Galaxy Buds 4 and Buds 4 Pro get a first mention in a software leak

Samsung last released new earbuds over a year ago, with the premiere of the Galaxy Buds 3 and Galaxy Buds Pro 3. Earlier this summer, we saw rumors that the Galaxy Buds 4 could arrive alongside the Galaxy S26 series, but not much more, until now.

Galaxy Buds 4 and Buds 4 Pro appear in One UI 8.5 code

We’ve already seen proof that Samsung is working on One UI 8.5 and even some early images of its interface. Some people have apparently been digging deeper into the code of the leaked release and have unearthed the first reference to Galaxy Buds 4 and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, which was reported by Android Authority.



The leaked code doesn’t only reveal that the products, or at least a plan for making them, exist. It also contains the likely model numbers for both pairs of earbuds. They may be the following:

• Galaxy Buds 4 – SM-R540
• Galaxy Buds 4 Pro – SM-R640

The reason those numbers are almost certainly authentic is that they fit well into the model numbers of the Galaxy Buds 3. They had a number SM-R530, while SM-630 was the number of the Buds 3 Pro.

Samsung has to respond to Apple

While the release cycle of earbuds is not as short as that of smartphones, Samsung has a good excuse to release new models. Apple has just released the AirPods Pro 3, which feature heart rate sensors and a live translation feature. According to early reviews, they are Apple’s best earbuds with vastly improved noise-cancelling and a better fit.



Samsung is likely to respond by bringing more Galaxy AI features to its new earbuds and improving the translation capabilities already on the Galaxy Buds 3. However, all that’s just speculation as Samsung hasn’t shared any official information.

A January premiere makes sense

Virtually everyone who has earbuds uses them with their phones, so announcing the Galaxy Buds 4 alongside the Galaxy S26 makes sense. I’d be much more excited if Samsung improves the audio quality, noise cancellation, and battery life than by any AI-powered feature, but I’ll have to wait before seeing if the company goes beyond the trend.

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