Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro review: Sleeker design, even better sound

Samsung fans, your wait is over: the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are officially here. Priced at $249/£219, the Buds 4 Pro are the newest iteration of Samsung's AirPods Pro competitor. But are they some of the best earbuds money can buy?

Well, it all depends on which phone you have — or how many features you’re willing to sacrifice. As one might expect, many of the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro’s features are locked behind the Galaxy ecosystem. AI features, Interpreter, and heightened call quality are all only available on S24 and newer. While this is a little frustrating, it’s nothing new or unexpected. Apple does the exact same thing with AirPods — on Android, you can’t even use wear detection without a third-party app — so I can’t hold it against Samsung.

If sound quality is the most important thing to you, then you’re in for a treat: the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro sound utterly phenomenal. These buds sound as good — better, in some bassier genres like metal — as AirPods Pro 3 and Sony WF-1000XM6. Want to find out more? Keep reading this Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro review.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? Samsung’s newest flagship earbuds, baby!
• What does it cost? $249 / £219
• What do we like? The sound quality is great, ANC is great, and the features are great
• What don’t we like? Some of these features aren’t massively groundbreaking, as we already had them on the previous gen

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro review: Specs

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro review: Price & availability

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro cost $249, or £219 in the UK. You can get the white and black models on Amazon, but the apricot colorway is a Samsung exclusive.

Seeing as Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 retail for $249, Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Gen 2 are $299, and Sony’s new WF-1000XM6 go for $329, $249 is a very middle-of-the-road price. I’m not shocked or impressed. $249 is exactly what I expected from these buds.

You can also get the Samsung Buds 4, which are more like your Apple AirPods 4/4 ANC than your AirPods Pro. This model will only set you back $159/$179, so is better if you’re on a budget.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro review: Design & controls

• Smoother, sleeker, AirPod-inspired bud design
• Touch controls on the embossed stem
• Head Gestures, finally

As you might’ve seen from the images above, Samsung’s pretty much redesigned the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro from the ground up. Gone is the geometric, pointy aesthetic of the previous iteration. The Buds 4 Pro are smoother, slicker, and more low-key than their predecessor.

I don’t think it takes a genius to notice this, but I think the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are majorly AirPods Pro 3-inspired. It’s in the smooth stem, the embossed touch control section, the silicone ear tips. I love an AirPod, so this isn’t a con in my eyes, but I do feel like Samsung’s still struggling to find its identity when it comes to its earbud design.

In the future, I think I’d like to see a combination of the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro and the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro — the end of the stem could come to a geometric point, or the edge of the nozzle could be a little sharper. I’m glad Samsung got rid of the lights on the Buds 3 Pro, though.

Or, this AirPods-inspired look might go down really well with consumers, and then I’ll be eating my hat, right?

Where Samsung separates the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro from AirPods is the charging case. This case sees the buds sitting flat rather than upright (like AirPods) and has a clear clamshell lid so you can see inside the case.

I will note that the transparent lid gets very fingerprint-y, so just be aware of that if you’re bringing your buds to a photoshoot or something. I learned that the hard way, and got very intimate with a microfibre cloth right before these photos were taken.

And finally, unlike the AirPods Pro 3, the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro have a button on the charging case! Hallelujah! I’ve had so many issues with the AirPods Pro 3’s case — not pairing, not factory resetting, basically just being an insolent child stomping its foot and shouting “No! Shan’t!” for no particular reason whatsoever — so I really hope Samsung keeps the physical, tactile button for many generations to come.

Remember when I talked about the redesigned “Blade” stem? Yeah, I hope you were paying attention, because it’s relevant again. If you were familiar with the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, the Buds 4 Pro effectively follow the same design. Tap, pinch, slide — it’s all making a comeback, baby, and I’m all for it. You can customize all these functions in the settings app on your phone.

These touch controls are much, much easier to use than the multi-tap tediousness of the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. I’m glad Samsung has ditched the pebble design, because in my opinion, stems are much easier to control.

Finally, I’ll discuss “Head Gestures”, which is a 4 Pro-unique feature. Apple already introduced Head Gestures with the AirPods Pro 3 (and added them to the AirPods Pro 2 through a firmware update, which begs the question: will Samsung add this retroactively to the Buds 3 Pro?), so Samsung hasn’t broken any barriers here.

Even so, the Head Gestures are nice to have and, again, could be great if you’re so busy that you can’t tap “accept” or pinch your earbud to answer a call.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro review: Features & connectivity

• So many features, I don’t know where to start
• Multipoint restricted to Samsung devices
• Interpreter has had a refresh, and I like it

The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro offer Bluetooth 6.1, which provides up to 940 feet of range. I was able to walk out my front door and up the stairs in my apartment building before the buds disconnected, which is, in reality, is around the same range as AirPods Pro 3.

Now, the eagle-eyed amongst you will notice that most of the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro’s features are locked behind the Samsung Galaxy ecosystem, but I haven’t marked this as a “con”.

Why, I hear you ask? Because, frankly, it’s expected. Apple locks most of its features — Spatial Audio, Head Gestures, heck, even wear detection — behind iOS devices. Therefore, it’s not outrageous for Samsung to do the same. I don’t think this is entirely a “You must spend your money on only our products to get our new features!” situation, either.

I think it’s genuinely really tricky for each tech giant to piggyback on one another’s software, and, as a result, if you’re an Android user, you’d be better off with WF-1000XM6 or Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, and if you’re an iPhone user, you’d be better off with AirPods. Nothing groundbreaking being said there.

An honorable mention has to go to the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro’s multipoint — or lack thereof. You can only seamlessly switch between Samsung devices. As I use a MacBook for work, this meant I had to manually switch between my MacBook and testing S25+ when I had to join calls or listen to music on my phone.

Even so, if you are a Samsung ecosystem user — and I mean Galaxy AI-enabled phones, so S24 up — you get a plethora of flagship features with the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro.

The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro had a semi-live-translation feature, but it’s even more streamlined in the Buds 4 Pro. Instead of having to go into a separate app, all you have to do is configure your touch controls, then activate your desired touch controls. The buds will automatically bring up Interpreter.

For example, I programmed my touch controls so that a long press on the right bud would activate Interpreter. Once I did this, the app automatically started instantly, every single time.

At time of writing, Samsung offers the following languages: Arabic, Chinese (mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan), Dutch, English (Australia, India, U.S., U.K.), Filipino, French (Canada, France), Gujarati, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil, Portugal), Romanian, Russian, Spanish (Mexico, Spain, U.S.), Swedish, Thai, Turkish, and Vietnamese.

As I only speak English and a little Korean — thanks to two years living in Korea — I tested Interpreter with Korean. I got my boyfriend to insert the earbuds, then I asked him a series of questions in Korean. Interpreter translated everything into the earbuds, but there was a 2-3-second delay every time. If you need an instant translation for an important meeting or speech, I don’t think this’ll cut it, but for everyday or occasional use, it might be enough.

Although it’s a little laggy, this is true of Live Translation on AirPods, so neither Apple nor Samsung has conquered this area yet.

There are a slew of non-Interpreter AI features, too. The Buds 4 Pro have seamless AI integration — think Bixby and Google’s assistants — as long as you have a Galaxy AI-enabled phone. Again, this is true of Apple’s AI features, too, so Samsung can’t be slapped on the wrist for this if Apple is not.

Personally, I never gravitate towards using any AI features. I just don’t think my life is that busy or cluttered to actually require it. What would I say, “Hey Bixby, set up a calendar event for next Thursday’s bedrotting session”? It’s just not something I ever use. If you want it, then great, but for me, I could turn off Siri or Bixby or Gemini and never miss it.

While AI in earbuds can be useful for the super-busy amongst us, I am just not one of them. For some, though, it could be useful.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro review: Sound quality

• Rich bass that doesn’t overpower high-frequency sounds in electronic genres
• Not as detailed as AirPods Pro 3 or WF-1000XM6 in heavy rock genres — but bass is louder
• Best-yet Instrument separation

To test the audio quality of the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, I listened to a variety of genres on Qobuz, our best music streaming service for audiophiles. I used these earbuds for hours over the course of a weekend (+ two working days), but I’ll just discuss standouts from key genres here.

First, I played ‘Crystalline Green’ by Goldfrapp. This is a track built from layers and layers of synths, harmonized vocals, various percussive instruments, and industrial sound effects. The wiggling synth bassline wormed its way into my right ear, while the choral vocal effects shone in my left ear.

The instrument separation was unbelievable: the rich, yet glitchy bass worked in perfect harmony with the laser and electronic strings flying over the top of the track. Despite this glitchy soundscape, the breathy female vocal was never overpowered. I was really impressed by this sound performance — definitely as good as AirPods Pro 3.

After, I switched genre to Beck’s ‘Dear Life’, which pairs a piano-led instrumental with an effusive, optimistic chorus supported by electric guitars and a steady kick drum. This track sounded fantastic, too, with carefully laid bass keeping the song afloat.

Beck’s vocals sounded particularly great, with clarity in the verses’ lows and the chorus’ highs. Again, the instrument separation was just as good as AirPods Pro 3.

Last, I played something really challenging. ‘Angels’ by Within Temptation is a symphonic metal track that starts with sun-soaked strings, a fluttering harp arpeggio, and a soft female vocal. From the second verse, the delicate prologue becomes chugging guitars and choir background vocals. Unfortunately, the choir section wasn’t as pronounced as I’d have liked, but the Buds 4 Pro did a fantastic job balancing the bassy metal guitars and the vocals.

I immediately checked out this track with the AirPods Pro 3 and WF-1000XM6 — the choir was louder with both the AirPods and the WF-1000XM6, but the guitars weren’t as rich in either.

Overall, the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro sound utterly divine. With rich bass, a faithful midrange, and an enviable vocal performance, these are earbuds that don’t balk at a challenge. If you want a touch more detail, you might want to check out the AirPods Pro 3 or WF-1000XM6, but if you’re an Android user (ideally Samsung Galaxy S24-newer) and you love bass, the Buds 4 Pro will be the answer to your prayers.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro review: ANC

• Adaptive ANC, just like AirPods
• Fantastic ANC, just as good as AirPods Pro 3 and Sony WF-1000XM6
• Siren and alarm awareness

So, none of this is inherently new for the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, but it’s still nice to see it make a return. The Buds 4 Pro have Adaptive ANC, which is ANC that automatically adjusts intensity based on your environment and situational awareness. Situational awareness is the real killer (or life-saver) here: it’ll switch off your ANC if it detects things like sirens or fire alarms.

This feature is only available on phones with the "Wearables" app or Galaxy ecosystem devices.

I tested the general ANC performance using a standardized testing environment. I played a city sounds track at max volume on my MacBook Air M2 — between 73 and 77 dB according to my DecibelX app — and listened to ‘Artificial Angels’ by Grimes at volume 4 and 5.

I couldn’t hear any traffic noise at all, but I could hear my keyboard as I typed. Likely this is because the earbuds are better at minimizing lower-frequency sounds (car engines) than higher-frequency sounds (the clacking of a keyboard).

Even so, the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro performed exactly the same as the AirPods Pro 3 — blocked out 99.9% of external noise — which is a fantastic result. ANC gets top marks from me.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro review: App

• In-phone settings for Samsung users
• ‘Wearables’ app for non-Samsung Android users
• iPhones need not apply

If you’ve got a Samsung Galaxy phone, you’re in luck! You’ll be able to customize basically everything from the settings app on your phone, just like Apple users can customize AirPods settings from their phone’s settings.

Here are a few screenshots from my testing phone, a Samsung Galaxy S25+.

You can adjust the ambient awareness settings, EQ settings, and alter notification settings directly in your phone. You can also search for specific settings for even easier access.

If you have a non-Samsung Android, you’ll need to download the “Wearables” app from the Google Play store. I used our Asus Zenfone to test this out.

As you can see, the customization options are pretty much the same. You can control wear detection, touch controls, play with ANC settings, and everything in between.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro review: Call quality

• Voice isolation tech
• When used with Galaxy phones, the buds can reach 16kHz in quality
• Great call quality with iPhone too

To test the call quality on the Buds 4 Pro, I called my boyfriend. He’s been the test subject for pretty much every pair of earbuds I’ve ever reviewed, so he’s got a lot of knowledge to compare the Buds 4 Pro to.

He said I sounded clear and my voice sounded accurate. There was no weird metallicness happening to my voice like you might expect with cheaper buds. When I played a police siren soundtrack over the top of my voice during the call, he said he couldn’t hear the siren at all, but my voice did sound a touch muffled.

I have no doubts that you’ll be able to use the Buds 4 Pro for everyday calls, work calls, and everything in between. The voice isolation is adept; although it squashes your voice a little, the person on the other side of the phone won’t be able to hear any environmental noise around you.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro review: Battery

• 7 hours in the buds
• 30 hours in the case
• Light on the case shows remaining charge

I used these earbuds for an entire weekend — at cafes, out and about, home listening — and the charging case only went down to 55%.

The rated battery life is 7 hours in the buds and 30 hours in the charging case. On the whole, this is better than the 8-hour (buds) and 24-hour (case) battery life of the AirPods Pro 3, the 12-hour (buds) and 24-hour (case) WF1000XM6, and the 6-hour (buds) and 24-hour (case) life of the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Gen 2.

However, if you’re planning on listening to music for long periods of time — say 10-hour work days — then you would be better off with the 1000XM6, which can last for 12 hours in the buds alone.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro review: Verdict

If sound quality is the most important thing when it comes to choosing the right earbuds for you, then I guarantee you won’t be disappointed by the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro. These flagship earbuds have flagship sound that is just as good as other big-name brands. The Buds 4 Pro can easily go head-to-head with the likes of the AirPods Pro 3, Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Gen 2, and Sony WF-1000XM6.

With a slew of AI features — that I personally never feel the urge to use — including a more easily accessible Interpreter, more Bixby/Gemini integration, and Head Gestures, the Buds 4 Pro are a welcome update to the Galaxy lineup. Even so, if you already have a pair of the Buds 3 Pro, I wouldn’t say you have to upgrade to the 4 Pro immediately. The only main difference is in the improved sound and the sleeker design — many of the features are the same.

However, if you don’t currently have a pair of really great earbuds and you have a Samsung Galaxy smartphone, you will be mighty impressed with the Buds 4 Pro. For Android users, the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are easily AirPods Pro 3-beating.