Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro Review: Better than AirPods!

Summary

MKBHD reviews Samsung’s new Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, which launched quietly alongside the Galaxy S26 lineup. He cuts straight to the point: these are incredible earbuds that he considers better than AirPods Pro. At the same $250 price point, they match or exceed Apple’s offering in nearly every category — active noise cancellation, transparency mode, sound quality, design, and customization — while adding features AirPods lack like a full nine-band equalizer, gaming mode, and multiple color options.

The review covers the redesigned cube case with a tinted clear lid, the new square-stemmed bud design with brushed metal accents, and the dual-driver sound system with separate amp for each driver. Marques highlights that the ANC at maximum strength is as strong or stronger than AirPods Pro, and the ambient mode is nearly as good as Apple’s transparency mode. Smart features like automatic siren detection and voice-activated ambient switching round out the package.

Notably, MKBHD tests the buds paired with an iPhone, confirming they work as basic Bluetooth earbuds but lose Samsung’s customization features. He argues the only reason these cannot replace AirPods on iPhone is because Apple restricts third-party integration. For Android users, he declares these his favorite wireless earbuds of 2026 and “sneaky winners” that flew under the radar during Samsung’s S26 launch.

Highlights

”These Are Incredible”

“I’m just going to cut right to the chase. These are incredible. I think they’re better than AirPods Pros.” — Marques Brownlee, 0:22

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”Sound So Good in a Package You Can Take Anywhere”

“These sound so good, but these are just an earbud designed to be worn all day in tons of situations and taken everywhere with you.” — Marques Brownlee, 3:17

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”Hearing New Things in My Music”

“It’s at the level of background noise cancellation that I feel like it gets super quiet. I can hear I’m hearing new things that I didn’t hear in my music before. Like, it’s that level of good.” — Marques Brownlee, 4:55

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”Everything AirPods Do, Plus More”

“But unlike AirPods, they also have a gaming mode to minimize audio delay… Also unlike AirPods, they have this full nine-band equalizer with presets and massive customization over dialing in your sound. And also unlike AirPods, they come in multiple colors.” — Marques Brownlee, 6:44

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”Just Blame Apple”

“Basically, the only reason these couldn’t become the new go-to earbuds for the iPhone tomorrow is because Apple would never let that happen.” — Marques Brownlee, 8:17

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Key Points

• Under the radar launch (0:02) - Galaxy Buds 4 Pro launched sandwiched between the S26 and S26 Ultra announcements, flying under the radar
• Better than AirPods Pro (0:24) - MKBHD declares these are better than AirPods Pro as a performance benchmark, same $250 price
• New cube case design (1:03) - Tinted clear lid with magnetic closure, USB-C, wireless charging, very pocketable
• Redesigned square stems (1:49) - Square stem with brushed metal back makes pinching and swiping controls easier
• IP57 rated buds (2:16) - Buds are dust and water resistant like AirPods Pro, but the case is not — noted as a flaw
• Dual driver system (2:42) - Two drivers per bud with separate amps, larger subwoofer and tweeter for great sound
• Nine-band EQ (3:04) - Full equalizer with presets including dynamic mode that creates a punchy V-shaped sound curve
• Sony comparison (3:26) - Sony WF-1000XM6s sacrifice comfort and portability for sound, while Galaxy Buds match sound quality without trade-offs
• Five levels of ANC (4:37) - Five adjustable levels of noise cancellation, though MKBHD suggests two would suffice; at max it matches or beats AirPods Pro
• Ambient mode quality (5:08) - Five levels of ambient mode, just shy of AirPods transparency mode at max — natural sounding
• Emergency sound detection (5:29) - Auto-switches to ambient mode when sirens or emergency vehicle sounds are detected
• Auto-conversation mode (5:45) - Detects when you start talking and switches to ambient mode, then reverts after 5-10 seconds of silence
• Battery life (6:14) - 6 hours with ANC on, 7 hours with it off — industry standard
• Feature parity with AirPods (6:44) - Device switching, spatial audio, head gesture controls, ear detection, find my, live translate
• Extras over AirPods (7:18) - Gaming mode, nine-band EQ, and three color options are advantages over AirPods
• iPhone compatibility (7:50) - Works with iPhone as basic Bluetooth earbuds but loses Samsung app customization features
• Apple’s walled garden (8:17) - Apple restricts third-party earbuds from getting full iPhone integration, same as they do with watches
• Favorite earbuds 2026 (8:38) - Named favorite wireless earbuds of 2026, “sneaky winners” for Android users

Mentions

Companies

• Samsung (0:12) - Manufacturer of the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, released alongside the S26 lineup
• Apple (0:43) - Compared throughout as the AirPods Pro benchmark; criticized for restricting third-party integration on iPhone
• Sony (3:26) - WF-1000XM6s referenced as sound-quality-focused earbuds that make comfort trade-offs
• Garmin (8:28) - Referenced as example of Apple restricting third-party watch integration

Products & Technologies

• Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro (0:15) - Main product reviewed, $250 wireless earbuds
• Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 (0:15) - Non-Pro version also released, not reviewed in depth
• Apple AirPods Pro (0:26) - Primary comparison point throughout the review, same $250 price
• Samsung Galaxy S26 (0:08) - Called “underwhelming” base phone that overshadowed the buds launch
• Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra (0:12) - Privacy screen generated most of the S26 launch fanfare
• Sony WF-1000XM6 (3:26) - Sound-quality-focused earbuds with larger case and comfort trade-offs
• Apple Watch (8:32) - Referenced as another product category where Apple restricts third-party integration

People

• Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) - Host and reviewer

Surprising Quotes

“I’m just going to cut right to the chase. These are incredible. I think they’re better than AirPods Pros.” — 0:22

“These Galaxy Buds honestly sound every bit as good to me, but in a package that you can just take anywhere.” — 3:58

“It’s at the level of background noise cancellation that I feel like it gets super quiet. I can hear I’m hearing new things that I didn’t hear in my music before.” — 4:57

“Basically, the only reason these couldn’t become the new go-to earbuds for the iPhone tomorrow is because Apple would never let that happen.” — 8:17

“If you are on an Android phone, I think as of right now, these are the ones to beat. My favorite wireless earbuds 2026. Sneaky winners.” — 8:36

Transcript

0:02 So, under the radar announcement of the month, sandwiched between the pretty underwhelming base S26 and all the fanfare about the privacy screen in the S26 Ultra, Samsung also released their new earbuds, the new Buds 4 and Buds 4 Pro. I unboxed the Buds 4 Pro and started using them for the past couple days. And I’m just going to cut right to the chase. These are incredible. I think they’re better than AirPods Pros.

0:27 Now, on its face, I understand that this is actually kind of a meaningless comparison because most people aren’t cross-shopping between AirPods and Galaxy Buds, but just as far as a performance benchmark goes, these clear it. So, I think it’s really easy to think of these as the AirPods Pro for the Android universe and even more specifically the Samsung ecosystem. Like, they’re the same $250 price. They have active noise cancellation and a transparency mode. They sound incredible. They do the quick pairing thing and automatically switching between devices, but then they also do a lot of other things that I think are better.

1:03 So, like, let’s just start with this case. This is a new design. Now, it’s this cube case with a tinted clear lid and a nice satisfying magnetic slap. I love that this case itself is a little taller than AirPods, but definitely still on the small side. Very pocketable. It wireless charges. It also has a USB type-C port at the back. There’s a pairing button, and the earbuds drop in here pretty easily. You can get used to that once you take it out your ears. You drop them in, no problem. Overall, great case.

1:29 And then the buds themselves also got a redesign. And in huge breaking news, they also stay in my ears. So, in white from this angle, they look a lot like AirPods, which I guess makes sense when they’re all sort of trying to be ear-shaped. But as soon as you spin it around, that’s where you see the redesign. This new look is more square at the stem with a brushed metal back. The square stem I think actually makes it easier to do the pinching and swiping controls. Others obviously will sort of flatten an area on a barrel for gestures, but this is pretty much the ideal setup.

2:03 You can swipe up or down either bud to change volume and you can also pinch and hold to switch between active noise cancellation and ambient sound mode which is like the transparency mode. Single squeeze to play pause, double squeeze to go to the next track, etc. They are IP57 dust and water resistance rated just like AirPods Pros. The case is not. That is a flaw. But everything else design-wise here is pretty damn good. And I’m still very impressed at how well they stay in my ears. Even with the default ear tips, they come with two other sizes of ear tips. One smaller and one larger. Didn’t need them.

2:38 So then the next obvious question is, well, okay, how do they sound then? New drivers, new design, new ANC. And they sound really, really good. I got to say there’s some slightly updated drivers here. Two in each bud. There’s a larger area subwoofer and a tweeter. There’s an amp for each driver and across a whole range of frequencies and a wide variety of listening situations. I’ve found quality to be great.

3:04 There is also an EQ in Samsung settings. And I actually found I like the dynamic setting which sort of juices the bass and the treble a little bit. Gives you the V-shaped curve. Makes it really punchy and fun. But you can obviously dial it in here to exactly how you want it to sound. And that’s the impressive thing. Like these sound so good, but these are just an earbud designed to be worn all day in tons of situations and taken everywhere with you.

3:26 Like if you’re looking at the Sony WF-1000XM6s, for example, these are much more geared towards sound quality. Like that’s the slider that they’ve dragged everything towards. And so everyone knows how good they sound, but that’s at the expense of a lot of the other little everyday use stuff. The case is bigger. The buds themselves are bigger and a bit less comfortable, and they fall out of your ears more easily. They swap out foam tips instead for these rubber ones to create a better seal. So, they made a bunch of these trade-offs to sound as good as they do. So, you can sit there in your fancy chair and close your eyes and just be immersed in the sound.

3:58 Yet, these Galaxy Buds honestly sound every bit as good to me, but in a package that you can just take anywhere. Like, you can work out in these. You can fly in these. You can wear them for a meeting or a phone call. Or you can just sit down and close your eyes and listen to some music. Samsung’s buds have been sounding slowly better and better throughout the years, but not like quite enough to get me excited like this. But this year, the new sound alongside the much improved noise cancellation is what’s taking them to the next level.

4:24 There’s the passive isolation from the rubber tips, that’s nothing special. Every good fitting pair of earbuds can do this. But then the adjustable strength active noise cancellation at maximum strength is really strong. There’s actually five levels of ANC in the settings here from Samsung. I’m honestly not sure why you need five levels and I’m not hearing a ton of difference between them. Maybe they should just be low and high, but I just leave it all the way up all the time and it’s easily as strong as AirPods Pro. I actually think a bit stronger.

4:55 So, people are going to be able to fly in these no problem. It’s at the level of background noise cancellation that I feel like it gets super quiet. I can hear I’m hearing new things that I didn’t hear in my music before. Like, it’s that level of good. There’s also five levels of ambient mode, which is also really good. Again, probably just need low and high, but I can hear the difference between these when I slide it. And at max level, I think it’s just shy of AirPods transparency mode, which is to say really, really good and way better than most other earbuds out there, regardless of price. Sounds are natural. I can hear my own voice really well and also the people talking to me.

5:27 And then there’s also this optional feature where if you’re in noise cancellation mode, and the microphones pick up a siren or like an emergency vehicle sound, it will automatically switch to ambient mode so you can hear it. So, if you’re a cyclist or a pedestrian or something like that, you’ll always hear that very important sound. And it can also automatically switch to ambient when you start talking. So, if you need to have a conversation real quick, it lets you hear the person you’re talking to without taking out your earbuds or squeezing the stem. You can have that back and forth chat.

5:54 And then, like 5-10 seconds after you finish talking, it automatically switches back to noise cancellation mode. Seems to be pretty ideal for like that airplane situation where you’re just listening to music and then the flight attendant comes with the snacks and you have to talk, but you, you know, I’m a little awkward. I kind of always by default take my earbuds out, but if you want to leave them in and just start talking, now you can.

6:14 Battery life is rated at 6 hours with ANC on, seven with it off. Right around the industry standard, aka longer than I’d ever want to wear earbuds in a row. Anyway, in case you’re wondering, this is what the built-in microphones sound like over Bluetooth, cuz I’m using the built-in voice recorder app to use the Bluetooth mic for this. It’s nothing special. I feel like a lot of them end up sounding pretty close to the same to me, but this is what the six mics, which is the same as last gen, will sound like to the person you’re on the phone with.

6:44 Just to keep the theme going though, these buds can switch between Samsung devices instantly, the same exact way that AirPods would switch between Apple devices. They also do 360-degree head-tracking spatial audio like AirPods. They also do nod your head to accept the call or shake your head to reject gesture like AirPods. They also have in-ear ear detection so you can automatically play pause media just like AirPods. They also have a find my feature so you can find them on a map just like AirPods. They also have a live translate feature just like AirPods.

7:18 But unlike AirPods, they also have a gaming mode to minimize audio delay. It’s in the lab settings, but that’s pretty sweet. Also unlike AirPods, they have this full nine-band equalizer with presets and massive customization over dialing in your sound. And also unlike AirPods, they come in multiple colors. Three to be exact, which is two more than the AirPods come in. So, as far as I’m concerned, that’s a leg up.

7:39 Now, I kind of already explained this at the beginning. Most people aren’t actually cross-shopping AirPods and Galaxy Buds to pair to their iPhone. But what if you are? Well, in case you’re wondering, I’ve already done the work for you and done it. I’ve paired these Galaxy Buds to my iPhone, and they do connect and work just like regular Bluetooth earbuds, just without any of the customization from Samsung’s app. So, the multiband EQ is gone. Some of the more advanced customization stuff is gone, but the stem still works.

8:07 You can still hold down to switch to ANC mode, and then hold down to switch back to ambient mode. And then you can still swipe up and down, press play, pause, changes the volume. All that still works. Basically, the only reason these couldn’t become the new go-to earbuds for the iPhone tomorrow is because Apple would never let that happen. They’re never going to give the same level of control in the iPhone that the AirPods get. The same way they don’t let Garmin watches have the same level of integration with the phone as the Apple Watch. So, if you’re mad at that, just blame Apple.

8:36 But if you are on an Android phone, I think as of right now, these are the ones to beat. My favorite wireless earbuds 2026. Sneaky winners. Either way, thanks for watching. Catch you in the next one. Peace.