Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro: What the New Design and

Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are not just another incremental update. Unveiled at Galaxy Unpacked in February and shipping on March 11 at around £219 in the UK ($249.99 in the US), they represent the most dramatic design and audio overhaul Samsung has made to its flagship earbuds in years. We have been tracking every detail since the announcement, and here is what the new lollipop design, 24-bit Bluetooth audio, and revamped ANC mean for anyone considering a purchase.

Key Details

• The Lollipop Stem: Why Samsung Changed Direction
• 24-Bit Audio Over Bluetooth: What It Actually Means
• ANC 2.0: Less Pressure, More Silence
• How They Compare to AirPods Pro 3
• Should You Wait for These or Buy Budget Earbuds Now?
• What We Are Looking Forward to Testing

Why the Lollipop Stem Changes Everything

If you have used any previous Galaxy Buds, the Buds4 Pro will look unfamiliar. Samsung has abandoned the rounded, bean-like shape that defined the Galaxy Buds Pro, Buds2 Pro, and Buds3 Pro in favour of a lollipop stem design. Each earbud now features a short, flat stem extending downward from the main body, more reminiscent of Apple’s AirPods Pro than anything Samsung has made before.

This is not Samsung copying Apple for the sake of it. The stem serves a functional purpose. It houses additional microphones for improved call quality and active noise cancellation, and it provides a larger touch-sensitive surface for controls. Tap, double-tap, triple-tap, and slide gestures all feel more precise on the flat stem compared to the curved surface of older models.

At 5.1 grams per earbud, the Buds4 Pro are among the lightest stem-style earbuds on the market. For context, the AirPods Pro 3 weigh 5.3 grams each, and the Sony WF-1000XM5 come in at 5.9 grams. That fraction-of-a-gram difference might not sound like much on paper, but over a four-hour listening session, lighter earbuds cause noticeably less ear fatigue.

24-Bit Audio Over Bluetooth: What It Actually Means

The headline audio feature is 24-bit audio transmission over Bluetooth. Most Bluetooth earbuds, including Samsung’s previous models, max out at 16-bit audio. The jump to 24-bit means a wider dynamic range and finer detail resolution, particularly in quieter passages and complex arrangements where subtle instruments or vocal textures can get lost in compression.

In practical terms, 24-bit audio over Bluetooth will make the biggest difference when you are listening to high-resolution tracks on services like Tidal, Apple Music Lossless, or Amazon Music HD. If you primarily stream Spotify at its standard quality, the improvement will be more subtle, though Samsung’s audio processing should still produce a cleaner signal.

Samsung achieves this through an updated version of its Samsung Seamless Codec (SSC), which supports 24-bit/96 kHz transmission. The codec works best with Samsung Galaxy phones, but the Buds4 Pro also support standard SBC and AAC codecs for compatibility with iPhones and other devices. You will only get the full 24-bit experience when paired with a compatible Samsung device.

ANC 2.0: Less Pressure, More Silence

Active noise cancellation has been a strong suit of Samsung’s flagship buds since the original Galaxy Buds Pro, but a common complaint about the Buds3 Pro was the pressurised, “vacuum” feeling that aggressive ANC can create in the ear canal. Samsung says it has addressed this with ANC 2.0, a redesigned cancellation pipeline that uses on-device processing rather than relying purely on inverse-phase sound.

Instead of generating a single broadband counter-signal, ANC 2.0 targets specific frequency bands more precisely and adapts to the seal of your ear in real time. The result, according to Samsung, is equivalent or better noise reduction with significantly less of that uncomfortable pressure sensation. We will be testing that claim against a busy commute on a London Underground Northern Line carriage as soon as our review unit arrives.

How They Compare to AirPods Pro 3

At around £219, the Galaxy Buds4 Pro undercut Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 at £249 by £30, which makes a direct comparison inevitable. On paper, Samsung wins on raw audio specs (24-bit lossless via SSC versus Apple’s lossy AAC over Bluetooth) and ties on ANC. Apple still wins on ecosystem polish if you are an iPhone user: features like one-tap pairing, Find My, and seamless device handoff only work end-to-end with iOS.

The Buds4 Pro also undercut the AirPods Pro 3 on cross-platform support. They will work fully with Android, Windows, and macOS, while AirPods give iPhone owners a clearly better experience than anyone else. If you switch between phone makers regularly, the Galaxy buds are the more flexible buy.

Should You Wait for These or Buy Budget Earbuds Now?

With the Buds4 Pro shipping on March 11, the wait is barely a week. But at £219, they are firmly in the premium tier. If you are on a tighter budget, there are excellent options available right now for less than half the price.

• Wait for the Buds4 Pro if you own a Samsung Galaxy phone, prioritise top-tier ANC with minimal ear pressure, care about high-resolution audio, or want the latest and best from Samsung. The £219 price is steep but competitive for what you get.
• Buy budget earbuds now if you are not particularly fussy about audio resolution beyond “sounds good,” do not need best-in-class noise cancellation, or simply cannot justify spending £200 on earbuds. Models like the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE, Google Pixel Buds A-Series, and Nothing Ear (a) all deliver excellent value under £85.
• Consider the AirPods Pro 3 if you are an iPhone user. At £249, Apple’s integration, heart rate sensing, Live Translation and spatial audio processing are hard to beat within the Apple ecosystem.

What We Are Looking Forward to Testing

When our review unit arrives, we will be paying close attention to four areas. First, how 24-bit audio actually sounds in real-world listening compared to the AirPods Pro 3 and Sony WF-1000XM5. Second, whether ANC 2.0 truly eliminates the pressure issue without sacrificing noise reduction. Third, how the new stem design holds up for comfort over an eight-hour day. And finally, call quality, which has historically been a weakness for Samsung’s buds compared to Apple’s.

The Galaxy Buds4 Pro feel like Samsung’s most confident swing at the premium earbud crown yet. The lollipop design is a bold departure, the 24-bit audio addresses a genuine gap in the market, and the lighter weight and improved ANC suggest Samsung has listened to user feedback. Whether all of that comes together in practice is what our full review will decide. The Galaxy Buds4 Pro are available for pre-order now and ship on 11 March 2026 at around £219 in the UK.