Samsung Galaxy Buds4 Pro Review: Samsung Finally Nailed the Sound

The Galaxy Buds4 Pro are surely the best-sounding earbuds Samsung has ever made. The dual-driver setup delivers rich, versatile audio across every genre I tested, and the ANC is a genuine leap. I'd take the liberty to say it's better than the AirPods Pro. Design is sleek and premium with a comfortable fit, and call quality is solid with Super Broadband Call support.

The catch? Almost every smart feature Samsung markets, like the head gestures, Live Translate, voice AI assistants, 360 Audio, the hi-res SSC UHQ codec works only when paired with a Samsung Galaxy phone. On any other device, you get good earbuds with basic controls. At Rs 22,999, that is a hard sell for non-Samsung users when the competition offers more platform-agnostic experiences. For Galaxy phone owners, these are an easy recommendation. For everyone else, think about what you need and what you can skip.

The earbuds look sleek and premium. The new flat-back design with metallic finish is more confident than the angular Buds3 Pro. The transparent case lid looks great but I worry about it picking up scratches over time at this price point. The magnets are perfectly calibrated - buds snap into place satisfyingly. However, the lid is impossible to open one-handed, the case is thicker than competitors from OnePlus or Sony, and the plastic hinge replacing the Buds3 Pro's metal one does not feel like Rs 22,999. IP57 on the earbuds is solid - you can wear them worry free in all weathers.

These sit more securely and comfortably than the Buds3 Pro. At 5.1 grams, they are among the lightest at this price. Three silicone tip sizes are adequate but not generous. Pairing is a breeze across iPhone, Android, and Samsung. Pinch controls are improved, and head gesture controls work reliably on a Samsung phone. On non-Samsung devices, gestures do not exist.

Samsung has genuinely outdone itself here. The dual-driver setup, an 11mm dynamic woofer and a 5.4mm planar tweeter, go beyond paper and you hear it instantly.

The woofer delivers bass that's full but controlled. Hip-hop, electronic, even Bollywood tracks with heavy low-end sound clean without turning muddy, something the Buds3 Pro struggled with. The planar tweeter is the real surprise, they make sure highs are crisp without being harsh, and vocals, especially female vocals, have a texture you usually expect from pricier earbuds.

This tuning really shows in complex tracks. Whether it's Chaar Diwari's layered production or the mixed genre album 'The Mountain' by Gorillaz, instrument separation is solid in all types of tracks. You're not getting a compressed wall of sound, you can actually pick out elements in the mix. Pair it with a Galaxy device and the SSC Ultra High Quality codec (24-bit/96kHz) adds more space and detail, with a warmth that feels intentional.

The 9-band EQ in the Galaxy Wearable app is genuinely useful. The default tuning is slightly warm and works for most genres, but the ability to fine-tune across nine bands gives you real control, if you're into tuning your buds for your taste.

After a week of listening, there's honestly no weak point in the audio output. It's versatile across genres, the kind where you don't feel the need to switch earbuds depending on what you're playing.

One caveat for me was that the experience drops on an iPhone. Volume is lower, and you lose key features like SSC codec, 9-band EQ, and adaptive sound. It still sounds good, just not the same product. That said, it still works better cross-platform than AirPods do on Android.

The Buds3 Pro had decent ANC, but nothing standout. The Buds4 Pro's Adaptive ANC 2.0 is a big step up, and that's the first thing you will notice as you put it on. There's a subtle swoosh as the earbuds settle in, and then the ANC kicks in. I went 'wow', as the world just dropped away in a way Samsung earbuds haven't managed before.

Samsung has moved from pre-trained profiles to real-time processing. The earbuds actively analyse and adjust to your surroundings instead of applying a fixed filter. I tested them in real Indian conditions, auto rides, crowded metros, busy cafes, and noisy main roads. Low-frequency noise is handled really well. Traffic hum, metro rumble, AC drone all get significantly reduced. Higher-frequency sounds like voices and horns are softened, but not completely gone.

This puts the Buds4 Pro among the top three in this segment. I found the ANC better than AirPods Pro. Sony's WF-1000XM6 still has an edge, especially with mid and high frequencies, but the gap is much smaller now. For daily use, this is more than one can ask for.

Voice Detect lowers volume and switches to ambient mode when you start talking, then switches back after a pause. Siren Detect does the same for emergency sounds, which is genuinely useful if you're walking or cycling. Both features work smoothly with minimal lag.

At maximum ANC, there is a slight pressure sensation in the ears. Some people may find it uncomfortable over long use. Dropping the ANC level on the app by one step fixes this without a big hit to noise cancellation - pure blessing.

Samsung claims 7 hours without ANC and 6 with it. In my use, with ANC on and volume around 70-80 percent, I consistently got about 5.5 to 6 hours. With ANC off and SSC disabled, it crossed 7 hours once. The case adds roughly 20 more hours, taking the total to about 26 hours with ANC and 30 without.

These are solid numbers for 2026, but not class-leading. The Sony WF-1000XM6 and AirPods Pro 3 both push closer to 8 hours with ANC. It's a clear jump over the Buds3 Pro, but the competition has moved ahead too.

Charging is where it feels lacking. There's no fast charging for quick top-ups, something OnePlus already offers. The case does support wireless charging, which is convenient, but overall charging speeds are fairly average for its price. But it barely happens that you are away from a charger for more than 30 hours to top it up and end up not having time to wait for it to charge. So, I feel this is something most users shouldn't bother about.

It is noticeably improved with Super Broadband Call doubling frequency bandwidth - voices sound more natural. Six microphones handle background noise well. Clear from a quiet room, solid from a busy cafe, better wind handling than the Buds3 Pro. Best results come paired with a Galaxy S26.

Head gestures, Gemini and Bixby voice control, Live Translate in 22 languages, 360 Audio with head tracking - all genuinely forward-thinking on paper. In reality, almost none of it works on a non-Samsung phone. Head gestures, Live Translate, voice AI, spatial audio, UHQ codec, Auto Switch are all useless. Samsung's cross-platform story is still better than Apple's total AirPods lockout, but "better than Apple's walled garden" is a low bar on an open platform like Samsung's

The Samsung Galaxy Buds4 Pro are not universally great value for money, but they excel in the right ecosystem. For Samsung Galaxy users, they justify their ₹22,999 price with class-leading sound, improved ANC, and a full suite of AI and ecosystem features, making them feel like a complete premium product. However, for non-Samsung users, the experience is limited, as many key features remain locked, turning them into an expensive but incomplete offering.

The Galaxy Buds4 Pro are the best-sounding earbuds Samsung has ever made. The ANC is a genuine leap, and the design strikes a rare balance between premium and practical. For Samsung Galaxy phone owners, these are an easy recommendation - pair them with a Galaxy S26 and you get a flavor of what the future of smart audio looks like.

But Samsung's ecosystem gating casts a long shadow. At Rs 22,999, you expect a complete product, not one requiring a specific phone to unlock its potential. The AI features marketed so prominently are invisible without a Galaxy phone. That is not a limitation, but a choice, and it costs them a higher score.