Introduction

Samsung unveiled two new wireless earbuds at its Galaxy Unpacked 2026 event in San Francisco on 25th February: the open-fit Galaxy Buds 4 and the in-ear Galaxy Buds 4 Pro. Pre-orders began shipping on 5th March, with a formal South Korean launch following on 11th March. Both models form part of Samsung's broader wearable refresh alongside the Galaxy Watch 8 and Galaxy S26.

Specifications

The Galaxy Buds 4 is priced at 259,000 won (approximately $190), while the higher-end Buds 4 Pro retails at 359,000 won (approximately $260). Both are available in white and black; the Pro adds a Pink Gold option exclusive to Samsung's own website.

On design, Samsung says the earbuds were developed using data from over 100 million ear scans and more than 10,000 fit simulations. The slim, contoured shape is intended to seat securely in a wide range of ear sizes, resisting dislodgement during exercise or extended wear. For audio, a two-way speaker system — including a dedicated tweeter for high frequencies — delivers sound at up to 24-bit, 96kHz quality.

The headline feature, however, is AI integration. While wearing the earbuds, users can invoke Samsung's Bixby, Google Gemini, or the AI search tool Perplexity by voice alone, without touching a phone. A newly introduced "head gesture" function takes this further: nodding accepts an incoming call, while shaking one's head declines it or controls Bixby. Samsung positions this as practical for moments when hands are occupied — cooking or working out, for instance. Both models also support ambient sound passthrough and high-definition call audio.

The Pro model adds several premium features. An enhanced adaptive active noise cancellation (ANC) system analyses the user's fit in real time, adjusting its performance accordingly; a companion adaptive equaliser then fine-tunes the sound signature to match the shape of the individual ear. When paired with a Galaxy smartphone, the Pro also offers real-time call translation — useful for international conversations or travel.

Strengths and Limitations

The Buds 4's most compelling contribution is the expansion of the user interface beyond taps and swipes. The ability to switch between multiple AI assistants by voice, and to manage calls with a nod of the head, reflects Samsung's broader ambition to weave AI into the fabric of its device ecosystem. Both features represent genuinely practical innovations, particularly for hands-free scenarios.

The limitations are equally clear. The Pro model's noise cancellation is said to be meaningfully better than its predecessor's, but reviewers note it still falls short of what Apple's AirPods Pro and Sony's flagship earbuds achieve. The Buds 4 Pro is now competitive enough to be taken seriously as a premium product — but it has not yet overtaken its rivals at the very top of the market.

Verdict

The Galaxy Buds 4 series represents a deliberate evolution from audio accessory to AI interface hub. Samsung has built on solid foundations — ergonomic fit and high-resolution sound — and layered on genuinely novel interaction methods in the form of voice-activated AI agents and head gestures. The gap in noise-cancellation performance relative to the best of Apple and Sony remains the product's most conspicuous shortcoming.

★★★★☆ (3.5 / 5.0)

In brief: "AI in your ear — but not yet silence."