Samsung
Samsung Galaxy Buds 4
Samsung's answer to the AirPods 4: an unsealed, stem-style earbud with ANC, launched March 2026 alongside the Buds 4 Pro. Reviewers summed them up as 'AirPods envy, AirPods problems' — the open fit is genuinely comfortable for ear-tip haters and the redesigned stems with pinch-and-swipe controls work well, but bass and ANC strength depend entirely on how the hard plastic sits in your ears. When the fit cooperates you get an 11mm driver with 24-bit hi-res on Galaxy phones, Adaptive ANC that takes the edge off commutes, and a case that, unlike the base AirPods 4, still charges wirelessly. Battery is the weak spot at 5 hours with ANC on, though the case stretches it to 24. Same ecosystem catch as the Pro: SSC UHQ, 360 Audio, and the AI features need a Samsung phone, and Auto Switch isn't real multipoint. IP54 handles gym sweat fine. At $180 they're squeezed hard by the $119 AirPods 4 with ANC on one side and sealed buds with better isolation on the other — these make sense mainly for Galaxy owners who can't stand silicone tips.
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Specifications
Highlights
Pros
- ✓Open stem design stays comfortable for hours
- ✓Adaptive ANC takes the edge off despite no seal
- ✓Wireless charging case — base AirPods 4 doesn't have one
- ✓Bluetooth 6.1 with Auracast and LE Audio
- ✓Pinch-and-swipe stem controls work reliably
- ✓IP54 dust and splash resistance
Cons
- ✗5-hour ANC battery is bottom of the class
- ✗Open fit is a lottery — bass and ANC depend on your ears
- ✗Hi-res and AI features locked to Samsung phones
- ✗No true multipoint, only Samsung-account Auto Switch
- ✗Physics caps unsealed ANC well below sealed rivals
- ✗$180 is a tough ask against the $129 AirPods 4 ANC
Owner Insights(180 discussions)
The Galaxy Buds 4 are Samsung's open-fit answer to the AirPods 4, and owner sentiment splits almost entirely on one variable: whether the hard, tipless shell happens to match your ear. Reviewers summed them up as 'AirPods envy, AirPods problems' — people whose ears agree with the shape love the all-day, pressure-free comfort and the surprisingly rich sound, while everyone else describes buds that slip loose on a brisk walk and ANC that can't overcome the missing seal. That fit lottery dominates every owner discussion about them.
In practice, when they stay put, the 11mm drivers sound clean and full, and 24-bit SSC UHQ on a Galaxy phone is a real audible step up. The pinch-and-swipe stem controls get consistent praise as some of the best in the class. Battery is the measurable weak spot: just under 5 hours with ANC on in testing, and owners who stack ANC with 360 Audio report closer to 3 — plan on the case topping you up daily. The Adaptive ANC genuinely softens commute rumble but does little against voices or chatter without passive isolation, and Auto Switch frustrates anyone who needs true multipoint with a non-Samsung laptop.
Buy these only if you have a Samsung phone, you know sealed tips bother you, and ideally after confirming AirPods-style open buds have stayed in your ears before. At $179 they're a hard sell against the cheaper AirPods 4 with ANC for iPhone people, and Samsung owners who can tolerate ear tips get dramatically better noise cancellation from the Buds 4 Pro or, for half the price, an Anker Soundcore Liberty 5. The strongest alternative for most shoppers is simply the AirPods 4 with ANC on iPhone, or the Pixel Buds 2a on Android if you want a seal at a lower price.
Pros
- +Genuinely comfortable for people who hate silicone ear tips — the unsealed hard-shell design puts zero pressure in the canal and owners wear them for hours without soreness
- +Very light at 4.6g per bud with a redesigned stem that pinch-and-swipe controls make easy to operate without pushing the bud deeper into your ear
- +Sound quality impresses reviewers and owners when the fit cooperates — the 11mm driver with 24-bit SSC UHQ on Galaxy phones sounds noticeably richer than older base Buds
- +The case still charges wirelessly, which the cheaper AirPods 4 dropped — a small thing owners of both point out constantly
- +Adaptive ANC is a real, working feature on an open-fit bud — it takes the edge off commute drone even without a seal, which the non-ANC AirPods 4 can't do at all
- +IP54 rating handles gym sweat and light rain, better than the base AirPods case-plus-bud protection
- +Deep Galaxy ecosystem integration works smoothly — instant pairing, Auto Switch between Samsung devices, and hands-free Bixby/Galaxy AI features owners with Samsung phones actually use
Cons
- −Fit is the make-or-break flaw: the hard plastic body has no tips or fins, and many owners report constant slipping — one reviewer's shake test sent a bud flying, and even walking can require readjusting several times a minute
- −Because passive isolation is essentially nonexistent without a seal, the ANC does very little for some ear shapes — owners with a poor fit say it's barely distinguishable from off
- −Bass response depends entirely on how the bud happens to sit in your ear — the same pair can sound full for one person and thin and tinny for another
- −Battery is weak for 2026: about 5 hours with ANC on in testing, and owners running ANC plus 360 Audio report closer to 3 hours per charge
- −Auto Switch is not real multipoint — it only hops between Samsung/Galaxy-account devices, and owners juggling a work laptop report manual reconnecting
- −The best features are locked to Samsung phones: SSC UHQ hi-res, 360 Audio, and the AI tricks all disappear on iPhone and are limited on non-Samsung Androids
- −At $179 they're squeezed from both sides — owners point out the AirPods 4 with ANC costs less and fits the same niche, while sealed buds like the Buds 4 Pro or Soundcore Liberty 5 deliver far stronger ANC for similar or less money
Common Questions
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