Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro review: full of cleverness, but not for everyone

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro: this is how they perform

Over the past few weeks, we at the editorial department have been listening to our music on the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, the latest addition to the South Korean manufacturer's audio portfolio. The brand came out with the Buds 3 Pro in 2024, and now it felt it was time for a successor. Notable here is the completely changed design. No more the luminous strip on the side of the earphones and instead a square, thick case. We list our experiences with the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro in this review.

Unboxing

In the packaging of the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4, we find the earbuds themselves, already placed in the box. In doing so, these earbuds have stems made of brushed metal, which immediately gives them a premium look. The package also includes a short USB-C cable and different sizes of earbuds, so that even those with smaller or just bigger ears can enjoy the Buds 4 Pro. Changing them is still a bit of a fiddle, but if it's good, you won't do this often. In total, there are three dome sizes.

In terms of fit, I find the previous generation more comfortable. If you sit more quietly, it's fine, but while running, for example, the Buds 4 Pro feels like it's losing some grip. They haven't fallen out of the ear (yet), but we know earbuds offer more grip.

As for the new design, it is clear that this has become a major facelift. Personally, I like the Buds 3 Pro better, especially because of the light effect in the earbuds themselves. As you used these for longer, I did find that they were very sensitive to touch. For example, when you take them out of your ear for a moment. The case is square with a transparent lid. Tastes differ, but the previous case was nicer to put in your pocket than the new model.

Features

When the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro was announced, the improvements Samsung made to the earbuds became clear. Here, the speaker area has been increased 20 per cent, there is a wider woofer and Samsung promises improved performance.

The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro is IP57-certified. This makes it well able to withstand a rain shower, for example. Furthermore, the earbuds can handle Bluetooth 6.1, which is the latest generation. Multipoint doesn't work quite right; it lets you switch the earbuds between a laptop and another phone, for instance. During our test, this did not always go smoothly, with it faltering a bit.

Samsung's new earbuds model is at its best when used in combination with a Samsung device. After all, you then get a lot of extra functionality, and it's a shame you don't get this with another brand of device. For instance, there is the proprietary SSC-UHQ Hi-Fi audio codec, although we expect only the true audiophile to hear this.

Galaxy Buds app

You can use the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro straight out of the box, but if you want to customise something or use more functionality, you are required to install some apps. First of all, there is the Samsung Wearable app that you can download for free from the Google Play Store. Next, you still need to download Buds plugin from the Play Store. Then you need to log in with a Samsung account, after which you can finally follow the steps.

In Samsung's Wearable app, you can, for example, enable noise-cancellation to be switched off in case of speech detection, or hearing a siren. The Buds can also use voice commands on the go, for example to answer a call or play the next track. This also works with the Dutch language. This works fine, conveniently! Also, there is a tool that lets you fit the earbuds, or whether it's better to use a different attachment.

Then you can also get started with gestures. On the side of the stalk, for instance, you can control the volume with a swipe. You can also switch noise cancellation or switch to Spotify or Google, although the latter doesn't seem to work nicely. For devices with One UI 8.5 and above, there is support for head gestures. By nodding, for example, you can accept an incoming call or shake your head to reject the call. So unfortunately, this only works with (selected) devices from Samsung itself.

Through Samsung's app, you also get offered updates. We've had that once in recent times. Then it was quite a chore to get this update installed. While setting up the Bluetooth connection between the phone and the earbuds was no problem at all, it failed to restore the connection between the Wearable app and the earbuds. Still failed to get the update on the earbuds, when it should be very simple. Special.

Sound quality

The sound of the earbuds is fine, the bass doesn't feel overbearing and in the mids and highs the music feels balanced. Still, these in-ears could use a little boost in the middle to make the music sound just a little fresher but that might be a personal preference, and with this you can get to work with the equaliser. In terms of listening pleasure, you won't be short of anything with these in-ears, and the whole thing sounds dynamic.

In terms of noise cancelling, Samsung still has a step to take. In quieter music tracks or between songs, I can hear myself typing on the laptop. Something that is almost always well filtered with other in-ears. There is also a slight noise audible during silence. Via the app, you can still set if you wish to have the noise reduction on only one of the two earphones.

In Samsung's application, you can still make adjustments regarding the equaliser, or the degree of noise reduction.

Battery

The battery life of the Samsung earbuds is already nothing special on paper. Here, the brand promises six hours of battery with ANC on, an hour longer when noise cancellation is off. In practice, this corresponds pretty well, it seems. Still, it's not very special today. Combined with the case, you reach a maximum battery life of 26 to 30 hours).

Review

With the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, Sony has released a new generation of earbuds, with yet another different design. As for the design, there is little wrong: it looks good, and is well put together. I did find the box of the Buds 3 Pro more pleasant to carry in the pocket. In terms of sound quality, it's also pretty good, and you can enjoy your music for hours. Not too long, because in terms of battery life, the Buds 4 Pro doesn't score particularly well. There are also points for improvement: for instance, several features are only available for Samsung devices, and we know of alternatives that have better noise cancellation.

If you want to get started with the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro yourself, you can buy it directly from Samsung (with a temporary €40 discount with discount code GALAXYFIT, Belsimpel, Coolblue, MediaMarkt and Bol.com.

The photos in this review were taken with the Oppo Find X9 Ultra