Xiaomi's Buds 4 Pro earbuds are a balanced mix of premium design and flagship features, but are they enough to challenge the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro?
Alongside the MIX Fold 2, Xiaomi also announced the Xiaomi Buds 4 Pro, but can its new earbuds take on the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro? Xiaomi has a thriving audio business that includes wired and wireless earphones, Bluetooth speakers and soundbars. A couple of years ago, it even announced a few wireless over-the-ear headphones.
However, since earbuds became mainstream, it has focused on that market segment, launching products under its own brands (Xiaomi and Redmi) and companies that form a part of its ecosystem. Xiaomi's earbuds usually launch first in China, but a fair number eventually make it to other markets. The Xiaomi Buds 4 Pro arrived as a successor to the Buds 3T Pro announced earlier in 2022.
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The two pairs of earbuds are nothing alike in terms of design, save for their in-ear design. Xiaomi's earbuds have stems that stick out of the ears when worn. In addition, they (earbuds and case) are rated IP54 for dust and water resistance and are available in Gold and Black. On the other hand, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro lack stems and has a mentos-like appearance. Compared to the Xiaomi Buds 4 Pro, which weighs 5.3 grams per earbud, Samsung's IPX7-rated earbuds are slightly heavier at 5.5 grams. The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro can be purchased in Graphite, White and Bora Purple.
Inside the Xiaomi Buds 4 Pro are 11mm dynamic drivers. In contrast, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro has a dual speaker system that includes 10mm woofers and 5.3mm tweeters. The two pairs of earbuds have touch controls, dynamic active noise cancellation (ANC) and use a three-microphone system for picking up external and internal sounds. They also have a Voice Pickup Unit (Voice Pick Up Bone Sensor on the Xiaomi Buds 4 Pro) that automatically identifies the user's voice to improve noise cancellation during calls. Xiaomi says its earbuds can intelligently identify noise environments and switch between three ANC levels. There is also a three-level transparency mode and a six-level manual ANC setting within the app.
The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro also has an Intelligent ANC mode, but it works differently. When it detects the user's voice, it turns off ANC, reduces playback volume, and activates transparency mode, so the user can have conversations without taking the earbuds off. Once they stop talking after a preset time, it reverts to the previous settings. In addition, both pairs of earbuds have spatial audio. It is called Enhanced 360 Audio on the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, and it only works when connected to a Samsung smartphone running One UI 4.1 or later. On the other hand, Xiaomi's spatial audio comes in two forms — a standard mode that works when connected to its phones, such as the MIX Fold 2 and Xiaomi 12S Ultra, and an independent mode that allows users to enjoy spatial audio when connected to a computer, game console, tablet, or any device.
The two pairs of earbuds have Bluetooth 5.3 and a fast pairing mode that works with devices of the same brand. The Xiaomi Buds 4 Pro support SBC, AAC and LHDC 4.0 codecs, while the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro supports AAC, SBC, and Samsung Seamless 24-bit Hi-Fi codecs. Xiaomi claims its Buds 4 Pro have a battery life of up to nine hours (five hours with ANC on) on a single charge and a total of 38 hours with the charging case. In contrast, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro has a battery life of eight hours (five hours with ANC on) and a total of 29 hours with the case. Both support fast wired charging and wireless charging. The Xiaomi Buds 4 Pro are only available in China for now, where they sell for ¥1099 (~$162). On the other hand, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are more widely available, including in the U.S., where they are priced at $229.
Habeeb enjoys writing about the consumer technology space and has a keen interest in wearables, Android smartphones and tablets, and Chromebooks. When he's not writing, he's catching up on the latest TV shows and movies.