Anker has officially announced its new Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro and Liberty 5 Pro Max earbuds, while detailed information regarding Samsung's anticipated Galaxy Buds 4 and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro has surfaced through multiple leaks and official app listings.
Samsung is expected to formally unveil its new earbuds alongside the Galaxy S26 series at its Galaxy Unpacked event on February 25.
Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro and Pro Max
Announcement and Core Technology
Anker announced the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro and Liberty 5 Pro Max earbuds during its Anker Day event. Both models are equipped with the company's Thus AI chip, designed to enhance voice performance. The chip works in conjunction with eight microphones and two bone conduction sensors, using an AI model to isolate the speaker's voice from background noise for clearer calls. The bone conduction sensors allow for voice capture at lower volumes in quieter environments.
Key Features
- Active Noise Cancellation (ANC): The earbuds feature Adaptive ANC 4.0, which uses eight microphones to process audio data up to 384,000 times per second. Anker claims the ANC is up to two times more effective than the previous Liberty 4 Pro model.
- Personalized Sound: HearID 5.0 generates a personalized EQ based on a user hearing test. AI Sound Enhancement is said to recover up to 65% of audio quality lost to Bluetooth compression.
- Battery Life: 6.5 hours of playback per charge with ANC enabled, with a total of 28 hours when using the charging case.
- Connectivity: Multipoint Bluetooth, Bluetooth 6.1, Apple Find My, and Google Fast Pair.
- Durability: IP55 rating for dust and water resistance.
- Smart Cases: The Liberty 5 Pro case features a 0.96-inch TFT touchscreen. The Liberty 5 Pro Max case includes a 1.78-inch AMOLED display.
- AI Note-Taker (Pro Max only): Generates transcripts, identifies speakers, and highlights action items after meetings within the Soundcore app.
- AI Translation: Available on both models; integrated on the earbuds for the Pro, and on both the earbuds and case for the Pro Max.
- Voice Commands: 20 voice command options are available, with an advertised response time of under one second.
Pricing and Availability
Both models are available as of the announcement date. The Liberty 5 Pro is priced at $170 in black, blue, pink, and white. The Liberty 5 Pro Max is priced at $230 in black or gold.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 and Buds 4 Pro
Confirmation and Expected Launch
The existence of the Galaxy Buds 4 and Buds 4 Pro was confirmed via a listing in the feedback support section of the Samsung Members app, discovered by X user Alfatürk. Samsung is scheduled to officially announce the earbuds at its Galaxy Unpacked event on February 25, where the Galaxy S26 series is also expected to be unveiled.
Design
Multiple leaks and dummy unit images have provided a detailed view of the new design.
- Overall Shape: The design is reported to be more curved and compact than the previous generation. The regular Buds 4 are expected to retain a stemmed design but with a simplified, non-triangular profile.
- Metallic Finish: A brushed silver metallic plate has been added to the outward-facing portion of the stem for both models, reportedly to differentiate the design from previous iterations.
- Pro Model Details: The Buds 4 Pro is reported to feature a square charging case, moving away from a previous flip-top design. It is expected to include silicone eartips. The charging case has been redesigned to allow the earbuds to sit flat.
- Regular Model Details: Leaked images indicate the Galaxy Buds 4 will not have silicone eartips. The charging case features a transparent lid, a traditional square shape, and a USB-C charging port.
- Removed Features: Samsung is reportedly discontinuing the Blade Lights feature (light bar) present on the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro.
Features
- Head Gestures (Pro Model): An APK teardown of the Galaxy Buds app suggests the Buds 4 Pro will include head-tracking capabilities. Users may answer yes-or-no questions via Bixby, manage calls, and control alarms, timers, and reminders through nodding and shaking gestures.
- Find My Phone (Pro Model): A reported function would allow users to double-tap the case button while the earbuds are charging to ring a misplaced phone.
- Camera Control (Pro Model): The stems of the Buds 4 Pro are anticipated to allow photo or video capture using a pinch-and-hold gesture.
- AI Assistants: The Buds 4 are expected to support two AI assistants, likely Bixby and Gemini.
- Audio and Other Features: Reported features include adaptive sound, 3D sound customization, and head gesture controls.
- Durability: The Galaxy Buds 4 is expected to have an IP55 rating.
Technical Specifications
- Battery Life: The Galaxy Buds 4 is reported to offer a total playing time of 24 hours. Rumors suggest a slightly smaller battery than previous models but with similar life expectancy.
- Connectivity: The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro is reported to have a sync button on the back of the case that may enable a remote phone ringing function.
Pricing and Availability
- Pricing: Multiple leaks indicate Samsung plans no price increase for the new earbuds. The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro is expected to be priced at $249.99 in the US and €249 in Europe. The Galaxy Buds 4 is expected to be priced at $179.99 in the US and €179 in Europe. These figures match the launch prices of the Galaxy Buds 3 series.
- Promotions: In some markets, such as France, Samsung may include a free 25W wireless charger with purchases of the Galaxy Buds 4 series.
- Colors: Both models are reported to be available in black and white. An Apricot color option may be exclusive to the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, potentially limited to purchases via Samsung's online store. The Buds 4 Pro is otherwise anticipated in black, white, and apricot.
Market Context
Separate reports indicate that Samsung has removed information related to the previous Galaxy Buds 3 model in the US prior to the launch event.