Apple AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case vs Samsung Galaxy Buds4

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AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case compared with Galaxy Buds4

	AppleAirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case	SamsungGalaxy Buds4
Overview
Released
Released	September 2026	March 2026
Sound
Type
Type	Open-ear	Open-ear
Noise cancelling
Noise cancelling	Yes	Yes
Transparency mode
Transparency mode	Yes	Yes
Spatial audio with head tracking
Spatial audio with head tracking	Yes	Yes
Driver size
Driver size	–	11 mm
Bluetooth codecs
Bluetooth codecs	SBC and AAC	SBC, AAC, LC3 and Samsung Seamless Codec
Lossless over USB-C
Lossless over USB-C	No	–
Chip
Chip	H2	–
Drivers
Drivers	Custom high-excursion Apple driver and custom high dynamic range amplifier in a new multiport acoustic architecture	Single 11 mm wide-range speaker in each earbud
Noise cancelling detail
Noise cancelling detail	Up to 1.5x more Active Noise Cancellation than AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation; Adaptive Audio, Transparency and Conversation Awareness	Adaptive ANC and Adaptive EQ adjust to the ear shape and fit; Ambient sound mode
Audio features
Audio features	Personalised Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking; Adaptive EQ; Voice Isolation; studio-quality audio recording; Live Translation; lossless audio with Apple Vision Pro	Samsung Seamless Codec UHQ carries up to 24-bit/96 kHz audio with supported Galaxy phones and tablets running One UI 6.1.1 or later; 360 Audio with head tracking on supported Galaxy devices; nine-band equaliser; LE Audio and Auracast
Battery
Listening time (maker's claim)
Listening time (maker's claim)	Up to 5 hours	Up to 5 hours
With the case
With the case	Up to 22 hours	Up to 24 hours
Wireless charging
Wireless charging	Yes	Yes
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	Up to 7 hours per charge with noise control off	Up to 6 hours per charge and 30 hours with the case with ANC off; talk time up to 3.5 hours with ANC on (18 hours with the case) or 4 hours with ANC off (20 hours with the case); 45 mAh earbud and 515 mAh case batteries (typical)
Charging case
Charging case	Wireless Charging Case (USB-C) with speaker for Find My; charges with a USB-C cable, Apple Watch charger or Qi-certified charger	Translucent lid; USB-C and wireless charging; 51 × 51 × 28.3 mm
Fast charging
Fast charging	5 minutes in the case gives around 1 hour of listening	–
Design
Weight (each earbud)
Weight (each earbud)	4.3 g (better)	4.6 g
Water and sweat resistance
Water and sweat resistance	IP57	IP54
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	5.3	6.1
Controls
Controls	Force sensor with volume swipe on the stems (press to play, pause, answer calls and skip; press and hold to switch listening modes; swipe up or down for volume); camera remote; “Hey Siri” or just “Siri”; Siri Interactions by nodding or shaking your head	Pinch the stem for playback and calls; swipe for volume; configurable Head Gestures with supported Galaxy devices
Microphones
Microphones	Dual beamforming microphones and an inward-facing microphone; speech-detecting accelerometer	Three digital microphones per earbud, six in total; Voice Pickup Unit and Super Wideband calls with supported Galaxy devices
Fit and ear tips
Fit and ear tips	Open-ear design with no ear tips	Open fit without silicone ear tips; earbud dimensions 30.5 × 18.3 × 19.3 mm
Case weight
Case weight	34.7 g	45.1 g
Water resistance detail
Water resistance detail	IP57 (IEC 60529) for the AirPods and charging case	Earbuds are IP54; the charging case has no stated IP rating
Works with
Works with	Full features with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Apple Vision Pro on the latest software; works as Bluetooth headphones with other devices, with limited features	Bluetooth audio on iOS and Android; advanced settings need Android 12 or later with at least 1.5 GB of memory, through Galaxy Wearable or built-in One UI settings; Auto Switch works between supported Galaxy devices
Colours
Colours	White	Black and White
In the box
In the box	AirPods 5 and Charging Case (USB-C) with speaker, documentation; no USB-C cable or power adapter	Earbuds, charging case and Quick Start Guide; no USB-C cable