According to SamMobile, leaked specifications for Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Buds 4 and Buds 4 Pro reveal a mixed bag for battery capacity. The standard Galaxy Buds 4 is reportedly getting a downgrade to a battery smaller than the 48mAh cell in the current Buds 3. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro is set for an upgrade, moving past the 53mAh battery in the Buds 3 Pro. Both models are expected to launch early next year, likely at a Galaxy Unpacked event in 2026. The leak also details a more refined, flatter stem design for the earbuds and a redesigned charging case that opens while lying flat and includes a locator button and speaker.
Battery blues and boosts
So, the base model gets less capacity? That’s a weird move. On paper, it looks like a straight downgrade for the Galaxy Buds 4. But here’s the thing: raw milliamp-hour (mAh) numbers only tell part of the story. Battery life in wireless earbuds is a complex dance between the cell itself and the efficiency of everything it powers—the Bluetooth chip, the ANC processors, the drivers. Samsung could be using a more efficient chipset or software optimizations that make that smaller battery last just as long. Or, they could be making room for other components. It’s a gamble, though, because “smaller battery” is an easy headline for critics.
The design details
The design tweaks sound more straightforwardly positive. Flattening and thinning the stem from the current triangular prism shape seems like a logical evolution for a better fit and a subtler look. Ditching the Blade Lights? Probably not a huge loss for most people. The case redesign is more interesting. A case that opens flat, like the old Buds 2 Pro, is often more stable and easier to handle. And adding a dedicated locator button with a beeper? That’s a legit quality-of-life upgrade. How many times have you lost your earbud case between couch cushions? Now it can literally yell at you.
Specs vs. real-world performance
This leak is a perfect reminder to never judge a product by its spec sheet alone. The battery number is a data point, not the final verdict. The real test will be the total rated battery life with ANC on, and more importantly, how they perform in the wild. Will that Pro model with its bigger battery finally get us to a solid 10 hours? Or will both models land around the same 6-8 hour mark, making the capacity change mostly irrelevant? We’ll have to wait and see. The promised features like improved 360 Audio and Interpreter Mode are cool, but battery anxiety is a real buzzkill for any wireless device.
