[DigitalToday reporter Jinju Hong (홍진주)] Samsung Electronics’ new wireless earphones, the Galaxy Buds4 and Galaxy Buds4 Pro, were assessed as products that have raised overall completeness. Improvements were analyzed as centered on core user experience, including sound quality, fit and connection convenience.

An IT media outlet in Japan, Gigazine, reported on April 11 local time that the two products draw a clear distinction in wearing method and user experience rather than creating a large gap in basic performance. Buds4 is designed as a standard in-ear type, while Buds4 Pro uses an in-canal structure with ear tips, differentiating in how tightly they fit. Buds4 Pro was cited as having strengths in noise isolation and wearing stability through its ear tips.

In exterior design, both models feature a case with a transparent top cover. The structure shows the earbuds inside, aiming for visual differentiation. Charging supports both USB Type-C and wireless charging, and total weight including the case is 54 grams for Buds4 and 55 grams for Buds4 Pro, with little difference.

In real-world use, the most noticeable point is connection speed. Reviewers assessed that, when linked with the latest Galaxy smartphones, a pairing window appears as soon as the case is opened and the response is fast enough that connection is nearly complete by the time they are worn. It also supports a Samsung account-based device switching function, raising convenience by automatically changing the connection target depending on calls or media playback.

Control functions were also refined in detail. Users can further subdivide settings for noise cancelling and ambient sound switching, and the products also include a function to set separately whether to detect voices or sirens. The press-and-hold action can be changed to call an AI assistant or to a translation function, and accepting or rejecting calls can be controlled with gestures such as nodding or shaking the head. Supported languages for voice control are 17 languages including U.S. English, British English, Chinese and Korean.

In the key listening experience, both models showed stable performance. Buds4 was assessed as having little lacking in sound quality and usability despite being the base model, while Buds4 Pro delivered higher immersion thanks to its ear tip-based structure. Noise-cancelling performance is generally at an adequate level, but there was also a view that it could feel somewhat weak to some users.

Battery life, based on using active noise cancelling, is about 6 hours for Buds4 Pro and about 5 hours for Buds4. Including the case, both products can be used for up to 30 hours, which was assessed as sufficient for everyday use. Buds4 Pro comes in white, black and pink gold (official store exclusive), while Buds4 comes in white and black.

There are also differences in specifications. Buds4 Pro supports IP57 water resistance, while Buds4 supports IP54 water resistance. Both models feature Bluetooth 6.1 and built-in microphones.

Overall, the new products were assessed as focusing on raising the completeness of the existing user experience rather than adding new functions. Buds4 is positioned as a well-balanced base model, while Buds4 Pro is positioned as a higher-end model that strengthens fit and immersion, with the feature of more clearly distinguishing consumer choices.