96
Tom's GuideT2★ Editors' ChoiceMar 3, 2026
“Thanks to the warm, bass-heavy sound signature and supreme comfort, these $179 earbuds can easily go head-to-head with the big guns like AirPods 4 ANC.”
By Erin Bashford · Rated 4.5/5Full review
Headphones
Samsung Galaxy Buds4
Samsung · From $179
Release date Mar 11, 2026
72
Worth a Look
Based on 10 Critic Reviews
6 with a published score, 4 scored from text · How it works
Latest review Jul 4, 2026
1 Rave5 Positive1 Favorable1 Mixed2 Negative
Critics' Take
Critics praise the warm, bass-heavy sound, the refreshed blade design and the Galaxy ecosystem features, and Tom's Guide says they beat the AirPods 4 with ANC on sound. The open, unsealed fit is the main problem: TechRadar, SoundGuys and Expert Reviews found them unstable in the ear, which also weakens noise cancelling. Several reviewers point buyers to the Buds4 Pro instead.
What critics loved
- Rich, bass-forward sound
- Refreshed metal-look blade design
- Head gestures and Galaxy AI features
- Good value against AirPods 4 ANC
Common gripes
- Open fit does not stay put for many people
- Weak noise cancelling
- Battery of about 5 to 6 hours per charge
- Best features need a Samsung phone
- IP54 rating is a step down from the Buds3
Critic Scorecard
10 reviewsSort:
Weighted by outlet tier:T1100%T275%T340%T420%
82
Pokde.NetT4Mar 31, 2026
“The Samsung Galaxy Buds4 are an impressive entry-level option that outperform Apple’s AirPods 4 ANC in nearly every way.”
By Aiman Maulana · Rated 7.6/10Full review
79
EngadgetT1Mar 6, 2026
“The Galaxy Buds 4 offer good sound and the benefits of an open fit, but the ANC needs work.”
Joint review of Buds 4 and Buds 4 Pro; the Expert Score of 79 is for the standard Buds 4 (Pro scored 86).
By Billy Steele · Rated 79/100Full review
79
SammyGuruT4Apr 20, 2026
“The Galaxy Buds 4 feel like a more thoughtful take on Samsung’s open earbuds.”
By David Buliga · Unrated, scored from textFull review
78
Console CreaturesT4May 7, 2026
“Overall, the Galaxy Buds 4 are great earbuds, but I can’t use them when sitting or walking slowly.”
Rating taken from the page's structured review data.
By Matt Sowinski · Rated 7/10Full review
76
NotebookcheckT3Jul 4, 2026
“The Galaxy Buds4 stand out as straightforward all-arounders with a comfortable fit and solid sound tuning, though they clearly lag behind the Pro model in terms of ANC and sound detail.”
Joint review of Buds4 and Buds4 Pro; no numeric score published.
By Daniel Schmidt · Unrated, scored from textFull review
Show 4 more reviews ▾Show fewer ▴
73
CGMagazineT4Apr 11, 2026
“The Samsung Galaxy Buds4 are a good pair of earbuds that fall just short of being great.”
Page shows Review Score 7.5 with no stated scale, so no rating is recorded.
By Dayna Eileen · Unrated, scored from textFull review
55
TechRadarT2Mar 23, 2026
“Despite sounding and looking pretty good, the buds don't stay in the ear well, so they perform poorly even in everyday use cases.”
By Tom Bedford · Rated 3/5Full review
54
SoundGuysT3Mar 13, 2026
“The unsealed design means fit is unreliable for many people, and without a stable fit, both sound quality and ANC suffer.”
By Adam Birney · Rated 6.2/10Full review
41
Expert ReviewsT3May 6, 2026
“Unless you’re dead set on semi-open Samsung earbuds, steer clear of the Buds4 and check out the Buds4 Pro instead”
Page structured data shows a rating of 3 with no stated scale, so no rating is recorded.
By Andy White · Unrated, scored from textFull review
76
NotebookcheckT3Jul 4, 2026
“The Galaxy Buds4 stand out as straightforward all-arounders with a comfortable fit and solid sound tuning, though they clearly lag behind the Pro model in terms of ANC and sound detail.”
Joint review of Buds4 and Buds4 Pro; no numeric score published.
By Daniel Schmidt · Unrated, scored from textFull review
78
Console CreaturesT4May 7, 2026
“Overall, the Galaxy Buds 4 are great earbuds, but I can’t use them when sitting or walking slowly.”
Rating taken from the page's structured review data.
By Matt Sowinski · Rated 7/10Full review
41
Expert ReviewsT3May 6, 2026
“Unless you’re dead set on semi-open Samsung earbuds, steer clear of the Buds4 and check out the Buds4 Pro instead”
Page structured data shows a rating of 3 with no stated scale, so no rating is recorded.
By Andy White · Unrated, scored from textFull review
79
SammyGuruT4Apr 20, 2026
“The Galaxy Buds 4 feel like a more thoughtful take on Samsung’s open earbuds.”
By David Buliga · Unrated, scored from textFull review
73
CGMagazineT4Apr 11, 2026
“The Samsung Galaxy Buds4 are a good pair of earbuds that fall just short of being great.”
Page shows Review Score 7.5 with no stated scale, so no rating is recorded.
By Dayna Eileen · Unrated, scored from textFull review
82
Pokde.NetT4Mar 31, 2026
“The Samsung Galaxy Buds4 are an impressive entry-level option that outperform Apple’s AirPods 4 ANC in nearly every way.”
By Aiman Maulana · Rated 7.6/10Full review
Show 4 more reviews ▾Show fewer ▴
55
TechRadarT2Mar 23, 2026
“Despite sounding and looking pretty good, the buds don't stay in the ear well, so they perform poorly even in everyday use cases.”
By Tom Bedford · Rated 3/5Full review
54
SoundGuysT3Mar 13, 2026
“The unsealed design means fit is unreliable for many people, and without a stable fit, both sound quality and ANC suffer.”
By Adam Birney · Rated 6.2/10Full review
79
EngadgetT1Mar 6, 2026
“The Galaxy Buds 4 offer good sound and the benefits of an open fit, but the ANC needs work.”
Joint review of Buds 4 and Buds 4 Pro; the Expert Score of 79 is for the standard Buds 4 (Pro scored 86).
By Billy Steele · Rated 79/100Full review
96
Tom's GuideT2★ Editors' ChoiceMar 3, 2026
“Thanks to the warm, bass-heavy sound signature and supreme comfort, these $179 earbuds can easily go head-to-head with the big guns like AirPods 4 ANC.”
By Erin Bashford · Rated 4.5/5Full review
Quick Facts
- Type
- Open (unsealed) true wireless earbuds
- Noise cancelling
- Adaptive ANC (no silicone tips)
- Battery life
- 6 hours buds (5 with ANC), 30 hours with case
- Bluetooth
- 6.1
- Codecs
- SSC-UHQ, SSC, AAC, SBC, LC3
- Durability
- IP54 (earbuds only)
- Colors
- Black, White
- Price
- $179