Design and feature-wise, the Galaxy Buds 4 have never been closer to AirPods. Samsung is not going to wait a full year until presenting its new Galaxy Buds. The company announced the Galaxy Buds 4 and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro at its Galaxy S26 Unpacked event where three new phones stole most of the attention. For Samsung’s earbuds, the company has done a full redesign and make improvements to sound quality, active noise cancellation (ANC) and added features. So, as per usual, all the best features of the Galaxy Buds 4 lineup will be reserved for individuals with a recent Samsung phone. While it’s sticking with the AirPods-ish “blade” design, it has completely revamped that aspect to get rid of the angular shape and the gimmicky lights. It’s now a flat, metal panel, and the immediate area permitting pinch controls has been engraved so your fingers hit it perfectly. As for the shape, Samsung says it studied the dataset of hundreds of millions of ear data points and performed more than 10,000 simulations to better fit smaller earbuds. The Galaxy Buds 4 are still an open-fit design and the Pro version features a tip to seal off your ears. As with before, the company retained the transparent lids for the charging cases, though this time around those earbuds sat flat in them instead of standing up. Within the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, Samsung is utilizing a larger woofer as part of its two-driver setup for improved bass. The dedicated tweeter in that configuration, too, should provide natural, rich treble, the company says. The more powerful Galaxy Buds 4 models inherit high quality audio up to 24bit/96kHz (from a compatible Samsung device) as well as direct multi-channel 360 audio. While the Galaxy Buds Pro 4 received most of the ANC upgrades, Samsung claims it enhanced noise-canceling performance on both models. The company claims to block transit sounds — engine noise from buses, trains or planes — effectively, but also “everyday background noise.” Plus, both Galaxy Buds 4 models come with ambient sound mode and adaptive EQ and adaptive ANC that tweak settings automatically while you’re using the earbuds when necessary. The Pro model can also detect the user’s voice and enhance ambient sound for conversations — a holdover from the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. When you stop speaking, ANC will automatically reactivate through the earbuds. The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro also offer a Siren Detect feature that turns on ambient sound so you can hear safety alerts such as alarms or emergency vehicles. The new thing that brings the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro even closer to the AirPods Pro 3 is head gestures. Samsung will now also allow users to manage calls and interact with Bixby with head knods side to side. As before, the Galaxy Buds are a conduit to Bixby but also act as a gateway to Gemini and Perplexity — all accessible hands-free via voice controls. The Galaxy Buds 4 ($180), and the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro ($250) are now available for pre-order, with shelves set to get them on March 11. Both models will come in black and white, plus there’s a pink gold option on the Pro (though that third color is a Samsung online exclusive.) Samsung is launching its newest flagship phones — Galaxy S26 Ultra, the Galaxy S26+ and Galaxy S26 — as well as new Galaxy Buds 4 and 4 Pro earbuds at today’s Unpacked event in San Francisco. To catch up on all of the big Galaxy news, read everything announced at Samsung Unpacked here and follow along with our commentary in real time during the event on the Samsung Unpacked 2026 liveblog (or catch a replay of video just below).