Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro Review 2026

Samsung's Galaxy Buds 4 Pro prove that you do not need to spend $250 or more to get excellent true wireless earbuds in 2026. At $199, they outperform their price in ANC quality, spatial audio, and water resistance — and for Galaxy phone owners, the full-feature experience rivals what Apple offers AirPods Pro users.

We tested the Buds 4 Pro for five weeks across daily commutes, workouts, video calls, and long listening sessions. Here is what we found.

ANC Performance

Intelligent ANC 2.0 reads your environment through six microphones and adjusts the cancellation algorithm accordingly. On a subway train, it cut background noise by roughly 80% — not quite at AirPods Pro 3 level, but significantly better than the previous Galaxy Buds generation. In a noisy coffee shop, we were able to take a phone call with no complaints from the person on the other end.

The ANC works better when paired with a Samsung Galaxy S25 or newer, which can push firmware-level optimizations to the earbuds. Paired with a non-Samsung Android phone, performance was still good but approximately 10-15% less aggressive in our testing.

360 Audio and Sound Quality

The 360 Audio feature — Samsung's equivalent to Apple Spatial Audio — tracks head movement and creates a convincing surround sound effect for supported content on Samsung devices. The effect is genuine: watching a Netflix series on a Galaxy Tab felt cinematic in a way that standard stereo earbuds cannot replicate.

For general music listening, the sound is warm and full. Bass is satisfying without being overwhelming. The tuning suits pop, hip-hop, and electronic music particularly well. Classical and jazz listeners may want to look at the Sony WF-1000XM6 for more analytical detail, but for everyday listening the Buds 4 Pro excels.

Fit and Durability

IPX7 water resistance means these earbuds can be submerged in up to 1 metre of water for 30 minutes. That makes them genuinely swim-proof — something the AirPods Pro 3 (rated IPX4) cannot offer. For gym users and outdoor runners, this is a real advantage.

The ergonomic wingtip design keeps the buds secure during high-intensity exercise. Over 40+ hours of testing, we never had one fall out. Three ear tip sizes are included, and the medium tips fit most ears well.

Battery Life

Samsung rates the Buds 4 Pro at 7 hours with ANC on and 28 hours total with the wireless charging case. Our real-world average was 6 hours 40 minutes with ANC active at 70% volume — close to the claimed figure, which is refreshingly honest for a tech spec sheet. The case charges via USB-C and also supports wireless charging, which is a step ahead of the AirPods Pro 3 case.

What We Did Not Like

The microphone quality for calls is average — voices sounded slightly processed and thin in recordings we made. For a productivity device used on calls all day, we would prefer the AirPods Pro 3 or Sony XM6. Galaxy Buds 4 Pro is better for music than calls.

The full feature set — 360 Audio, Auto Switch, and Galaxy AI integration — requires a Samsung Galaxy phone running One UI 6.1 or later. iPhone users will find the earbuds work fine but lose most of the premium features.

Who Should Buy It

The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro is the best value earbuds you can buy in 2026 if you own a Samsung Galaxy phone. Even for non-Samsung Android users, the ANC, build quality, and IPX7 rating make it a strong purchase at $199. It earns its Best Value badge.