Samsung dropped these almost quietly. Between the underwhelming base S26 and all the noise around the Ultra’s privacy screen, the Buds 4 and Buds 4 Pro kind of slipped through the cracks. I grabbed the 4 Pro, spent a few days with them, and — I’ll just say it — I think they’re better than AirPods Pro.

I know how that sounds. And I get it, comparing AirPods to Galaxy Buds isn’t exactly apples to apples since most people aren’t choosing between the two. But as a performance benchmark? These clear the bar comfortably. Think of them as the AirPods Pro built for the Android world — and more specifically, the Samsung ecosystem.

Same $250 price. Great ANC. Excellent transparency mode. Auto-switching between devices. Sounds familiar, right? But then they go ahead and do several things better.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro: The Case Hits Different

First thing you notice — the case got a full redesign. It’s a little cube now with a tinted clear lid that snaps shut with this really satisfying magnetic click. Slightly taller than the AirPods case but still totally pocketable. Wireless charging built in, USB-C on the back, a pairing button, and the buds drop in cleanly without any fussing around.

One knock: the case isn’t water resistant. The buds are IP57 rated, which matches AirPods Pro, but the case doesn’t get that protection. Annoying, but not a dealbreaker for most people.

Design That Actually Stays in Your Ears

The buds themselves look vaguely AirPod-like from the front — hard to avoid when everything is trying to be ear-shaped. But flip them around and you see the difference. The stem is square now with a brushed metal back, and that shape actually makes gesture controls feel way more intuitive than the usual barrel design.

Swipe up or down to adjust volume. Pinch and hold to toggle between ANC and ambient mode. Single squeeze for play/pause, double for next track. It all clicks into place quickly and doesn’t feel like you’re fighting the hardware.

And yes — they stayed in my ears. Even with the default tips. They include two other sizes, smaller and larger, but I didn’t need them. That alone puts them ahead of a lot of the competition.

Sound Quality: Better Than It Has Any Right to Be

Each bud has two drivers — a larger subwoofer and a tweeter — with a dedicated amp for each. Across different genres, different volume levels, different situations, the sound quality held up consistently. Really well, actually.

There’s a built-in EQ in the Samsung app, and the dynamic preset — which pushes the bass and treble a bit for that V-shaped curve — makes everything sound punchy and alive. But if that’s not your thing, you can dial it in however you want across a full nine-band equalizer. Total control.

Here’s the thing that impressed me most though. A lot of earbuds that sound this good are basically asking you to sit still in a chair and listen. The Sony WF-1000XM6s are a perfect example — incredible sound, but bigger buds, heavier case, foam tips instead of rubber, and they fall out more easily. All those trade-offs are made in the name of audio quality. Fair enough. But these Galaxy Buds sound nearly as good while also being something you’d actually wear to the gym, on a flight, in a meeting, and during a workout — all in the same day.

Noise Cancellation That Can Actually Compete

The passive isolation from a good seal is standard stuff. What surprised me was the active noise cancellation. There are five levels in the settings — honestly, probably more than necessary, I couldn’t always hear a clear difference between them — but maxed out, it’s legitimately powerful. Right there with AirPods Pro, maybe slightly stronger.

That “hearing new details in your music” level of quiet. You know what I mean. Where the background just disappears and suddenly you’re noticing things in a song you’ve heard a hundred times.

Ambient mode is strong too — five levels again — and at max, it’s just slightly below AirPods transparency mode, which is still saying a lot. Voices come through naturally, you can hear yourself, and it doesn’t have that hollow processed sound cheap earbuds get.

There’s also a smart feature where the mic picks up emergency vehicle sirens and automatically flips to ambient mode so you catch it. Useful for cyclists or anyone moving around outside. And if you just start talking, the buds detect it and switch to ambient for the conversation, then flip back to ANC about 5-10 seconds after you stop. Perfect for that airplane moment when the flight attendant suddenly appears and you don’t want to fumble with your ears.

Battery and Mics — Nothing Surprising Here

Six hours with ANC on, seven without. Pretty standard across the industry at this point, and longer than most people realistically wear earbuds in one stretch anyway.

Microphone quality is decent. Six mics, same count as the previous generation. It sounds like… earbuds on a call. Nothing remarkable, nothing embarrassing. You’ll be understood.

The Feature-for-Feature Breakdown vs Air Pods

This is where it gets interesting. Samsung has essentially matched or built around nearly everything AirPods Pro does:

• Instant switching between Samsung devices ✓
• 360° spatial audio with head tracking ✓
• Nod to accept / shake to reject calls ✓
• In-ear detection for auto play/pause ✓
• Find My equivalent ✓
• Live translation ✓

Then they go further:

• Gaming mode to cut audio latency (buried in lab settings, but it’s there)
• Full nine-band EQ with presets and deep customization
• Three color options — versus AirPods’ one

That last one is petty but I’ll take it.

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Quick Specifications

Ambient Mode & Smart Features

Samsung’s ambient mode is natural and surprisingly realistic. Voices sound clear, and conversations feel comfortable without removing the earbuds.

The earbuds also include intelligent features like:

Smart Features

The automatic conversation detection works especially well during travel or quick interactions.

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Controls & Customization

Samsung’s touch controls are among the best on any earbuds right now.

Gesture Controls

Unlike AirPods, Samsung also includes a full 9-band equalizer with extensive customization options.

That level of sound tuning is a huge advantage for Android users who want more control over their listening experience.

Battery Life

Battery performance is solid and competitive.

The charging case supports both:

• USB Type-C charging
• Wireless charging

Galaxy Buds 4 Pro vs AirPods Pro

Here’s how Samsung’s newest earbuds compare against Apple’s popular option.

For Android users, Samsung clearly offers better value and deeper system integration.

Should iPhone Users Buy Them?

Technically, yes.

The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro can connect to iPhones using standard Bluetooth, and most basic controls still work.

However, iPhone users lose access to several advanced Samsung-exclusive features like:

• Full EQ controls
• Advanced customization
• Samsung ecosystem switching

So while they still sound great on iPhone, they’re clearly designed primarily for Android users.

Can You Use These With an iPhone?

Short answer: technically yes, practically limited.

I paired them to my iPhone and they worked as standard Bluetooth earbuds. Stem controls still function. ANC toggle still works. Volume swipe still works. But the Samsung app features don’t carry over — no EQ, no advanced customization. Apple simply won’t give third-party earbuds the same integration depth that AirPods get, the same way Garmin watches can’t tap into iPhone features the way Apple Watch can.

If you’re frustrated by that, fair enough — but that’s Apple’s call, not Samsung’s.

Bottom Line

If you’re in the Android world — especially the Samsung ecosystem — these are the earbuds to beat right now. Genuinely great sound, strong ANC, comfortable fit, solid feature set, and a case design that actually feels premium. They snuck in quietly during a busy launch week and honestly deserve a lot more attention than they got.

My pick for best wireless earbuds in 2026. And it’s not particularly close.