Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro vs AirPods Pro 3: the next generation of fit and comfort

Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 came out a few months ago with subtle but meaningful improvements in their design, and big improvements to their ANC.

Now, it’s Samsung’s turn to respond. The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro aim hard for that “AirPods Pro” killer vibe. Or the go-to Android alternative.

New design, improved fit, and improved sound. Do we have a winner here?

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Grab the Galaxy Buds 4 at Samsung

$179 ⁹⁹

The standard Galaxy Buds 4 have just been announced. The earbuds come with an improved design and better audio quality, making them a great pick for many. Pre-order yours at Samsung.com.

Pre-order at Samsung

Pre-order the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro at Samsung

$249 ⁹⁹

If you're looking for Pro-grade Samsung and a super-comfortable design, the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are the ones for you. The earbuds stand out with ANC performance and Galaxy AI features. The best part? You can now pre-order a pair at the Samsung Store.

Pre-order at Samsung

AirPods Pro 3 at Amazon for 16% off

$40 off (16%)

Apple's new and most impressive earbuds yet are here. Right now, you can now buy the high-end AirPods Pro 3 with advanced ANC and new, impressive features at Amazon for 16% off.

Buy at Amazon

Galaxy Buds 4 Pro vs AirPods Pro 3 design

The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro continue using the stemmed design — some users still miss the stemless Buds 2 model, but it seems like Samsung isn’t going back.

However, it is significantly improved since the Buds 3 Pro model. The new Buds 4 Pro look less like AirPods-if-you-squint and more like a refined, elegant product. The brushed metal plate on the stems helps, but they are also more compact.

More importantly, Samsung used more than 100 million ear scan data points for the new design to achieve a better fit for as many users as possible. And I have to say it — I’ve been wearing them for a few hours now and they feel pretty well locked-in, without adding fatigue or pain.

The same can be said for the AirPods Pro 3 — I loved the redesign and how well it fit and locked into my ears. This is coming from someone who often has earbuds falling off or not achieving proper seal… or causing pain.

So, A+ to both makers here!

The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro case has also been redesigned to lie horizontally instead of being a vertical insert. It has a slightly smaller footprint than before, though it is a little thicker. The transparent flap is a nice touch, too.

The AirPods Pro 3 case is a pretty familiar shape and size. Slightly thinner than the Buds 4 Pro case, slightly wider. Both will fit jeans pockets for sure.

Apple puts a speaker on the AirPods case to make it easier to find them if they are under a pile of clothes. The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro don’t have one of these, but Samsung does have its Find My alternative — SmartThings Find.

For durability, the Buds 4 Pro have IP57 rating. The AirPods Pro 3 one-ups them with IP57 on the buds and on the case.

Galaxy Buds 4 Pro vs AirPods Pro 3 Sound and ANC

Samsung updated its dual-driver system with a slightly larger bass driver. The tweeter has shrunk a little bit, but that’s not a huge issue about highs if the acoustics have been managed well.

And yes, the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro sound better than their predecessor. Slight bass boost, but not mushy. And a sweeter presence.

The AirPods Pro 3 also have a V-shaped EQ curve and sound similar. I’d say Apple’s signature is a bit more present in the highs and has a bit deeper bass.

In general, their default sounds are very good. And here’s the key — you can’t move away from the default on the AirPods Pro 3. The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro offer a custom 8-band eq that you can adjust to taste, which is a win every time, even if they sound great out of the box.

The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro come with a new Adaptive ANC 2.0, which actively monitors ambient noise and chooses which frequencies to attack instead of relying on pre-set profiles. The AirPods Pro 3 does the same.

Needless to say, these buds make the outside world super-silent. While more testing is required, my initial impressions are that the ANC on the Buds 4 Pro is just as good.

Both Samsung and Apple have adaptive EQ algorithms that actively adjust the response based on how you are wearing the buds, and your unique ear canal.

If you pair the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro to a Samsung phone, you will get to enjoy the Samsung Seamless Codec, for a 24-bit, 96 kHz sound quality. Apple also utilizes its own proprietary codecs on top of AAC to deliver both lossless audio and clearer voice calling.

Voice calls

The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro will use dual-band Bluetooth for voice calls when paired to a Samsung phone. This should clear up your voice much more, as Samsung boasts a frequency response up to 16 kHz (you don’t need much beyond 10 kHz for clear “s”, “f”, “th” sounds). Tests pending.

The AirPods Pro 3, when paired to an iPhone or iPad will utilize those proprietary Apple codecs for a very clear voice, too. And we’ve tested that — they are excellent.

Where Samsung wins is when switching to a non-Galaxy phone. The Buds 4 Pro support LC3, which is a newer codec for voice calls and is much clear than the aged SBC. And, you’ve guessed it, AirPods that are not tied to an iPhone don’t have LC3, they rely on SBC.

Special features

Nod and shake to accept or decline calls is now a feature of the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, just like the AirPods Pro 3 does it. But Samsung has some extras — you can use voice commands, such as “next song”, “volume up”, et cetera. Technically, you can do the same with AirPods, but you need to say “Hey Siri” first.

Dual AI support — on the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, you will be able to call up both Gemini and Bixby by just calling up their name. You don’t need to choose one or the other.

Live Interpreter and Live Translate — two parallel features on both models that allow for real-time translation. Works for both in-person conversations and phone calls. Samsung supports 22 languages, Apple does 9. In both cases, you need your phone to power the translation, so you need to have a Galaxy phone with the Buds 4 Pro and an iPhone for the AirPods.
Galaxy Buds 4 Pro vs AirPods Pro 3 connectivity

The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro come with Bluetooth 6.1, which improves spatial audio performance, as well as device stability and handshake speed. A lot of behind-the scenes upgrades that you technically won’t feel in your day-to-day, but should be there on a modern tech product.

The AirPods Pro are on the Bluetooth 5.3 standard, as Apple bets mode heavily on its proprietary codecs and custom chips to achieve clear audio (if you have an iPhone).

Multi-device

Samsung does have a multi-device connectivity feature between your various Galaxy devices. But, if you have another Android phone, you can download the Galaxy Wearable app on it and register with your Samsung account, you will be able to quickly swap between devices. Still requires one tap within the app, but better than constantly re-pairing.

Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 pair to all your iCloud devices at once. But it also doesn’t support Bluetooth multipoint if you want to step out of the ecosystem.

Galaxy Buds 4 Pro vs AirPods Pro 3 battery life

The batteries on the Buds 4 Pro give you 6 hours of use with ANC on, 26 hours with the case total. No change in charging speeds.

The AirPods Pro 3 last a bit longer — 8 hours with ANC, but 24 hours total with the case.

Galaxy Buds 4 Pro vs AirPods Pro 3: which ones to get?

If you own an iPhone, the choice here is pretty clear. The AirPods Pro 3 are excellent in sound, ANC, and fit. And if you get Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, you won’t be getting to enjoy their full suite.

On the other hand, if you have any Android phone — not just a Galaxy — the Buds 4 Pro will still carry over some of their features, like accessibility boosts and custom EQ. It makes better sense to grab those, even though AirPods Pro 3 don’t sound bad at all with an Android. They are just feature-less.