Samsung revealed 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, other than the price difference of $179 / £159 / AU$299 for the Buds4 Pro, compared to $249 / £199 / AU$399 for the Buds4?
That’s why we’re here to get to the bottom of it.
Luckily, we had a first hands-on with the Buds4 Pro, and straight away the new clamshell case is a winner over the old model (although one team member found it a bit slippery to grip), as is the updated “blade” stem on the buds. Blade light? No more. Color-coded buttons so you can tell at a glance which side of the case to put them back into? Gone too. Exclusive bit lock system that prevents you from using third-party bits and makes them extremely difficult to remove? Unfortunately, not disappeared…
Galaxy Buds 4 Pro versus Galaxy Buds 4: what you need to know
It’s important to say up front that this is a comparison of specs, stats, prices, and features, not an in-depth assessment of sound value per pound. Indeed, at the time of writing, we’re only a day after launch and we’ve yet to publish full reviews of the Galaxy Buds 4 or Galaxy Buds 4 Pro – although those are forthcoming.
But without further ado, here are the stats you need…
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| Row 0 – Cell 0 |
Galaxy Buds 4 |
Galaxy Buds 4 Pro |
|
Prices |
$179 / £159 / AU$299 |
$249 / £219 / AU$399 |
|
Colors |
Black, White |
Black, White, Pink, Gold (some only available through Samsung) |
|
Weight |
Earpiece: 4.6g Box: 45.1g |
Earpiece: 5.1g Box: 44.3g |
|
Dimensions |
Earpiece: 18.3 x 19.3 x 30.5 mm Charging case: 51 x 51 x 28.3 mm |
Earpiece: 18.1 x 19.6 x 30.9 mm Charging case: 51 x 51 x 28.3 mm |
|
Driver table |
Φ11 3.8t (1 channel) |
1 3.5t (Woofer) / 5.5 x 3.5 x 0.9t (Tweet) |
|
Microphones per bud |
Digital x3 |
Digital HSNR x2 Digital x1 |
|
Sound quality |
HQ* 24-bit Hi-Fi** 360° audio with direct multichannel*** * Ultra-high quality audio up to 24-bit/96kHz is available on Galaxy S26, S25, S24, S23, 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 higher. Additional devices may be supported in the future. **24-bit Hi-Fi audio requires Samsung Galaxy devices running OneUI 4.0 or higher and Galaxy Buds4. Support for 24-bit Hi-Fi audio may vary depending on 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. |
HQ* 24-bit Hi-Fi** 360° audio with direct multichannel*** * Ultra-high quality audio up to 24-bit/96kHz is available on Galaxy S26, S25, S24, S23, 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 higher. Additional devices may be supported in the future. **24-bit Hi-Fi audio requires Samsung Galaxy devices running OneUI 4.0 or higher and Galaxy Buds4 Pro. Support for 24-bit Hi-Fi audio may vary depending on 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 equalizer Adaptive ANC |
ANC Ambient sound Voice*/siren** detection Adaptive equalizer Adaptive ANC * The earbuds automatically recognize the user’s voice, increasing ambient sound to improve conversation clarity at the beginning and increasing active noise cancellation (ANC) to block out background noise at the end of the conversation. **This feature increases ambient sound volume to ensure users can hear crucial alerts such as alarms, emergency vehicles or police sirens. |
|
Amplifier |
Bachelor |
Double |
|
Battery capacity |
Earphones: 45 mAh Charging case: 515 mAh |
Earphones: 61 mAh Charging case: 530 mAh |
|
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 8 p.m. (ANC off) |
Up to 4.5 hours / Total up to 8 p.m. (ANC on) Up to 5 hours / Total up to 10 p.m. (ANC off) |
|
Connectivity |
Bluetooth 6.1, automatic switching Codec: SSC (Samsung Seamless Codec) HiFi, SSC UHQ (Samsung proprietary), AAC, SBC, LC3 Auracast |
Bluetooth 6.1, automatic switching Codec: SSC (Samsung Seamless Codec) HiFi, SSC UHQ (Samsung proprietary), AAC, SBC, LC3 Auracast |
|
Sensor |
Voice Pickup Unit (VPU), Force & Touch (Swipe), IR, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Hall Sensor |
Voice Pickup Unit (VPU), Force & Touch (Swipe), SWIR, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Hall Sensor |
|
Compatibility |
Android 12 or higher with more than 1.5 GB of memory |
Android 12 or higher with more than 1.5 GB of memory |
|
Water resistance |
IP54 earphones only |
IP57 earphones only |
Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 vs Buds 4 Pro, key takeaways
From the table above, a few key insights stand out to me. Although the Buds 4 Pro earbud is slightly heavier than the Buds 4, that’s likely due to the tip you’ll need to use (Samsung tells us the weight was taken using medium-sized tips). The Buds 4 are open style buds, which do not require a tip.
And while my colleague Tom Bedford liked the design of the Buds 4 Pro, he was dismayed to find that the problem he encountered with the tips on the Buds 3 Pro — namely that they are very difficult to change, and easy to break when you try — has not been resolved.
The Buds 4 Pro’s body is slightly lighter, but the stated battery life (in terms of what you can expect from the buds And juice in the case) improves by an hour if you opt for the Pro set. Personally, this is a key stat for me: 5 hours with ANC on isn’t long at all in 2026, so I’ll pay the extra for an extra hour in the Buds 4 Pro. Still, when Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 can deliver up to 8 hours of listening time (with ANC enabled) on a single charge, an improvement of 2 hours over the Pro 2, that’s still not a great figure to see on the technical sheet of the Buds 4 Pro.
Interestingly, your connectivity, codec support, and sensor are the same on both models, but the Buds 4 Pro’s dual-driver array is a solid step up from the Buds 4’s solo driver.
Additionally, you get special ‘Voice’ and ‘Siren’ technologies in the flagship Buds Pro 4. The former means the earbuds can automatically recognize your voice and boost the ambient sound to improve clarity when your conversation begins, then boost the ANC to block out background noise when your quick chat ends. The last one? This benefit enhances ambient sound to ensure users can hear crucial alerts such as alarms, emergency vehicle sirens, etc.
Again, check back soon for our full reviews, but as we said in our first review, my colleague Hamish Hector thinks it’s enough to consider the Buds 4 Pro.
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