The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro is the best sign yet that Samsung can compete with Sony and Apple
Good to see progress. Samsung is nowhere near a new breed, and far from a plucky underdog trying to swim its way, like Dory, in a sea of well-fed tech sharks. But in terms of pure performance, it hasn’t quite cracked the wireless earbuds market like its competitors have.
Samsung was actually quick to jump on the wireless earbud bandwagon, releasing their wireless earbuds, the IconX, in 2016, a year before Sony introduced the WF-1000X and two years before Bose unveiled its Bose SoundSport Free.
A brief history lesson
‘It has never been like that. While the likes of Sony tend to take to this particular game like the proverbial mallard in the pond, Samsung’s efforts tend to be more moderate.
We gave the original Samsung Galaxy Buds just two stars when we reviewed them in 2019; and things did not improve significantly in the coming years. Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro for 2021? Three stars. Is it Samsung Galaxy Buds 2? What about the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro? Many three star ratings.
Things really changed, however, in 2023 with the launch of the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. The third generation flagships were a different proposition from what had come before – they looked different, offered new and different features, and most importantly, it was heard different.
For different, of course, read ‘better’ – these four-star wireless earbuds were the best we’ve heard from Samsung, with a clean, clear signature that really shined when using the company’s 24-bit/96kHz SSC UHQ hi-res Bluetooth codec with a compatible Galaxy smartphone.
Taking sound seriously
Fortunately, Samsung refused to rest on its laurels. Learning lessons from the successes and failures of the third generation of Pro buds, it came back strong this year by introducing its best effort yet: the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro.
What impressed us the most about the Buds 4 Pro was how they seemed to take everything we loved about their predecessors and refine them all to the next level.
This wasn’t a reinvention, but more of a clear and conscious touch on something that worked well the first time.
Gone are those unnecessary stem ‘blade’ lights and Apple-inspired design, replaced by a premium metal housing, a new charging case and, most importantly, Samsung’s best audio yet.
As we say in our review: “These may be the best sounding buds Samsung has yet made, and certainly a clear step in detail and clarity over the third generation of their predecessors. The Buds 4 Pros’ outstanding levels of intelligibility and clarity make Mozart’s recordings Rondo Alla Turca sounds just right, before exuding a soft, retro Elvis Costello feel Veronica with love.”
Those developments are no accident.
According to Samsung engineers, the fourth-generation model inherited many of the same design features from the Buds 3 Pro, such as two-way, two-amp drivers, but with “refined adjustments based on an improved woofer driver” for “rich and clear sound”.
That said, there’s a clear openness to experiment to see what works best: “We don’t have any particular preferences for brands or materials. We’re constantly considering drivers to maximize various audio functions, including sound quality and noise control.”
We haven’t reached five-star territory yet – the competition is fierce in this category – but it feels like Samsung is getting closer to that promised land. The best-in-class Sony WF-1000XM6 is more musically refined and engaging, while the Apple AirPods Pro 3, although perhaps less clear and crisp, are limited in terms of dynamics and overall music.
Samsung’s desire to improve and adapt has worked wonders, however. If you consider that the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro offered “disappointing, inconsistent power” and sound that we described as “ingenuity and precision”, the warm, detailed sound of the best earbuds of 2026 sounds like it comes as a result of an audio group that takes sound seriously.
Getting that fifth star
All of this leads to the next logical question: where does Samsung go from here to hunt down its best-in-class competitors?
According to the company itself: “The desire of the market for the integration of audio devices and AI is increasing gradually. In this context, we have good positions for the Galaxy Eco and Galaxy AI systems. Going forward, we aim to deliver an incomparable experience through the collaboration between Galaxy Buds and Galaxy AI, offering what other companies cannot offer.”
That’s all well and good, but what we’re urging Samsung to remember is the reason it got to this point in the first place: sound. We’ve seen huge strides from the slightly disappointing, simple details of the company’s first attempts at current earbuds. While AI integration is all well and good (the Buds 4 Pro have live rendering like the AirPods Pro 3, for example), it’s those sonic steps that have taken the Galaxy line from outsiders to number one contenders.
Just look at Apple. For the past few years, we’ve been awarding each iteration of AirPods three (or sometimes four) stars, before Apple upped its audio game with five stars for the AirPods Pro 2 in 2023.
Since then, the excellent AirPods Pro 3 and the impressive AirPods 4 with ANC have taken things up a notch, proving that while great features and seamless user integration are all good, sound quality remains king.
Technics also struggled to earn that fifth star with its early efforts, but a continued drive to improve its sonic performance culminated in last year’s award-winning EAH-AZ100.
If Samsung can take those lessons and emulate the same kind of success by focusing on audio first, then it could give Sony, Bose, Apple and co. something to worry about in the wireless earbuds scene.
MORE:
Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro vs Apple AirPods Pro 3: which are the best premium earbuds?
Now Playing: discover the 6 bangers of the test room that make noise in our march
See our selection of the best wireless earbuds in all budgets
