Samsung’s Next Audio Play: Galaxy Buds 4 Set to Debut at Unpacked With a Bold New Design Philosophy

Samsung Electronics is preparing to unveil its next generation of wireless earbuds at the upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event on July 22, and the company appears to be making significant changes to both design and branding. The Galaxy Buds 4 and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are expected to take center stage alongside new foldable smartphones, smartwatches, and other wearable devices, marking one of the most comprehensive product refreshes Samsung has attempted in a single event.

According to reporting from Android Authority, the new earbuds will ship with a redesigned form factor that moves away from the wingtip-style fit that characterized previous Samsung buds. Leaked images and early reports suggest the Galaxy Buds 4 will adopt a more streamlined, stem-based design — a notable departure that brings Samsung’s aesthetic closer to what Apple has popularized with its AirPods line, while still retaining distinctly Samsung touches in the charging case and overall industrial design.

A Naming Convention Shift Signals Strategic Realignment

One of the more telling changes is Samsung’s apparent decision to simplify its product naming. The company has historically juggled multiple branding tiers — Galaxy Buds, Galaxy Buds Plus, Galaxy Buds Pro, Galaxy Buds Live, Galaxy Buds FE — creating a sprawling lineup that confused even dedicated Samsung customers. The move to a clean “Galaxy Buds 4” and “Galaxy Buds 4 Pro” naming scheme suggests Samsung is taking a page from Apple’s playbook, offering a clear good-better distinction rather than a confusing array of options.

This streamlining comes at a time when the wireless earbuds market has matured considerably. Research firm Canalys reported earlier this year that global TWS (true wireless stereo) shipments have plateaued, with growth now driven primarily by replacement cycles and premium upgrades rather than first-time buyers. Samsung, which holds a strong but distant second place behind Apple in the premium earbuds segment, appears to be betting that clarity in its product lineup will help convert more of its massive Galaxy smartphone user base into earbuds customers.

What the Leaks Reveal About Hardware and Features

The leaked specifications, as reported by Android Authority, point to meaningful upgrades in audio quality and active noise cancellation for both models. The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro is expected to feature improved ANC performance, potentially closing the gap with Sony’s WF-1000XM5 and Apple’s AirPods Pro 2, which have set the benchmark for noise cancellation in the true wireless category.

Samsung has also reportedly been working on enhanced integration with its Galaxy AI features, which could bring real-time translation capabilities and smarter voice assistant interactions directly through the earbuds. The company has been aggressively marketing its on-device AI capabilities across its smartphone and tablet lines throughout 2025, and extending those features to audio wearables would represent a logical expansion of its AI strategy. Samsung first introduced live translation features for its earbuds with the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro in 2024, and the new generation is expected to refine and expand those capabilities.

The Unpacked Event: More Than Just Earbuds

The July 22 Unpacked event in Paris is shaping up to be one of Samsung’s most ambitious product launches. Beyond the Galaxy Buds 4 lineup, the company is widely expected to announce the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 foldable smartphones, the Galaxy Watch 8 series, and potentially a new Galaxy Ring model. The earbuds, while not the headline act, play an important supporting role in Samsung’s broader hardware strategy — they are among the most affordable entry points into Samsung’s connected device portfolio and serve as a gateway product for deeper brand engagement.

Samsung’s decision to launch earbuds alongside its flagship devices is not new, but the timing feels particularly significant this year. Apple is expected to refresh its own AirPods lineup later in 2025, and Google has been steadily improving its Pixel Buds line. By getting its next-generation earbuds to market in the summer, Samsung gains a window of opportunity to capture consumer attention and holiday pre-planning before its competitors make their moves.

Design Changes That Could Divide Loyalists

The shift to a stem-based design for the standard Galaxy Buds 4 has already generated debate among Samsung enthusiasts online. The bean-shaped Galaxy Buds Live and the compact, wingless design of the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro earned devoted followings among users who preferred Samsung’s more distinctive approach to earbud design. Moving toward a more conventional stem shape — while potentially improving microphone placement for calls and voice commands — risks alienating users who chose Samsung specifically because its earbuds looked different from AirPods.

However, the design change may also reflect practical engineering considerations. Stem designs generally allow for better beam-forming microphone arrays, which improve call quality and voice pickup in noisy environments. They also provide a more natural touch-control surface, addressing a long-standing complaint about Samsung’s earlier compact designs where accidental touches were common. If Samsung can deliver meaningfully better call quality and more intuitive controls, the aesthetic trade-off may prove worthwhile for most buyers.

Pricing and Market Positioning

While Samsung has not officially confirmed pricing for the Galaxy Buds 4 lineup, industry watchers expect the standard model to land in the $129 to $149 range, with the Pro variant priced between $199 and $229. This would keep Samsung competitive with Apple’s AirPods 4 (which retail at $129 for the base model and $179 for the ANC version) while positioning the Buds 4 Pro against the AirPods Pro 2 at $249.

Samsung’s pricing strategy in the earbuds category has historically been aggressive, often undercutting Apple by $20 to $50 at comparable feature levels. If the company maintains this approach while delivering genuine improvements in noise cancellation and audio quality, the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro could present a compelling value proposition for Android users — and even tempt some in the Apple camp who have grown frustrated with the lack of significant AirPods Pro hardware updates.

The Broader Competitive Picture

The premium wireless earbuds market in 2025 is more competitive than ever. Sony continues to dominate in audiophile-oriented circles with its WF-1000XM5, while newer entrants like Nothing and JBL have carved out niches in the mid-range segment. Google’s Pixel Buds Pro 2, launched in late 2024, earned strong reviews for their lightweight design and tight integration with Android features, presenting a more direct threat to Samsung’s position as the default premium earbud choice for Android users.

Samsung’s response appears to be two-pronged: improve the core audio and ANC experience to match or exceed the best in the category, while simultaneously differentiating through AI-powered features that only work fully within the Samsung device family. This approach mirrors what Apple has done with its H2 chip and tight iOS integration — creating a walled garden of features that rewards customers who stay within the brand’s hardware portfolio.

What to Watch on July 22

For industry observers, the key questions at Unpacked will extend beyond specifications and pricing. How aggressively will Samsung push its AI features as a differentiator for the earbuds? Will the company introduce any health-monitoring capabilities — such as heart rate tracking or body temperature sensing — that could blur the line between earbuds and fitness wearables? And perhaps most importantly, will Samsung’s redesigned earbuds deliver the kind of comfort and fit that can compete with the best in the business during extended wear?

Samsung has historically been at its best when it combines strong hardware with meaningful software differentiation. The Galaxy Buds 4 and Buds 4 Pro represent an opportunity to prove that the company’s audio division can keep pace with the rapid improvements happening across its smartphone and wearable lines. With Unpacked just days away, the wireless audio industry is watching closely to see whether Samsung’s latest bet on earbuds will pay dividends in an increasingly crowded market.