Sometimes we look at a product and wonder whether this is the peak of the product and design team’s performance as they seem to have ticked all the boxes, dotted the i’s and crossed the T’s. And then Samsung casually unveiled the Buds4 Pro.

Over the years, the earbuds market is saturated with similar-looking, bean-inspired designs apart from Samsung and Apple who stood out due to their design choices. Apple’s AirPods with the protruding stem while last year, Samsung’s Buds3 Pro received an all-round praise for their angled stem approach, with color-coded lines to denote which side of the ear they go in to.

So today we are taking a closer look at the recently-released Samsung Galaxy Buds4 Pro which aims to surpass the brilliant Buds3 Pro and perhaps, even all of its competitors in the market. We identify four major talking points on what separates the Buds4 Pro from its predecessor and how it holds itself up as our designated, daily use Bluetooth earbuds.

1. Enhanced “Blade” Design and Improved Comfort

To our dismay, Samsung has moved away from the “notification lights” of the previous generation in favor of a more ‘premium’, stabilized blade design with a matte metal finish. While minimalist look this may appeal to many, we still prefer the visual cues (red and blue strips) on the Buds3 Pro. Fit-wise, the Buds4 Pro fits really well thanks to the ergonomics which were developed using simulations from over 100 million global ear data points, resulting in a more secure and comfortable canal-fit.  However, for additional comfort and to address the wide range of ear canal sizes, Samsung also included several pairs of extra rubber nubs of different sizes. We highly recommend that you go through a proper fitting process during setup.

2. Dual-Amplified Hi-Fi Sound

On the sound quality side of things, the Buds4 Pro excels with a sophisticated two-way speaker system consisting of an 11mm woofer and a 5.5mm planar tweeter for crisp highs. Crucially, each driver now has its own dedicated amplifier, minimizing interference and allows for high-fidelity 24-bit/96kHz audio when paired with a compatible Galaxy device. The sound bleed is also kept to a minimal as we barely hear anything when seated to our colleague who was blasting Taylor Swift’s Fate of Ophelia. Safe to say save for the most critical audiophiles out there, this should be sufficient for the general populace. 

3. Adaptive Noise Control 2.0

The Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) has been upgraded with more intelligent environmental awareness. Using Adaptive Noise Control, which can be toggled by pinching the blade portions, the earbuds automatically adjust the level of cancellation or passthrough based on the surroundings—such as instantly switching to Ambient mode if it detects a siren or a conversation, then returning to full ANC once the environment quiets down. We tested the Buds4 Pro’s ANC capabilities in an environment where ANC is most appreciated – during a long-haul flight – and we have to hold our hands up to Samsung. The screaming toddler from seat 16K was suddenly downgraded from source of nuisance to mild-to-low irritation. Genuinely impressed. 

4. Hands-Free Voice and Gesture Controls

A standout convenience feature is the inclusion of no-wake-word voice commands. Users can control playback or adjust volume simply by saying “Volume Up” or “Stop Music” without having need to touch the buds. Like previous models, the Buds4 Pro also supports head gestures, requiring you to just nod to answer a call or shake your head to reject one, which is particularly useful when your hands are full. The song automatically stops playing when you remove the buds from your ears and this is again, a severely under-appreciated convenience feature. 

However if you prefer tactile navigation, users can easily Stop/Play, adjust volume and skip tracks with pinching and swipe gestures.

On top of the features discussed above, the battery life for the Buds4 Pro is also worth noting, with a single full charge allowing up to seven hours (six with ANC on) of use. Once the charging case is factored in, there is up to 30 hours of use for the Buds4 Pro. The case supports Qi wireless charging as well and charges relatively quickly with wired USB-C charging.

Leveraging Galaxy AI and Samsung Galaxy phones running on One UI 8.0 or higher, the Buds4 Pro can act as a personal translator via Galaxy AI’s Listening and Conversation modes. Speaking of conversation, phone and video calls taken and done using the Buds4 Pro were clear and crisp with very little to no distortion.

Bundled Up Buds

In all, the Samsung Galaxy Buds4 Pro is a worthy upgrade to last year’s already impressive offering and more. It improves on all aspects save for the design which is a subjective matter. Yes. We still prefer last year’s look. Bluetooth earbuds are plenty in the market yet Samsung’s can rest easy as the Buds4 Pro by far sits among the leaders in its category.

Final Score: 90/100

Retailing at RM999.00, the Samsung Buds4 Pro is available in two general release colors -white and black – while a third, online exclusive Pink Gold is available for those who purchase their set via the Samsung official online store .

A review unit of the Samsung Buds4 Pro was provided to us courtesy of Samsung Malaysia.