Every new generation of wireless earbuds promises better sound, but Samsung is looking beyond pure audio for its upcoming Galaxy Buds 4 and Buds 4 Pro. The tech giant has confirmed a major connectivity leap, equipping the new flagship earbuds with the brand-new Bluetooth 6.1 standard.

Replacing the Bluetooth 5.4 found in the Buds 3 series, this upgrade prioritizes rock-solid stability, advanced power efficiency, and pinpoint device tracking. Interestingly, Samsung is sticking with its proprietary SSC UHQ 24-bit/96kHz audio codec. While there's no new audio codec introduced this time around, the real game-changer lies in the day-to-day wireless experience.

Introduced in May 2025 as a refinement to August 2024's Bluetooth 6.0, version 6.1 brings significant under-the-hood optimizations. Thanks to advanced signal measurement technology, the new standard vastly improves how devices gauge distance from one another while keeping latency low and battery life high.

What does this mean in practice? Compared to previous models, the Buds 4 series will hold a much stronger connection in notoriously congested wireless environments like airports, busy offices, or shopping malls. Users will notice fewer lip-sync issues while streaming video, lightning-fast response times in mobile gaming, and a steadfast connection even when surrounded by dozens of active devices.

Furthermore, Bluetooth 6.1 introduces robust new privacy layers and smarter power management. This allows the earbuds to maintain a stable, long-lasting connection—a massive plus for users who seamlessly juggle their smartphone, smartwatch, and other Bluetooth peripherals simultaneously.

This marks the latest milestone in Samsung's steady connectivity evolution. The Buds lineage has progressed from Bluetooth 5.0 (Buds, Buds+, Buds Live), to 5.2 (Buds 2, FE), 5.3 (Buds 2 Pro), and 5.4 (Buds 3), finally arriving at the cutting-edge 6.1 for the Buds 4 generation.