Samsung's new Galaxy Buds 4 Pro arrive as a lesson in priorities. The South Korean electronics giant has invested heavily in what you hear through these earbuds, even if the broader value proposition requires owning a Samsung phone to fully appreciate.
The headline improvement is audio. The dual-driver system now features an 11mm woofer offering 20% more surface area compared to its predecessor, paired with a precision tweeter optimised for high frequencies. The larger woofer is designed for bass while allowing meaty yet controlled low-end sound without overshadowing mids and trebles. Across multiple tech reviewers testing the buds, this hardware change translates to noticeably clearer vocals, tighter bass definition, and better separation between instruments across different music genres.
That audio focus represents a genuine shift in Samsung's strategy. Earlier generations of Galaxy Buds drew criticism for resembling Apple's AirPods too closely. The new Buds 4 series returns to a more distinct design identity, with criticism of previous models drawing comparisons to Apple's AirPods leading to internal reassessment. The angular blade design is now gone, replaced with a flat panel stem with a thin metal cover, and the gimmicky blade lights of the previous Pro model are now eliminated. The redesigned charging case features a clear lid that opens flat rather than just from the top, with buds lying flat inside instead of upright.
Whether this counts as a genuine victory depends on your hardware ecosystem. This is where the reality of modern premium earbuds becomes clear: Samsung has built these devices as Galaxy-first products. Samsung requires you to pair a Galaxy phone to get the most out of Galaxy Buds 4 or 4 Pro, following the same ecosystem-lock strategy that Apple pioneered with AirPods. The incredible audio quality is only available on Samsung phones via their SSC codec, which supports sample rates up to 24-bit/96kHz for lossless playback. iPhone and non-Samsung Android users receive basic Bluetooth functionality; the premium features simply do not exist for them.
The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are rated IP57, good enough for dust protection and full immersion in up to three feet for 30 minutes, addressing a long-standing durability concern. Battery life remains modest at six hours with ANC enabled. Call quality has improved through new microphone technology, though reviewers report mixed results here; some found microphone performance middling, with voice quality rated as unclear despite adequate volume and background noise reduction.
Pricing sits at $249 (approximately AU$375), positioning the Buds 4 Pro at parity with Apple's AirPods Pro 3 and Sony's WF-1000XM6. For Samsung Galaxy users specifically, this represents a solid audio upgrade backed by reliable ecosystem integration. For everyone else, the value calculus is considerably murkier. The buds function via standard Bluetooth on any device, but paying premium money for features you cannot access on your phone amounts to paying for half a product.
Samsung has made genuine improvements to sound engineering and industrial design. Yet the company continues betting that users will simply accept being locked into its ecosystem to unlock full functionality. That bet may hold for loyal Galaxy customers, but it remains a barrier to broader appeal in an increasingly fragmented mobile landscape.