'Some of my least favorite headphones to test': I used the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 for a month, and one issue makes them very hard to recommend

Date:
Mon, 23 Mar 2026 14:30:00 +0000

Description:
Samsung's mid-ranged earbuds aim to offer an alternative affordable option to the brand's top-priced Buds, but they're not a worthy substitute.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Samsung Galaxy Buds 4: Two-minute review When I sat down and first started listening to the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4, sitting at my desk at home, I was mildly
pleased with their audio performance. But when I started using them out and about in the world, not in my cosy chair, these quickly became some of my least favorite headphones to test in recent months. Some of the best earbuds around for the cash-savvy buyer? Sadly, no.

Thats a surprise; I gave the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro an almost-perfect review score, and expected these affordable alternatives to fare just as
well. But I have been loathe to use them during the testing period, for one simple reason. These earbuds just wouldnt stay in my ears. When I was sitting still at home, theyd more or less work fine although theyd often slip from their default position so the drivers were further from my ears than they should be. If this was the entirety of my testing, Id give them a perfectly fine review, but lifes not just about sitting still.

When I went on walks with the buds, theyd slip constantly, and Id have to readjust them several times each minute to push them back in. I like to walk, and went on multiple hour-long rambles during the testing time. Imagine how long I had my hands in my ears, fidgeting and fixing slippage.

They also fared incredibly poorly on public transport (too shaky), when I was in bed (too angled) and even sometimes when Id rotated my swivelling office chair. I didn't dare take them to the gym or on a run.

Even if the things werent flung from my ears multiple times per song, they have a truly awful battery life; with ANC and other features turned on, Id
get about three hours per charge. And that's before I even mention the meagre ANC performance because of the poor fit, the active noise cancellation algorithm here has absolutely zero chance of stopping you hearing the sounds around you.

There are some elements of the Galaxy Buds 4 that you might like: they offer really high-quality music, and do look classy. And if youre lucky enough to have ears like vices, you might not have the same fit issues I did but Ive never had issues quite like this in other similar buds, and know Samsungs earbuds have a reputation for poor fit, so I really dont think its a me problem. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

A quick Google search shows that users had the same issue with the Buds 3. It's easy to find reports of them slipping out of the ears, so it's clear
that this is a recurring issue which the company hasn't fixed. I try to avoid reading coverage of products I'm testing, but I've already seen reports of Buds 4 users having the same issue.

If youve got the money and a Samsung phone, the easier fix is to splash out a little more on the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, with their ear-tips offering a more secure fit (though not a perfect one). But honestly, there are countless
great wireless earbuds for this much or less, that wont jump from your ear at every opportunity. Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 at very.co.uk for 159 Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 review: Price and release date (Image credit: Future) Announced in February 2026, released March Sells for $179 / 159 / AU$299 No price change from past models The Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 were announced at Galaxy Unpacked on February 25, and have been available to buy from March 11, just like the Pro model and the Samsung Galaxy S26 series.

The retail price of the buds is $179 / 159 / AU$299, which is a mid-range price for earbuds like these, though they seem affordable when compared to
the $249 / 219 / AU$399 Buds 4 Pro. Theres been no price hike over the Galaxy Buds 3, which is always good to see.

I know what youre wondering: how does that compare to Apple ?. The AirPods 4 with ANC cost $179 / 179 / AU$299, a very similar price point: the same in
the US and Australia, but pricier in the UK. But if you dont need ANC, the standard AirPods 4 cost $129 / 129 / AU$219, so theyre cheaper. Samsung
Galaxy Buds 4 review: Specs Swipe to scroll horizontally

Drivers

11mm woofer

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Battery life (ANC off)

6 hours buds, 30 hours case

Weight

4.6g buds, 45.1g case

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.1

Frequency response

Not specified

Waterproofing

IP54 Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 review: Features (Image credit: Future) Buds last about 3 hours per charge ANC has limited effectiveness Range of handy
features The Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 technically do have noise cancellation,
but due to their open-fit design (think Apple EarPods), they dont plug up
your ear to stop outside noise leaking in. So practically, they reduce very little noise. I could notice some noise cancellation when turning the feature off and on, but only a marginal amount.

Sometimes when I had the buds in but wasn't listening to music, I could hear them try to compensate for loud noises by pumping out what sounded like white noise. Not only did it fail to stop the background noise, it added a little extra layer of annoyance. Dont buy these if you need good ANC.

Dont buy them if you need a long-lasting battery either; their play time is abysmal. With ANC turned off youre only looking at 6 hours of listening; Samsungs official figure puts ANC-on listening at five hours but in my own testing, with features like SSC (Samsung Seamless Codec) turned on, I was barely scraping three.

You can get about five recharges from the case, which isnt amazing, but didnt affect me too much during my testing weeks. Just remember to plug them in regularly. (Image credit: Future) But now we can move onto the other
features, and theres a lot more to like there. The buds support Bluetooth
6.1, with support for codecs like SSC, AAC, SBC and LC3 (no LDAC). I had a
few Bluetooth dropouts during my time with the buds, but not so many that it couldnt have been environmental.

The buds offer a range of tools like call sharpening profiles, spatial audio with head tracking, a nine-band equalizer with presets, volume normalization, adaptive sound to cater for how you wear your earbuds (i.e., at what stage of falling out theyre at) and so on. You can even use the buds to tap into
nearby audio broadcasts.

The only major omission is multipoint connection, but thats not even a
feature Id consider mandatory in earbuds. Theres also no listening test, like in the Pro, but I didnt find it wholly useful in those buds so again, no (further) marks docked. Features score: 3.5/5 Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 review: Design (Image credit: Future) Swanky 'Blade' look Charging case is small and light Buds aren't designed for sticking in ear Ive got to say, I really like the Samsung Galaxy Bud 4s charging case. Its a lightweight, see-through
square box, that the buds easily slot into. It weighs just 45.1g and measures 51 x 51 x 28.3mm, and really disappeared into my pocket.

The buds themselves look pretty good too, with their refined Blade designed from the Buds 3 stripping out the lights and much of the fuss. The polished silver metal band on the white buds I tested looks great, but theres also a black model you can pick up.

Unfortunately, thats basically all I can praise about the Buds 4s design, because for the three weeks I tested the buds, their build was the bane of my existence. (Image credit: Future) Ive already spent much of the introduction to this article moaning about the Galaxy Buds 4s fit, but in case you skipped that: these things just dont stay still in your ears. If theyre not outright falling out, theyre moving around so that the drivers are pointing any which way, making music sound worse.

This'll no doubt be worst for people with big ears, but a few design
decisions ensure that they won't be a good fit for anyone. The lack of a tip means you cant just wedge the Buds 4 in your ears and hope for the best, and the material of the body is so smooth and friction-free that it fails to keep them anchored in ears.

It feels like the weighting of the buds is wrong too, so their own heft
causes them to list and then fall from the ears. Theyre not heavy, at just 4. 6g , but the amount of ear-pirouettes they managed suggests the center of gravity is off in some way.

On the Buds 4s stem, theres a touch control: swipe up or down for volume, or pinch to play and pause your music. I quickly discovered that swiping was
just another way for me to fling the buds out of my ears, but pinching is great: a light click lets you know that your demand was registered. Design score: 2.5/5 Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 review: Sound quality (Image credit: Future) Single driver per bud High-quality streamed music Detailed sound The Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 have a single driver per ear; its one of the big downgrades from the Pro, with the bass-focused woofer absent. Its a shame, because extra bass oomph is needed: it might go some way in mitigating how quickly you lose it when the earbuds start to slip

Generally speaking, and when youre sitting still with the Buds 4 angled perfectly, they sound about as good as youd expect for the price. Theyre bright and detailed; the acoustic guitars in Only the Good Die Young by Billy Joel sparkle and the keys in the piano introduction to Tiny Dancer by Elton John had just as much personality as the rocket mans own voice did.

The lack of a dedicated woofer hurts, when comparing these to the Buds 4 Pro. Bass isnt as scooping and defined as Id like, instead sounding muddy indistinct. If you listen to Phosphorscents Cest La Vie No.2 by
Phosphorescent or The Rocketeer by Foxy Shazam, the bass just melts into the band and loses its edge. (Image credit: Future) Detail and quality really is the name of the game here, as for all their strengths and weaknesses, youre hearing it all at least, if youre using a Samsung phone, which allows for the SSC-UHQ codec. This allows for 24-bit/96kHz transmission, and makes an
audible difference over listening on other devices.

So the Galaxy Buds 4 arent the best earbuds Ive tested, even at the price,
but theyre decent. But remember everything I said about the fit? Yeah
between the slow slipping and leaking background sound, I very rarely got the best from the buds. When I used them while walking, or on public transport, the bass vanished pretty quickly and often the mids were drowned out by
noise, leaving only some hi-hats and vocals to enjoy.

The buds have a fairly high max volume, but I noticed something odd: the bass would audibly drop from the mix as I got near the top. Every time I pressed volume up from five steps off max, every instrument would get louder, except for the bass which would step back. It meant two or three presses of my
volume keys would result in a drastically different sound mix, and it was
much tinnier-sounding at the top than Id expect. Sound quality: 4/5 Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 review: Value (Image credit: Future) Mid-range price for buds Other options get you more for your money The Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 arent cheap, and honestly, youre within your rights to expect a little more from your earbuds.

A single driver? A sub-movie-length battery life? A design that doesnt seem well thought out? If these were budget buds Id understand, but $179 / 159 / AU$299 is far from cheap in the varied world of wireless earbuds.

There are other similar-priced options out there which offer you a lot more for your money, or give a similar package to the Buds 4 but at a fraction of the cost. Value: 3/5 Should I buy the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4? (Image credit: Future) Swipe to scroll horizontally Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 score card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

The ANC struggles and the battery life is woeful, but a few other features claw back points.

3.5/5

Design

They're not designed to stick in your ear, even if they look good.

2.5/5

Sound quality

The Buds 4 offer high-quality music with a bright, detailed sound.

4/5

Value

They're not expensive per se, but you can get a lot more for your money.

3/5 Buy them if You need office work buds If you're going to be listening to these while sitting still at a desk, some of their biggest issues won't
affect you. You own a Samsung phone The SSC-UHQ codec is really something else, but it's only available for owners of modern Samsung smartphones. You need a wireless charging case Wireless charging still isn't commonplace in earbud cases, but the Buds 4 offer this convenient feature. Dont buy them if You need long-lasting buds Few earbuds I've tested have a worse battery life than the Buds 4. Not for travellers, or those who like a long listening
stint. You need exercise buds I won't beat this dead horse any longer, but these buds just don't survive if your head is moving: bobbing as you walk or reclining at the gym. Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 review: Also consider Swipe to scroll horizontally Header Cell - Column 0

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4

Apple AirPods 4 with ANC

Status Audio Pro X

Drivers

11mm

'Custom high-excursion' Apple driver

12mm

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Yes

No

Battery life (ANC on)

6 hours (buds) 30 hours (case)

5 hours (buds) 20 hours (case)

7 hours (buds) 25 hours (case)

Weight

4.6g (buds) 45.1g (case)

4.3g (buds) 32.3g (case)

4.5g (buds) 50g (case)

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.1

Bluetooth 5.3

Bluetooth 5.3

Waterproofing

IP54

IP57

IP54 AirPods 4 with ANC The natural competitor, these earbuds come at a similar price and with a comparable feature set, though you need an iPhone to be able to use them. Read our full AirPods 4 with ANC review Denon AH-C500W Want tip-less earbuds for a lot less, and from a Samsung sub-brand? These Denon models fit me much better, though they don't quite sound as good and offer a thinner list of features. Read our full Denon Ah-C500W How I tested the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Tested for a month Tested at home, on walks and on public transport I tested the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 immediately after the Pro model, so they were a natural comparison. I used them paired to a Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra phone for the duration of the testing process, and listened to audio on Spotify, internal storage, various streaming services and games.

The test process for the buds was around three weeks, though I used them occasionally for a week prior when I received them at the same time as the Pro.

I've been reviewing gadgets at TechRadar for about 8 years now, including plenty of earbuds and Samsung gadgets (including the Buds 3 Pro too). First reviewed in March 2026 Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee Samsung Galaxy Buds 4: Price Comparison 159 View 159 View 159 View 159 View 159 View Show more We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices powered by



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/audio/wireless-headphones/samsung-galaxy-buds-4-revi ew


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