REVIEW: Samsung Galaxy Buds4 Pro

Samsung’s flagship earbuds have built up a strong reputation over the past few years, and the Galaxy Buds4 Pro are the latest chapter in that story. Launched alongside the Galaxy S26 series, they are not a ground-up reinvention of the formula, but they bring some meaningful refinements over the Buds3 Pro. After spending a solid stretch of time with them in daily use, here is an honest rundown of where they land.

Design & Build Quality

The most immediately noticeable change from the previous generation is the case. Samsung has ditched the slim, pocket-friendly design of the Buds3 Pro in favour of something chunkier: a compact, make-up compact style box with a semi-transparent lid. That see-through top is genuinely useful. You can tell at a glance whether the buds are properly seated, which saves the mild panic of realising one earbud has been rattling around loose. The downside is that the case is noticeably bulkier and harder to fish out of a tight jeans pocket one-handed. It is a reasonable trade-off, but worth knowing about before you buy.

The earbuds themselves have been redesigned with more angular, squared-off stems that are considerably easier to grip and press than the rounded blades on the previous model, particularly with sweaty or wet hands.

The matte white finish on our review unit looks clean and restrained, more premium than the flashier metallic aesthetic of the outgoing generation. IP57 dust and water resistance is on board, meaning the buds can survive a metre of fresh water for up to 30 minutes, though the case has no water protection, which remains a minor frustration at this price point.

Software Features

This is where the Buds4 Pro genuinely pull ahead. The Samsung Wearable app gives you granular control over equaliser settings, noise cancellation levels and gesture assignments. Voice controls are a highlight, though they need to be manually enabled in the app before they work.

Once set up, you can issue commands like “Volume Up”, “Next Song” or “Play Music” without touching the buds at all, which is more useful than it sounds during a commute or a shopping run with full hands.

Head gestures for answering or declining calls are a new addition, and the updated Bluetooth 6.1 brings slightly improved stability and range over the older 5.4 standard. The pinch-and-stroke gesture for volume control works reliably once you get the hang of it.

The buds also support Bixby, Google Gemini and Perplexity AI assistants via the hold gesture, giving you options beyond Samsung’s own ecosystem. That said, features like 24-bit/96kHz audio via Samsung’s Seamless Codec are locked to Samsung Galaxy devices running One UI 6.1.1 or later, so non-Samsung users will get a capable but slightly pared-back experience.

Sound & ANC Quality

Out of the box, the Buds4 Pro sound good. The upgraded 11mm woofer paired with a 5.5mm tweeter delivers lively treble, clean mids and a satisfying low end that adds weight without muddying the mix. Across a range of genres including pop, rock and orchestral tracks, they handled themselves well, keeping detail clear even in busier passages.

Active Noise Cancellation has received a bump with the Adaptive ANC 2.0 algorithm, which adjusts noise cancellation levels intelligently based on your surroundings. At maximum, it does a commendable job of reducing persistent background noise like train rumble or plane engine hum to a low murmur.

Sharp, sudden sounds like announcements or clattering cutlery will still break through, as is the case with most earbuds at this tier. Call quality is excellent, with voices coming through clearly even in noisy outdoor environments, and the microphone pickup is strong enough that callers on the other end rarely had complaints.

Battery Life

Samsung rates the Buds4 Pro at six hours of playback with ANC enabled, plus an additional 20 hours from the charging case, totalling 26 hours overall. In real-world use, those numbers hold up reasonably well.

With ANC on and a mix of music and calls throughout the day, the buds comfortably lasted through a full working day before needing to go back in the case. The case itself kept things topped up over the course of a week without needing a cable. Wireless charging is supported, and the case can also charge via reverse wireless charging on compatible Samsung phones, which is a handy bonus.

Conclusion

The Galaxy Buds4 Pro are a polished, capable pair of flagship earbuds that do most things very well. Sound quality is strong, ANC is competitive, call quality impresses, and the voice control feature adds genuine everyday convenience once you have it set up. The redesigned stems are a real improvement in comfort and usability.

The caveats are real, though. The chunkier case is a step back in portability compared to the previous generation, and the best features remain firmly tied to the Samsung ecosystem. If you are using a non-Samsung phone, you will lose access to some of the headline functionality. No charging cable in the box is also a minor frustration for a premium product.

That said, if you are already in the Samsung ecosystem and due an upgrade, these are the best earbuds Samsung has made to date. Incremental, yes, but refined and genuinely enjoyable to use day to day.

Samsung Galaxy Buds4 Pro Pricing & Availability

The Samsung Galaxy Buds4 Pro are available in Ireland with an RRP of €259. You can pick them up directly from Samsung’s online store or from Harvey Norman. They are available in either Black or White.