Samsung’s journey in the premium TWS segment has been quite interesting I think, and a bit of a roller coaster ride. The brand has also played around quite a bit with the core design over the years, trying out various different styles for the buds and the case (remember the kidney bean-shaped Galaxy Buds Live?). The latest Galaxy Buds4 Pro could possibly mark an important milestone in that journey, in my opinion, given how refined they seem overall in terms of key aspects like design, audio and features. Read on to find why I say so.
Table of Contents
Design and build
This time, Samsung has moved back to a square case… a departure from the Galaxy Buds3 Pro. The lid is still translucent, and you can see the buds lying inside. The buds lie flat inside and are easy to remove, unlike the previous ones that were placed vertically in their case and didn’t offer enough grip when pulling out.
The Bud4 Pro feature flat, metal-clad stems and overall, the fit and finish is excellent… shouting premium and pure class. The in-ear design with interchangeable silicone tips helps provide passive isolation, and the lightweight buds are comfortable to wear for long periods without causing fatigue. Samsung does provide replacement ear tips, but the default ones worked well for me and offered a stable fit, passing the head shake test with flying colours. The IP57 rating protects against dust and water, but I think the translucent lid of the case might collect some scratches over time with rough use… though it has held up well in my usage thus far.
Features
Positioned as the flagship TWC contender from Samsung, the Buds4 Pro are packed to the brim with features and top-notch specs. Thankfully, most of them are actually useful and don’t come across as feature spam. The one feature I do miss is multipoint support. While the Galaxy Buds4 Pro can switch between Samsung devices and others that have the Galaxy Wearable app, true multipoint support seems to be missing. Here’s a quick look at the key specs and features on offer.
- Adaptive noise cancellation
- Spatial Audio with head tracking
- Swipe and pinch gestures
- Voice control
- In-ear fit test
- Wireless charging
- Audio codecs supported : AAC, SBC, SSC(Samsung Seamless Codec), SSC-UHQ, LC3
- Bluetooth v6.1
- Weight: 44.3g (case), 5.1g (earbud)
- Case dimensions: 51 x 28.3 x 51mm
- IP57
- Music Play time with ANC: 6 hours, 26 hours with case
- Music Play time without ANC: 7 hours, 30 hours with case
App and connectivity
Pairing is a breeze, and once done, the settings and options for the buds just pop up under the main device settings. When you dive in, you’ll notice easy-to-use options to change ANC levels and sound modes, customise pinch and hold controls, and access advanced features like 360 audio and head gestures. You also get various EQ options to tune the sound quality as per your preferences, and run an earbud fit test to make sure you’re getting the best audio and ANC experience.
Samsung is big on ecosystem, so it doesn’t come as a surprise that it has restricted some features to its own devices. Exclusive to Samsung smartphone users are features like Ultra high quality (UHQ) audio, which is why getting these buds makes a lot of sense if you’re already in the Samsung ecosystem.
Audio, performance and battery life
What about audio quality, though? In one word, it’s fantastic. The Buds4 Pro show a mature, polished approach with all types of audio and across different genres, delivering balanced performance. The “super-wide woofer” and 5mm planar tweeter contribute towards sound that’s acoustically pleasant. The bass is punchy without feeling overpowering, the vocals are sharp, and the instrument separation is a strong suit as well. I can say without a doubt that the Galaxy Buds4 Pro are Samsung’s strongest contender in the premium TWS space yet in terms of pure audio quality, right up there with the best of them.
The same, however, can’t be said for ANC. The ANC performance might not be the best, but it’s still very good and does a great job of muffling ambient sounds. It doesn’t completely drown out everything, but can block everyday noise to leave you engulfed in your music/movie/podcast, whatever you’re listening to at the time. Call quality is fine as well, and so is battery life. Speaking of, battery life could be better overall, especially when compared with the claims made by close rivals, but it’s not something to be concerned about. Other than that, the pinch controls work well, and so does 360 audio.
Verdict
Polished. That’s the word that comes to mind while describing the Galaxy Buds4 Pro. Polished in terms of design, and polished in terms of audio quality. Everything else is mere hygiene, and the Buds4 Pro deliver where it matters. Priced at Rs 22,999, these buds are available in black or white, and there’s a pink gold option available exclusively on the Samsung store. Rivals from the likes of Sony, Sennheiser, JBL, etc phave their own pros and cons, but the main thing boils down to this — if you have a Samsung phone, the Galaxy Buds4 Pro made a strong case for themselves, and the ecosystem benefits are just too strong to ignore.
Editor’s rating: 8.5 / 10
Pros:
- Superb audio quality
- Good ANC performance
- Premium design
- Loaded with features
Cons:
- Some features restricted to Samsung users
- No multipoint support
