Samsung’s surprise Unpacked reveal wasn’t a Galaxy phone at all – major new Buds upgrade incoming

When you think of the best earbuds, or certainly the most popular, a lot of people will say it's Apple's AirPods. But then not everyone is aligned with this ecosystem.

For the best Android phone users, things are a little different, with bundles of choice. Samsung makes a strong case as Android's high-end equivalent, though, with its Galaxy Buds range well respected.

• READ: Galaxy Buds 4 Pro review – early verdict

Now, as part of its Unpacked event in late February, the brand has revealed a swish new design for its latest earbuds upgrade: the Galaxy Buds 4 and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro.

The two earbud offerings both feature a premium metal finish, with protruding 'blade design', but the Buds 4 sit in the larger opening of your ears, while the Buds 4 Pro's canal design sit deeper in your ear canals for improved active noise-cancelling (ANC).

Both models offer ANC, though, it'll just be delivered differently based on the degree of seal that you can achieve. Comfort and preference will be a big factor in purchase incentive for most people, knowing which is a preferred style.

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Battery life is 5 hours with ANC active (and 19 hours extra included in the case), increasing to 6 hours for the Pro model (with 20 hours extra in its case). An IP54 rating is bettered by the Pro's IP57 – meaning far superior water-resistance in the latter.

Samsung's take with the Buds 4 range, however, is that audio quality is paramount. This, the company claims, is the single biggest factor in driving purchase – it's not ANC nor battery life, the Korean brand's research claims.

As such, the Buds 4 range are High-Res Audio compatible, meaning 24-bit files to 96kHz can be catered for, delivering better audio fidelity than your average streaming service – if you have the source material.

Differentiating said sound quality, however, is a more advanced design in the Pro model. Here you'll find a dedicated woofer for bass, separate to the dedicated tweeter for high-end frequency delivers. The base Buds 4, meanwhile, have a single 11mm driver.

Indeed, Samsung is so confident in these new 'buds that it's offering a 'Buy and Try' promotion. If, before 100 days of purchase, you decide that they're not for you then you can return them for a full refund – which comes direct from Samsung. Now that's confidence.

The Galaxy Buds 4 and Buds 4 Pro go on sale from 11 March, in tandem with the new Galaxy S26 models, priced at £159 and £219 respectively (US and wider regional pricing is forthcoming).