Galaxy Buds 4 dummy leaks downplay AirPod comparisons with new metallic finish

We know Samsung has another round of earbuds coming soon, likely timed with next week’s Galaxy S26 unveiling. Ahead of Unpacked, we’re getting our first look at dummy units for both the Galaxy Buds 4 and 4 Pro, and they’re really driving home how Samsung has heard all of your AirPod comparisons.

These images come courtesy of TechTalkTV on Twitter, who shared five photos of dummy units for both models being sent to stores ahead of Samsung’s upcoming launch. While these models aren’t actually functional, they do demonstrate exactly what the Galaxy Buds 4 lineup will look like in real life. These images practically confirm the last couple of months worth of leaks, but even I wasn’t prepared for how much that new metallic finish along the stem looks to be a reaction to some of the criticism surrounding the Buds 3 design.

Samsung’s most recent high-end earbuds release ditched their previous design to essentially imitate what Apple offers through both its basic non-tipped AirPods and its more premium AirPods Pro. Despite a couple of small differences — a silver colorway, a superfluous light strip — practically every review pointed out the obvious Apple likeness. To some degree, it nearly overshadowed what were otherwise two pairs of perfectly solid earbuds.

So, with the Galaxy Buds 4 and 4 Pro, it seems like Samsung has come up with a fool-proof strategy to get out in front of any criticism: slapping a brushed silver plate on the outward-facing portion of the stem. We’ve seen this in previous renders, but this appears to be the first time we’ve gotten a glimpse at what the final product might look like in real life, and… I can’t say I’m quite sold.

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The silver-on-black finish seen on the Galaxy Buds Pro 4 here is, in my view, the better of the two shades. Perhaps thanks to their status as a more premium product — or, perhaps, just a better picture — the Pros don’t look half bad, and I quite like the move back to a square case over the Apple-esque flip top. In comparison, though, the regular Galaxy Buds 4 simply look cheap. My colleague Andrew Romero put it best in a leak from earlier this week: they really do look like budget earbuds from several years ago.

Both earbuds still look relatively similar to Apple’s when that new metallic plate is out of view, though its charging connectors and the black colorway on the Pros certainly help to downplay that likeness. A final image of the regular Galaxy Buds 4 case’s back reveals the charging port and a sync button that could allow you to remotely ring your lost phone.

Considering these are being sent to stores ahead of an official announcement, next week’s Unpacked seems like a safe bet for both of Samsung’s pairs of earbuds to make their debut.