Xiaomi Buds 6 vs Galaxy Buds 4 vs AirPods 4: Which Open-Match Pair Wins

Open-fit earbuds are having a second in 2026, and three of essentially the most talked-about pairs come from Xiaomi, Samsung, and Apple. The Xiaomi Buds 6, Galaxy Buds 4, and AirPods 4 all skip the silicone tip that seals your ear canal, buying and selling deep noise isolation for all-day consolation and consciousness. Should you can’t stand the plugged-up feeling of conventional earbuds, that is the class you’ve been ready for.

The catch is that these three look related on paper however pull in numerous instructions, and the proper choose leans closely on which telephone is in your pocket. Right here’s how the Xiaomi Buds 6 stack up in opposition to the Galaxy Buds 4 and AirPods 4 on sound, noise cancellation, battery, options, and worth, so you possibly can land on the pair that truly suits your setup.

How They Evaluate at a Look

The Quick Model

Value: $139
The place to Purchase: Xiaomi

Should you’re on a Galaxy or Android telephone and wish essentially the most full function set, the Galaxy Buds 4 are the simple name. Should you dwell in Apple’s world, the AirPods 4 are exhausting to beat for a way seamlessly they work throughout your units. The Xiaomi Buds 6 are the worth and audio choose, undercutting each on worth whereas pushing the perfect codec story, so long as you possibly can truly purchase them the place you reside.

Sound and Codecs

That is the place the Xiaomi Buds 6 swing hardest. They assist Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Sound with aptX Lossless, pushing 24-bit/48kHz audio at as much as 2.1 Mbps, and so they’re tuned by Harman’s Golden Ears workforce with a number of sound modes. The trustworthy caveat is that aptX Lossless solely works with a suitable Snapdragon telephone, so the headline codec is wasted on an iPhone.

The Galaxy Buds 4 counter with 24-bit/96kHz UHQ audio, however that high-res path is locked to Samsung Galaxy units. They use a single wide-range speaker and lean on Samsung’s tuning, an easier setup than the dual-driver Buds 4 Professional.

The AirPods 4 hold it easy. Apple sticks to the AAC codec with no lossless or high-res assist, leaning as an alternative on the H2 chip and Personalised Spatial Audio with head monitoring. On an iPhone, that retains issues seamless, even when it means no spec-sheet codec win right here.

Noise Cancellation and Calls

None of those will silence a airplane the best way sealed in-ear buds can, as a result of an open match bodily can’t block a lot sound. That stated, all three now embody some type of ANC, which is spectacular for tipless designs.

Value: From $99
The place to Purchase: Amazon

Xiaomi offers the Buds 6 twin noise cancellation for each listening and calls, plus a 3-mic AI system rated to isolate your voice in environment as loud as 95 dB. The AirPods 4 with ANC use the H2 chip and upgraded mics to knock down low-frequency noise like engines and site visitors, plus Adaptive Audio that blends transparency and ANC on the fly. The Galaxy Buds 4 additionally carry ANC and a bigger mic array, and Samsung leans on its Tremendous Clear Name processing for readability in noisy spots. By design, all three ship gentle noise discount moderately than true isolation.

Battery Life

Battery is nearer than you’d assume. Xiaomi charges the Buds 6 at 6 hours a cost with ANC off and three.5 hours with it on, with the case bringing the full to a class-leading 35 hours. The AirPods 4 with ANC handle about 5 hours a cost, or 4 with ANC on, and as much as 30 hours with the case. The Galaxy Buds 4 land at 6 hours a cost, or 5 with ANC engaged, and as much as 30 hours whole with the case.

If squeezing essentially the most listening out of a single case issues most, Xiaomi’s 35-hour determine is the standout, with the AirPods 4 and Galaxy Buds 4 each shut behind at 30 hours. The AirPods case additionally provides the comfort of wi-fi charging on the ANC mannequin.

Options and Ecosystem

That is the true deciding issue. The Galaxy Buds 4 are loaded, with Auracast, Bluetooth LE Audio, and dwell translation, and so they’re at their finest paired with a Samsung telephone working the newest software program. The AirPods 4 commerce uncooked function rely for tight integration, with on the spot pairing, automated system switching, Discover My, and Spatial Audio that every one simply work throughout an iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Value: $149.99
The place to Purchase: Amazon

The Xiaomi Buds 6 sit within the center. They work with each Apple’s Discover My and Google’s Discover Hub, carry IP54 water and dirt resistance, run on Bluetooth 5.4, and embody app-based gesture controls plus a couple of months of Spotify Premium for brand new customers. They’re essentially the most phone-agnostic of the three, even if you happen to want a Snapdragon system to unlock their finest audio.

Value and Availability

The Xiaomi Buds 6 are the worth chief, confirmed at £99.99 within the UK and €119.99 throughout Europe after a world launch final Could. The large asterisk is the US, the place Xiaomi doesn’t promote the Buds 6 by means of official channels, so there’s no official US availability and shopping for normally means importing the worldwide model with no native guarantee. Observe the cheaper Redmi Buds 6 bought within the US are a separate, lower-tier line, not these.

The AirPods 4 are essentially the most extensively accessible, at $129 for the usual mannequin and $179 for the model with ANC. The Galaxy Buds 4 launched at $179.99, which places them proper up in opposition to the AirPods 4 ANC for anybody buying the open-fit class.

Which One Ought to You Purchase

Decide the Galaxy Buds 4 if you happen to’re on Android or Samsung and wish the deepest function set, together with Auracast and dwell translation. Go together with the AirPods 4 if you happen to’re within the Apple ecosystem and worth seamless switching and Spatial Audio over a spec sheet. Select the Xiaomi Buds 6 if you need the perfect worth and codec story, you’ve bought a Snapdragon telephone to take advantage of them, and you should purchase them in your area.

Apple AirPods Professional 3 Wi-fi Earbuds, Energetic Noise Cancellation, Dwell Translation, Coronary heart Price Sensing, Listening to Assist Function, Bluetooth Headphones, Spatial Audio, Excessive-Constancy Sound, USB-C Charging

(as of June 28, 2026 12:23 GMT -05:00 – Extra informationProduct costs and availability are correct as of the date/time indicated and are topic to alter. Any worth and availability data displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] on the time of buy will apply to the acquisition of this product.)