MKBHD Says Galaxy Buds 4 Pro Beat AirPods. Nearly a Million People Watched in 16 Hours.

Sound, ANC, and the Places Galaxy Buds Actually Win

This is where the review gets technically interesting. Samsung updated the drivers in the Buds 4 Pro — two drivers per earbud, a subwoofer-style larger driver and a tweeter, each with its own amplifier. Brownlee's verdict: they sound "every bit as good" as AirPods Pro, but in a more versatile, everyday package. He specifically contrasts them with Sony's WF-1000XM6s, which go all-in on audiophile sound quality at the expense of comfort, portability, and fit consistency. The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro make a different trade-off: genuinely excellent sound in something you can actually wear to the gym, on a flight, and on a call without thinking about it [1]. The ANC is where he makes his boldest claim. Five adjustable ANC levels (he thinks two would be sufficient, but whatever), and at max strength he calls it "easily as strong as AirPods Pro. I actually think a bit stronger." That's a significant statement. ANC is the feature that justifies the $250 price tag for most buyers, and if Samsung has matched or exceeded Apple's implementation, that changes the competitive calculus for Android users in a real way.

It's at the level of background noise cancellation that I feel like it gets super quiet. I can hear things I didn't hear in my music before. Like, it's that level of good.

— MKBHD, Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro review

Where Samsung Goes Further Than Apple

Feature-for-feature, Brownlee walks through the full checklist. Galaxy Buds 4 Pro match AirPods on spatial audio with head tracking, nod-to-accept/shake-to-reject call gestures, in-ear detection for auto play/pause, a Find My-equivalent feature, and live translate. Every box checked. But then there are a handful of extras AirPods just don't have [1]: • A gaming mode buried in the lab settings that minimizes audio delay — not something your average user cares about, but a big deal for anyone who's ever tried to game with AirPods and noticed the lag • A full nine-band EQ with presets and deep customization, versus AirPods' essentially non-existent sound tuning • Three color options versus AirPods Pro's one (white, always white) • A smart ambient mode feature that detects sirens and emergency sounds and automatically switches from ANC to ambient mode — a legitimate safety feature for cyclists and pedestrians That last one is actually well thought out. In noise-canceling mode, you're essentially isolated from traffic and environmental sound. Automating a switchover when a siren is detected isn't just a gimmick — it's the kind of thing that matters in a real situation.

The Meta-Story: A Creator Who's Done Hedging

Here's what makes this review worth paying attention to beyond the earbuds themselves. Brownlee is going through something interesting right now in terms of his relationship with tech brands. Earlier in February, he confirmed publicly that after he sold his Cybertruck, Tesla cut off all communication with him [2]. Elon Musk unfollowed him on X. For his January 2026 Tesla Model Y review, he had to source a loaner from a dealership rather than through Tesla's media program — the access that most of his peers still enjoy [3]. It was a visible, public signal of how tech companies use media access as a reward-and-punishment mechanism to shape coverage. The timing is notable. This is a creator who, for years, has been meticulous about being fair, balanced, and careful not to make enemies in the brands he covers. That approach makes sense when you're a 19-million subscriber operation that depends on early access, pre-launch units, and product relationships to do your job. Alienating Tesla — or being alienated by them — changes that calculation. What you see in the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro review is what happens after that: a creator making a direct, unqualified call. Not "these are a strong alternative depending on your ecosystem." Not "results may vary based on use case." Just: these are better than AirPods Pro. Whether you agree with that conclusion or not, the directness is notable — and it's the kind of editorial posture that generates nearly a million views in half a day.

Should You Actually Buy Them?

If you're on Android and spending $250 on wireless earbuds, yes, these look like the current best-in-class. The audio quality, ANC, feature set, and everyday wearability all check out in Brownlee's testing. The only real knock — the case isn't water resistant — is a legitimate flaw but not a dealbreaker for most people. If you're on iPhone, the honest answer is: these won't replace AirPods for you because Apple won't let them. The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro work over standard Bluetooth, but you lose all the Samsung customization and deep OS integration that makes the earbuds genuinely great. That's not Samsung's fault. That's Apple protecting its ecosystem, the same way they keep Garmin watches from fully integrating with iPhone health data. If you're mad about it — per Brownlee — "just blame Apple." The broader point is this: Samsung has clearly closed the gap with Apple on wireless earbuds in a way that wasn't true two years ago. The Buds 4 Pro are the AirPods Pro for the Android universe, and for the first time that comparison doesn't feel like a consolation prize.