Samsung is set to unveil its next generation of wireless earbuds, the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro and Buds 4, at Galaxy Unpacked 2026 in San Francisco next week, but the company appears to be recalibrating its strategy in the face of potential competition from Apple.
Recent reports indicate Samsung will abandon the “Blade Lights” aesthetic feature introduced with the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. While Samsung previously differentiated its earbuds through cosmetic features and innovations like planar drivers, the shift suggests a potential refocusing of resources as Apple explores more ambitious features for its AirPods line.
Bloomberg reported that Apple is developing three new wearables centered around Siri, including a pair of AirPods with integrated cameras and artificial intelligence capabilities. The potential addition of cameras to AirPods, likely embedded in the stems, represents a significant escalation in wearable technology, moving beyond audio-centric features to visual context awareness. Apple’s plans also include smart glasses and an AI pendant, all designed to leverage visual input for functionality.
Apple’s move into AI is being bolstered by a deepened partnership with Google, providing a potential upgrade to Siri’s capabilities. This collaboration comes despite reported concerns from figures like Elon Musk regarding Apple’s reliance on Google’s AI systems.
While Samsung has been an early adopter of AI features in its earbuds, such as Interpreter and Live Translate within the Galaxy AI suite, these functionalities currently rely on a connected Galaxy phone for processing. The upcoming Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are expected to support select Galaxy AI features, but will not independently process AI tasks.
The potential for AI-powered, camera-equipped AirPods raises the stakes for Samsung. According to reports, Apple may retain heart rate monitoring functionality alongside the new camera technology, a feature Samsung pioneered with its Gear IconX earbuds years ago. If Apple successfully integrates both features, Samsung may need to respond with a more substantial innovation than cosmetic changes to remain competitive.
The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro and Buds 4 are expected to offer compatibility with Galaxy AI features, but the extent to which they can compete with a potentially AI-driven, camera-equipped AirPods remains to be seen. Samsung has not yet announced any plans to incorporate similar camera technology into its earbuds.
