Samsung unveiled both its entry-level and flagship earbuds, namely the Galaxy Buds4 and Galaxy Buds4 Pro, at its Galaxy Unpacked event on February 25, 2026. So what’s new — I mean, aside from the price difference of $179 / £159 / AU$299 for the Buds4 Pro, versus $249 / £199 / AU$399 for the Buds4?
That’s what we’re here to get to the bottom of.
As luck would have it, we got an early hands-on with the Buds4 Pro, and straight away, the new clamshell case is a winner over the older model (although one of the team found it a little slippery to grasp), as is the updated ‘blade’ stem on the buds. Blade light? No more. Color-coded buds so you can tell at a glance which side of the case to put ‘em back in? Also gone. Proprietary eartip-locking system that prevents you from using third-party tips and makes them extremely hard to remove? Sadly, not gone…
Galaxy Buds 4 Pro versus Galaxy Buds 4: what you need to know
It’s important to say right from the get-go that this is a specs, stats, prices, and features versus, not an in-depth appraisal of the sound-per-pound value. That is because at the time of writing, we’re only one day post-launch and we’ve yet to publish full reviews of the Galaxy Buds 4 or the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro — although those are coming.
But without further ado, these are the stats you need…
| Row 0 – Cell 0 |
Galaxy Buds 4 |
Galaxy Buds 4 Pro |
|
Pricing |
$179 / £159 / AU$299 |
$249 / £219 / AU$399 |
|
Colorways |
Black, White |
Black, White, Pink, Gold (some available only via Samsung) |
|
Weight |
Earbud: 4.6g Case: 45.1g |
Earbud: 5.1g Case: 44.3g |
|
Dimensions |
Earbud: 18.3 x 19.3 x 30.5 mm Charging Case: 51 x 51 x 28.3 mm |
Earbud: 18.1 x 19.6 x 30.9 mm Charging Case: 51 x 51 x 28.3 mm |
|
Driver array |
Φ11 3.8t (1-Way) |
1 3.5t (Woofer) / 5.5 x 3.5 x 0.9t (Tweeter) |
|
Mics per bud |
Digital x3 |
HSNR Digital x2 Digital x1 |
|
Sound quality |
UHQ* 24-bit Hi-Fi** 360 Audio with Direct Multi-Channel*** * Ultra high quality audio up to 24bit/96kHz is available on Galaxy S26 series, S25 series, S24 series, S23 series, Z TriFold, Z Fold7, Z Flip7, Z Fold6, Z Flip6, Z Fold5, Z Flip5 and Tab S9 series with One UI 6.1.1 or above. Additional devices may be supported in the future. ** 24-bit Hi-Fi sound requires Samsung Galaxy devices running OneUI 4.0 or higher and Galaxy Buds4. 24-bit Hi-Fi sound support may vary depending on the application. *** Direct Multi-channel is supported with Android One UI version 4.1.1 or later, 360 Audio Supports One UI 3.1 or later. |
UHQ* 24-bit Hi-Fi** 360 Audio with Direct Multi-Channel*** * Ultra high quality audio up to 24bit/96kHz is available on Galaxy S26 series, S25 series, S24 series, S23 series, Z TriFold, Z Fold7, Z Flip7, Z Fold6, Z Flip6, Z Fold5, Z Flip5 and Tab S9 series with One UI 6.1.1 or above. Additional devices may be supported in the future. ** 24-bit Hi-Fi sound requires Samsung Galaxy devices running OneUI 4.0 or higher and Galaxy Buds4 Pro. 24-bit Hi-Fi sound support may vary depending on the application. *** Direct Multi-channel is supported with Android One UI version 4.1.1 or later, 360 Audio Supports One UI 3.1 or later. |
|
ANC/ambient sound |
ANC Ambient sound Adaptive EQ Adaptive ANC |
ANC Ambient sound Voice*/Siren** Detect Adaptive EQ Adaptive ANC * The earbuds automatically recognize the user’s voice, boosting the ambient sound to enhance conversation clarity when it begins and increasing Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) to block out background noise when the conversation ends. ** This feature raises the ambient sound volume to ensure users can hear crucial alerts such as alarms, emergency vehicles, or police sirens |
|
Amplifier |
Single |
Dual |
|
Battery capacity |
Earbuds: 45mAh Charging Case: 515mAh |
Earbuds: 61mAh Charging Case: 530mAh |
|
Music time |
Up to 5 hours / Total up to 24 hours (ANC on) Up to 6 hours / Total up to 30 hours (ANC off) |
Up to 6 hours / Total up to 26 hours (ANC on) Up to 7 hours / Total up to 30 hours (ANC off)
|
|
Talk time |
Up to 3.5 hours / Total up to 18h (ANC on) Up to 4 hours / Total up to 20h (ANC off) |
Up to 4.5 hours / Total up to 20h (ANC on) Up to 5 hours / Total up to 22h (ANC off) |
|
Connectivity |
Bluetooth 6.1, Auto Switch Codec: SSC (Samsung Seamless Codec) HiFi, SSC UHQ (Samsung Proprietary), AAC, SBC, LC3 Auracast |
Bluetooth 6.1, Auto Switch Codec: SSC (Samsung Seamless Codec) HiFi, SSC UHQ (Samsung Proprietary), AAC, SBC, LC3 Auracast |
|
Sensor |
Voice Pickup Unit (VPU), Force & Touch (Swipe), IR, Accelerometer, Gyro, Hall sensor |
Voice Pickup Unit (VPU), Force & Touch (Swipe), SWIR, Accelerometer, Gyro, Hall sensor |
|
Compatibility |
Android 12 or higher with more than 1.5GB of Memory |
Android 12 or higher with more than 1.5GB of Memory |
|
Water resistance |
IP54 earbuds only |
IP57 earbuds only |
Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 vs Buds 4 Pro, key early takeaways
From the table above, a few key pieces of information stand out to me. While the Buds 4 Pro earpiece is slightly heavier than the Buds 4, that’s likely down to the ear-tip you’ll need to use (Samsung tells us the weight was taken using medium-sized ear-tips). The Buds 4 are an open-fit style bud, which doesn’t require a tip.
And while my colleague Tom Bedford liked the design of the Buds 4 Pro, he was dismayed to see that the issue he experienced with the tips of the Buds 3 Pro — namely that they’re very hard to change, and easy to break when you try — hasn’t been fixed.
The Buds 4 Pro’s case is slightly lighter, but your quoted battery (life in terms of what you can expect from the buds and juice in the case) improves by one hour if you opt for the Pro set. Personally, that’s a key stat for me – 5 hours with ANC on isn’t long at all in 2026, so I’ll pay the surcharge for an extra hour in the Buds 4 Pro. Still, when Apple‘s AirPods Pro 3 can offer up to 8 hours of listening time (with ANC enabled) on a single charge, a 2-hour improvement over the Pro 2, it’s still not a great figure to see on the Buds 4 Pro’s spec sheet.
Interestingly, your connectivity, codec support, and sensor are the same across both models, but the dual-driver array in the Buds 4 Pro is a solid step up from the solo driver in the Buds 4.
Also, you get special “Voice” and “Siren” tech in the flagship Buds Pro 4 set. The former means the earbuds can automatically recognize your voice and boost the ambient sound to enhance clarity when your conversation begins, then increase ANC to block out background noise when your quick chat ends. The latter? This perk boosts ambient sound to ensure users can hear crucial alerts such as alarms, emergency vehicles’ sirens, and the like.
Again, check back for our full reviews soon, but as we said in our early appraisal, my colleague Hamish Hector thinks you really only need to be considering the Buds 4 Pro.
The best wireless earbuds for all budgets
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becky.scarrott@futurenet.com (Becky Scarrott)
