Compared to the past, the earbuds are more compact, with a slim stem that guarantees absolute stability. I stress-tested them in several situations and I swear I could not move them by even a millimeter. Personally I’m not a runner, but I had the chance to see the good Guerz from Evosmart go for a running session of over an hour with the black version, elegantly stylish, and he never had to reposition the earbud inside the ear canal. An astonishing result.
Interaction with the Buds 4 Pro marks a clear separation from competitors and previous models. The stem has a sensitive area designed to be found blindly by the fingertip. Forget the frustrations of accidental taps, because every interaction returns a reassuring mechanical feedback, a tactile “click” that makes control ultra-precise.
Managing the controls is intuitive: with a single pinch on the stem you manage Play/Pause or answer calls, and swiping up or down along the stem adjusts the volume. This last function is essential and works perfectly, even if your hands are slightly wet. Auto Switch, which allows the earbuds to automatically switch the connection from the Samsung tablet to the smartphone when you receive a call, is now lightning-fast and never misses a beat.
The earbuds, taken individually, measure 18.1 x 19.6 x 30.9 millimeters and weigh a mere 5.1 grams each. They are featherweight, but manage to maintain that extreme stability I mentioned earlier, a characteristic that is by no means taken for granted. The charging case is finally completed by a front status LED that alternates white, red and green to indicate battery, a USB Type-C port on the back, the lower magnet for convenient wireless charging and a hidden multifunction button inside to manage Bluetooth pairing quickly and painlessly.
Audio quality: a first-class sound stage
Let’s get to the point, because those who spend serious money on a pair of wireless earbuds expect to listen to music properly. It’s astonishing that in just 5 grams of weight per earbud Samsung engineers managed to fit a dual-driver acoustic architecture of this level. Inside the tiny chassis we find an 11 mm Super Wide Woofer that decisively pushes the bass, accompanied by a dedicated planar tweeter for the highs. We’re talking about an extreme component, measuring just 5.5 x 3.5 x 0.9 millimeters, which demonstrates an extraordinary level of miniaturization.
To manage calls and isolation you rely on a trio of microphones: two HSNR high-sensitivity sensors to separate voice from ambient noise, and a digital MEMS microphone to ensure the purity of the clean signal. Their synergy is total and allows the algorithm to cut wind noise or traffic noise in a surgical way. There’s also the option to record 360-degree audio if paired with a compatible Galaxy smartphone, blending the audio captured by the earbuds with that of the phone.
As in the previous generation, the headphones autonomously understand when you are speaking. If you start talking or even humming, the music drops drastically and ambient mode engages. The real difference I noticed in daily use is the reliability of this recognition.
In terms of everyday safety, the microphones can also recognize the sharp sound of a siren or an emergency alarm, lowering the volume quickly to alert you. It is an extremely useful feature, considering that passive isolation offered by the in-ear tips is already very strong.
On the pure listening front, there is a fundamental premise. To get the most out of these Buds 4 Pro you need a recent Samsung smartphone capable of supporting the Samsung Seamless Codec at 24 bit and 96 kHz. And obviously you must play high-resolution audio files, because if you use the basic Spotify plan the difference with cheaper earbuds will be almost imperceptible.
Unfortunately there is no support for universal high-fidelity codecs like LDAC or LHDC, which objectively penalizes those using iPhone or Android devices from other brands. Making a direct comparison with the Nothing Ear (3), which I often carry on trips and share a somewhat similar aesthetic, Samsung offers a much richer and more versatile musical performance across all genres. The woofer delivers incredibly round and deep bass, while the details in the high frequencies emerge with extreme clarity without ever hissing. Moreover, fiddling a bit with the manual equalizer yields first-class results.
Add to that superior passive isolation and the reassuring IP57 certification against dust and immersion, and you will understand why the scale inevitably tips toward the Buds. Also awarded full marks for the new Bluetooth 6.1 with Auracast support, a real convenience for sharing the same track with a friend, connecting to last-generation TVs during a flight, or hooking onto museum audio guides that support it.
The usage experience, however, makes the real leap in quality thanks to AI and the ecosystem. The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro interact seamlessly with Gemini, Bixby and Perplexity, all natively integrated and updated within the revamped One UI 8.5. Asking the voice assistant for information or managing tasks becomes an immediate and natural process. The same level of optimization is found in calls: using the Super Wideband Voice you enjoy a wider transmission band compared to classic Bluetooth.
Translated to practical use, the person on the other end will hear a much warmer, defined voice, clearly isolated from road noise. The Samsung ecosystem also lets you record videos capturing extremely realistic 3D audio, blending the smartphone’s sensors with those of the earbuds to give your footage an incredible sense of space.
Active Noise Cancellation and AI-guided Transparency
The actual active noise cancellation does not radically change what we’ve seen before, but the additional 3 dB of attenuation Samsung claims are perceptible. On a plane I wore them even with nothing playing, just to hush the constant buzz of the engines, and I fell asleep without issues.
And this is because the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro introduce an adaptive noise cancellation system managed entirely by the integrated neural chip, and the results are impressive. It’s no longer just about emitting an opposing frequency to cancel engine noise, but about real-time analysis of the surrounding environment.
Walking down the street, the external microphones capture traffic noise and suppress it aggressively, but if an ambulance siren or someone shouts a warning suddenly, AI recognizes the danger sound or a human voice and instantly lowers the suppression to let you perceive the environment. It’s a vital feature for city safety. In the subway, the constant rail hum is literally canceled, letting you listen to podcasts at moderate volume without blowing out your ears to overpower the external chaos.
But the real revolution, in my view, is the Transparency Mode, i.e., Ambient Sound. Often this mode returns a robotic and metallic sound. On the Buds 4 Pro, however, you will feel as if you don’t have the earbuds in your ears. Vocal frequencies are isolated and emphasized naturally, without excessively amplifying sharp sounds like keys jingling or wind rustle. Wind itself, the sworn enemy of earbuds, is expertly managed by a new network of microphones hidden behind an aerodynamic grille that disperses the air before it hits the sensor, ensuring perfect calls even on particularly windy days.
Galaxy AI and the Samsung ecosystem: the real competitive advantage
You cannot do a Galaxy Buds 4 Pro review without discussing software integration in depth. If you own a Galaxy S-series phone or a Galaxy Z Fold/Flip, these earbuds become a direct extension of the phone. Pairing is immediate; simply open the case near the phone to see the connection pop-up appear.
The feature that literally made me exclaim “wow” is the real-time interpreter. Using Galaxy AI features, you can listen to simultaneous translation of someone speaking to you in a foreign language directly in the earbuds, while our phone acts as the microphone to capture the audio. It’s impressive how much the delay has been reduced compared to early versions of this technology. It’s like having a personal translator always in your pocket.
The touch controls on the stem are responsive and avoid accidental taps that could happen with the gem-like design. They are controlled by pinching the stem (pinch) for Play/Pause or to answer calls, and by scrolling your finger up or down along the stem to adjust the volume. This last function is essential and works perfectly, even if your hands are slightly damp. Auto Switch, which allows the earbuds to automatically transfer the connection from a Samsung tablet to the smartphone if you receive a call, is now lightning-fast and never misses a beat.
Battery life and charging: promises kept
Powering everything is a 61 mAh battery. While it is noticeably larger than the 45 mAh of the previous model, real-world endurance doesn’t scream miracles and stays in line with the prior generation, precisely because the new acoustic hardware and advanced computing features demand significantly more power.
The company claims figures that, in my practical tests, proved quite realistic. With the active noise cancellation always on, volume around seventy percent, and the high-resolution codec enabled, I easily surpassed six hours of continuous music playback. Disabling ANC brings you close to eight hours of battery life on a single charge.
The charging case provides enough energy to comfortably reach almost thirty hours of total usage before needing a plug. And when it’s time to recharge, the USB-C port ensures quick timings: with just ten minutes of charge you get about two hours of playback, a lifesaver when you realize your earbuds are drained before leaving the house for a run. Wireless charging is also present, very convenient for placing the case on a compatible dock on your desk or on the back of your phone via battery sharing.
Price, opinions and conclusions
We reach the tricky chapter, or maybe not, depending on how you view the current market. The Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are priced in Italy at a list price of 249 euros. It is undeniably a significant figure, positioned in the top tier of the market, directly competing with Apple’s or Sony’s flagship devices. However, considering the technology packed into these small engineering concentrates, the price is absolutely justified for the target they aim at.
Summarizing my final impressions and weighing the positives of this device, the exceptional audio quality guaranteed by the new dual-plane and dynamic driver architecture stands out. The acoustic performance is simply among the best I’ve heard in the TWS space. Another major merit is extreme comfort: stem refinement and the new matte materials make these headphones perfect for prolonged use without any discomfort. Finally, the deep integration of Galaxy AI, with simultaneous translation and real-time adaptive ANC, represents a real added value that clearly sets them apart from the competition, provided you use them within the Samsung ecosystem.
Moving on to the less convincing aspects or those that might deter purchase, it’s worth noting that the maximum potential of these earbuds, particularly regarding 24-bit Hi-Res audio and more advanced AI features, is inaccessible to users who do not own a recent high-end Samsung smartphone. On an Android device from another brand or on iOS, while still delivering excellent base audio quality, these Buds 4 Pro lose much of their “magic.”
In conclusion, if you have a recent Galaxy in your pocket and want the absolute best in terms of audio quality, intelligent noise cancellation and software integration, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are the definitive purchase to make this year. Samsung has taken a product that was already excellent and refined it in every aspect, proving that artificial intelligence isn’t just for generating texts or images, but can concretely enhance our daily listening experience.
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