New tricks and familiar restrictions

Samsung’s Galaxy S26 series the launch was accompanied by two new pairs of true wireless headphones. The Galaxy Buds 4 and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are slated to launch in 2024 Galaxy Buds 3 range It was discontinued, albeit without a hard launch, due to installation issues and unfavorable design comparisons to Apple’s AirPods.

Samsung learned from its mistakes with the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro ($249.99 at Samsung)? I took them for a ride to find out.

After unboxing the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, the first thing I noticed was the new horizontal charging case – a significant change from the top-lid case of the Buds 3 Pros. In terms of comfort, I can’t say it’s a huge difference, as I prefer the Buds 3 Pro’s color-coded approach to nesting in your buds, though it does give the whole package a more distinct aesthetic. Otherwise, you’ll find a single LED on the front below the Samsung logo, a USB-C port and a single button on the back. This button handles traditional pairing, but can also be used to locate your phone when both buds are in the case.

Apart from the design changes, the actual earphones differ from the AirPods-style Buds 3 Pro. The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro offer flat, metal-coated bodies that help give it a more premium look and feel. If anything, this whole package evokes Nothing’s transparent and stylish Ear series more than Apple products. I’m not complaining though.

The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro cases have very subtle indentations on the side, which allows you to feel the contact points better. I can’t say it made a huge difference in my touch experience. The pinch controls are responsive, but they’re still pretty spongy. At least the new design means the buds don’t fall out of my hand when I squeeze a little too hard, as my colleague Ryan Haines experienced. Buds 3 Pro with triangular body. In addition to pinch/pinch controls, you can still tap and slide the earcups.

I’m happy to report that these headphones are a great fit for me. I haven’t done much other than shopping and housework while wearing them, so I can’t be sure that they won’t loosen or fall off during vigorous physical activity (like running or cycling). Even so, I wasn’t constantly adjusting them or worrying about them falling into the kitchen sink while doing dishes.

Samsung’s previous headphones got off to a rough start because of this inadequate build quality. These issues ranged from visible seams and silicone earcups that tear easily, to earcups sitting at different heights. For what it’s worth, my earbuds look great, and the silicone earbuds are soft but take a bit of stretching. It doesn’t make much sense, since we have to wait for more people to get their hands on the buds. Nevertheless, I hope this bodes well for the production overall.

Like the previous Galaxy Buds, the Buds 4 Pro have a Samsung phone it’s a simple matter, because when you open the box, the phone seamlessly detects the headphones and invites you to connect. However, it is worth noting Fast Couple not supported here. That means if you want to pair seamlessly with other Android devices and Chromebooks, you’re out of luck. Instead, you’ll have to pair the headphones the old-fashioned way. There’s also no proper multi-point connection if you want to connect these buds to your phone and computer at the same time.

Samsung continues to offer excellent sound quality in these buds. Thankfully, the company doesn’t fall into the old trap of delivering massive amounts of bass as standard. The backup also has the usual customization options, so you’re bound to find the sound that’s right for you. These options include preset and custom equalizer settings, the ability to adjust the volume for headphone compatibility, the option to adjust the volume for an age range (or create a custom profile), and ultra-high-quality audio switching.

Unfortunately, Samsung still does not support high quality LDAC audio codec or aptX HD format. Instead, the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro only supports the SSC codec for high-quality wireless audio (24-bit/96 kHz) via Samsung devices. Given the $250 price tag, this is a real shame as cheaper competitors ship with LDAC support. So if high-quality wireless audio is a priority and you don’t have a Samsung device, you’d better look elsewhere.

Otherwise, the Samsung headphones keep active noise cancellation (ANC) solid. The set of features will be familiar to owners of previous buds, allowing you to adjust the strength of the cancellation, switch between different profiles (for example, ambient sound, adaptive, active noise cancellation), etc. The Galaxy maker also offers sirens, walking and more. promises that you can adjust the cancellation power for specific scenarios such as

However, I found that even with the maximum ANC level, I could still hear a small amount of background noise (eg metal doors opening, some birds). But it still works well when I need a distraction. Our friends on our sister site SoundGuys ANC’s “great progress” on the Buds 3 Pro, also noted that they quickly switch from ANC to ambient modes when needed.

Samsung also offers Super Clear Call technology, which this time offers higher quality audio during calls. I’m not sure if the switcher supports WhatsApp calls, but I still called my friend via WhatsApp. He found the call quality to be a notch above typical headphones, but not quite the same as phone-based calls, which is what you’d expect with any bud.

The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro brings a few other additions to the table. This includes head gestures and the ability to locate your phone by double-tapping the case’s pairing button. Unfortunately, none of these features were available on my trusty Galaxy S23 Ultra during testing. Our colleagues SoundGuys found that head gestures worked quite well, although it generally seemed like a niche feature that some would completely ignore. This feature supports accepting and rejecting calls as well as rejecting notifications.

Here you also have the functions of previous Galaxy Buds. I really like the simple voice commands for changing tracks, adjusting the volume and more. I’m not a fan of voice input in the first place, but it comes in handy when I’m cooking or doing the dishes. I’m also glad the trusty neck extension reminder feature is back here because I’m typing this with a stiff neck and back.

Other older Galaxy Buds features worth knowing about include game mode via Samsung Labs, 360-degree audio support, and UHQ Audio passthrough for high-quality audio.

I’ve been using the neckband and earbuds for a long time because of the longer battery life compared to most wireless headphones. If you want 15 or 20 hours of playback on a charge, the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro won’t change your mind, but its endurance is certainly solid for earbuds. Samsung promises six hours of playback with ANC enabled and 26 hours with the charging case, while ANC off gives seven hours and 30 hours, respectively. I managed to get about seven hours of playback with ANC and volume below 50%. That’s pretty good, though it falls short of top dogs like Sony’s XM6 headphones.

Samsung says the charging time hasn’t changed significantly compared to previous headphones. However, I’d like to see a OnePlus-style fast charging option to get meaningful juice within minutes. For example, after leaving the headphones in the case for 10 or 15 minutes, it would be great to get two hours of playback. At least wireless charging is still available here, allowing you to charge via the charging pad or with reverse wireless charging from your phone.

Judged purely for aesthetics, the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are definitely worth a look if you want premium wireless headphones without the obvious rip-offs of AirPods. It also doesn’t hurt that Samsung brings more features to the table, such as head gesture support, HD Voice, Find My Phone, and easier AI commands. Throw in good battery life and solid sound quality, and if you have a Samsung phone, you’ve got great headphones.

Unfortunately, the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are harder to recommend, if at all any other Android phone. While you still get a fair number of features, Samsung’s decision to continue to skip Quick Pair and LDAC support seems more glaring with each generation. So if these specific features are important to you, there are plenty of other options out there. I’d also like to see some quick charging capabilities and more tactile physical controls.

Looking for Galaxy Buds 4 Pro alternatives? Then Sony WF-1000XM6 ($329.99 at Amazon) is probably the best choice. Sony’s buds are more expensive and don’t match Samsung’s IP57 rating, but they support higher-quality audio codecs and offer better battery life.