versions too. Gone are the colorful light strips of the past-gen models, as well as the color coding so you know which bud goes in which side of the case.

What hasnt gone, sadly, is Samsungs proprietary ear-tip tech this was a problem in the Buds 3 Pro, and it rears its ugly head here. The issues with this are twofold. (Image credit: Future) Firstly, it makes switching ear-tips a real pain, due to the company using its own locking mechanism. Its hard to remove them without tearing them, something I avoided only by past mistakes (ripping the Buds 3 Pros tips), and reattaching them is incredibly fiddly. I imagine the third-party tip market is also greatly reduced thanks to the company eschewing the standard.

The second issue is the one that plagued my time with the Buds 4 Pro: they just didnt stay in my ears very well. Theyd slip now and then during testing, requiring readjusting, but the problem was worst when I went running: the things just wouldnt stay in. This was despite testing the different in-box
tip sizes, and at a guess Id say the papery tip material just isnt providing enough friction or purchase in the ear. Id suggest buying replacements, but good luck finding them with the locking mechanisms manufacturers actually sold clip-on ear fins for the Buds 3 Pro, and if equivalents are released for the new model, thatd be your best bet to stop these things getting jettisoned at every bump.

Other than those issues, the buds were comfortable to wear, even for long periods of time. They weigh about 5g each, which is about average for earbuds like these. One of the buds features also compensates the sound if you wear them wrong (ie, at bonkers angles like vertically or horizontally). (Image credit: Future) The buds have on-stem controls: slide up or down to control volume, pinch once or hold for various other options. You need to grip a little harder than on some alternative options Ive used, so it took some getting used to, but eventually I found controlling the buds on-ear pretty effective.

One other element of the buds package thats seen a change is the charging case, which now uses a clamshell-style look with a see-through case so you
can peer at your buds (and check theyre in there, if you frequently forget to return them to the case. It was much easier to return the buds to this case than the last one, with less fiddling about to insert them into a small gap. Wireless charging is back too.

The case was a little blocky though, and not as ergonomic as the Buds 3 Pros, so felt a little more prominent in my pocket. The transparent section also shows scratches and fingerprints Design score: 4/5 Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro review: Sound quality (Image credit: Future) Tweeter and woofer, each with
own amplifier Well-defined bass, bustling with energy Samsung phone needed
for highest-res audio The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro offer two drivers: a tweeter and woofer, and each has its own amplifier. This all means that high- and low- pitch sounds get their own TLC, and Samsungs big selling point on these new buds is that the woofer is bigger than anything its used before, allowing for better control over bass.

Theres no denying that the Samsungs provide absolutely fantastic audio quality. The sound is energetic, with crackling mids and powerful treble. Pop songs like the conveniently-released Automatic Glow by The Hoosiers or Dharma Baby by Brett Dennen benefit from the unrivalled clarity and timbre the buds provide, especially songs with plenty of instruments thatd otherwise blur
into one giant mush.

I personally spent most of my listening time in with the Dynamic EQ preset
on, because I found it to exacerbate the Buds 4 Pros strengths and reduce their weakness, at least compared to the default preset. (Image credit: Future) The bass doesnt overwhelm, as I initially feared when hearing about the upgrade, and instead its just better formed: its scooping, well-defined and better balanced with the rest of the sound. Even in bassy songs, like Proleters April Showers , bass walks arm -in-arm with the other instruments instead of overriding them, and in DENMs Lifes 2 Short it succeeds in
creating a real harmonising bass, as opposed to some deep rumble that sits alongside the rest of the song.

Theres a lovely sense of expanse through the soundstage here too, even if you dont turn on the Spatial Audio setting, which I personally kept off for most of the testing. And the maximum volume is way higher than youd ever need to go, which is another plus.

Theres one giant catch here: the incredible quality is only available on Samsung phones, thanks to their support for the companys SSC codec (which has to be enabled in the buds settings). This allows for a sample rate of up to 24-bit/96kHz, which means it'll handle lossless playback with ease, but means that non-Samsung users might not be able to enjoy the highest quality music they otherwise would. I spent a week of the testing period using a
non-Samsung Android, and while the buds still sound great, theyre certainly better on a Galaxy. Sound quality: 4.5/5 Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro review: Value (Image credit: Future) They ain't cheap! You can save a lot of money if you want Good for certain Samsung-owning audiophiles The Achilles Heel of any top-tier pair of earbuds like the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, is that theres
no way they offer you superb value for money.

You can get decent earbuds for literally a fraction of the price; I have options I love which cost a quarter of what these earbuds will set you back. Sure, they dont sound or look as good, and miss out loads of the Samsung features, but youre saving money and getting options which will stay in your ears!

For music lovers who cant quite afford true audiophile options, and have a Samsung phone, perhaps theres a world in which these are good-value options (compared to the four-figure alternatives). But at the very best, youre getting what you pay for: this aint no bargain. Value: 3.5/5 Should I buy the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro? Swipe to scroll horizontally Fairphone Fairbuds XL (2025) score card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

The battery life lets down an otherwise-impeccable suite of tools.

4/5

Design

The upgraded look gives them a distinct appearance, but the devil's in the detail (and ear-tip).

4/5

Sound quality

These sound wonderful, especially if used alongside a Samsung phone.

4.5/5

Value

These are top-end options, you can't expect total value for money.

3.5/5 Buy them if You own a Samsung phone One of my biggest 'cons' doesn't affect you: pick these things up straight away and turn on the high-def audio transmission in the buds' app. You need top-tier ANC These things are great
at wiping out background sounds, and they show some rival buds I've tested recently just how it's done. You like responsive touch controls I grew fond
of how responsive the Buds 4 Pro's on-stem pinch controls work, as you get a lovely click to tell you your input was successful. Dont buy them if You need workout buds The unreliable fit make these a poor choice for runners, and
they weren't the best at the gym either. You listen for long stints With all the top-tier features enabled, the Buds 4 Pro will only go about half a working day on a single charge. Like a lot of music? Other buds last longer. Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro review: Also consider Swipe to scroll horizontally Header Cell - Column 0

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro

Apple AirPods Pro 3

Status Audio Pro X

Drivers

11mm woofer + 5.5mm planar tweeter

'Custom high-excursion' Apple driver

12mm driver + 2x Knowles balanced armature drivers

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Yes

Yes

Battery life (ANC on)

7 hours (buds) 30 hours (case)

8 hours (buds) 24 hours (case)

8 hours (buds) 24 hours (case)

Weight

5.1g (buds) 44.3g (case)

5.6g (buds) 44g (case)

5g (buds) 48g (case)

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.1

Bluetooth 5.3

Bluetooth 5.4

Waterproofing

IPX4

IP57

IP55 AirPods Pro 3 Apple's AirPods Pro are still some of the best wireless earbuds for iPhone owners, with fantastic ANC and a few unique features. Read our full AirPods Pro 3 review Status Audio Pro X If you want great-sounding earbuds and have money to burn, these Status options are another worthy pick, that'll work equally well on any phone. Read our full Status Audio Pro X review How I tested the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro Tested for a month Tested
at home, on walks, on public transport, on travels, while running and at the gym I used the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro for just under three weeks to write this review. For the most part, they were paired with a Galaxy S26 Ultra, but I also used them briefly with a Galaxy S25 Plus, and for a while before that
a OnePlus 15R. For a little while I also connected them to a cheap MP3
player.

I used a range of apps to test the buds. They played music from Spotify,
Qobuz and internal storage, videos from YouTube , Now and Prime Video, and games from a pretty huge range of mobile titles. I also used them quite a bit just for their noise cancellation, with nothing playing.

The Buds 4 Pro are just the latest in a long line of earbuds Ive used, including the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro and options from Samsungs sub-brands like
AKG, JBL, Bowers & Wilkins and Denon. Ive also handled loads of phones and tablets from the company, as part of my 7+ years of testing gadgets. First reviewed in March 2026 Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro: Price Comparison No price information Check Amazon We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices powered by



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