Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 4 have quietly introduced a feature that could put them ahead of Apple’s AirPods in one key area: high-resolution wireless audio. The new earbuds support Ultra High Quality (UHQ) audio up to 24-bit / 96 kHz, a spec that edges into the territory traditionally reserved for wired headphones and dedicated hi-fi gear.
On paper, that is a big deal. Most wireless earbuds compress audio heavily due to Bluetooth bandwidth limits. Apple’s AirPods, for example, still rely on the AAC codec, which prioritizes stability and efficiency over lossless playback. Samsung’s UHQ feature, meanwhile, aims to deliver higher-resolution audio with more detail, wider dynamic range, and improved clarity.
But there’s a catch…
Samsung’s own documentation confirms that UHQ audio only works with select Galaxy devices running One UI 6.1.1 or newer. At launch, support is limited to newer flagship phones and tablets, including the Galaxy S26, S25, S24, S23 series, recent Galaxy Z Fold and Flip devices, and select Galaxy Tab models. The feature is also turned off by default and must be manually enabled in settings.
Just as Apple keeps its best AirPods features tied to iPhones, Samsung is reserving UHQ audio for its own latest Galaxy hardware. If you pair the Galaxy Buds 4 with a non-Samsung phone or an older Galaxy device, you will still get regular Bluetooth audio, but not the flagship UHQ experience. To be fair, the exclusivity makes technical sense. Delivering 24-bit / 96 kHz audio over Bluetooth requires tight hardware and software integration, including support for Samsung’s proprietary codec and newer Bluetooth implementations. Still, it means the headline feature is not universally accessible, even for Android users.
For Galaxy users with compatible devices, though, the payoff could be real. Wireless audio has been inching closer to wired quality for years, and UHQ support is another step in that direction. It may not be a universal win just yet, but within its own ecosystem, Samsung has clearly raised the bar. If this is the direction wireless audio is heading, the competition is only going to get more interesting from here.