AirPods 4 bring ANC to an open-ear design
Everything new with both models of the AirPods 4, including ANC, improved audio and call quality, USB-C charging, and more features!
Apple’s latest Event went down about as expected, with the announcement of the new iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, Apple Watch Series 10 and new AirPods. Updates came to the entire AirPods lineup, with both big and small changes. The biggest of which were the changes to the entry-level AirPods.
AirPods 4 come in two different models, those without Active Noise Cancellation and those with. AirPods 4 are replacing the AirPods 2nd and 3rd generation as the cheapest option, for those on a budget, for people who don’t get on with the in-ear tips of the AirPods Pro or are simply uninterested in the higher end features.
AirPods 4 without Active Noise Cancellation
AirPods 4 feature a similar open-ear design to the 3rd generation AirPods. While in-ear tips, such as those on the AirPods Pro, do provide a layer of passive noise isolation, many prefer this style of earbuds due to increased comfort. The AirPods 4 introduce a vent system for pressure equalization.
The AirPods 4 introduces the H2 chip, also available on the AirPods Pro 2nd generation. This brings improved audio quality, with a new acoustic architecture, low-distortion driver, high dynamic range amplifier, low wireless audio latency for gaming and support for 16-bit, 48kHz. AirPods 4 connect via Bluetooth 5.3.
The AirPods 4 also get clearer call quality, with Voice Isolation mode, which removes background noise.
You can now interact with Siri announcements by nodding your head for a “yes” or shaking for “no”, which improves yelling to no one when in public.
The charging case swaps out Lightning for USB-C. There is no USB-C cable in the box. It’s now 10% smaller in volume than the charging case for the AirPods 3. This makes it the smallest case for AirPods, while still providing 30 hours of total battery life. Battery life on the earbuds themselves is unfortunately decreasing by one hour compared to the AirPods 3rd generation, from 6 to 5 hours on a single charge. Pop the earbuds in the case for just 5 minutes to get 1 hour of listening.
The AirPods are IP54 sweat, water and dust resistant, rather than IPX4 sweat and water resistant on the 3rd generation AirPods.
Personalized Spatial Audio is still present, for a surround sound-like experience, with head tracking. You’ll also find the force sensors on the stem to control music or calls. Other features brought across from the previous generation include easy one-tap pairing with Apple devices, Audio Sharing, Automatic Switching, Find My support, “Hey Siri” or just “Siri”, the ability to get personalized engraving, and skin-detecting sensors to automatically play/pause music when you put in/take out the earbuds.
AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
Pay an extra $50 and get Active Noise Cancellation and a few other handy features.
While this model does feature Active Noise Cancellation, don’t expect the same amount of noise isolation as the AirPods Pro, as the open-design doesn’t have the same passive noise cancellation provided by the in-ear tips on the Pro model.
On top of ANC Mode are Transparency Mode, Adaptive Audio and Conversation Awareness. Transparency Mode passes through all exterior sound, helping you stay fully aware of your surroundings. Adaptive Audio is a blend of both Transparency Mode and ANC, automatically reducing some noises, based on your environment. Conversation Awareness automatically lowers the media volume when the AirPods notice you talking to someone, then brings the volume back up after.
AirPods 4 with ANC also features an improved charging case, with wireless charging. The case can be charged via USB-C, Apple Watch or Qi-certified chargers. MagSafe is no longer supported. The case is the smallest in the industry with wireless charging. As on the AirPods Pro 2nd generation case, this case also has a speaker to help find it via Find My. As mentioned above, you’ll get 30 hours of total listening with the case, or 20 hours with ANC turned on. The earbuds last for 5 hours with ANC off or 4 hours with ANC enabled.
AirPods 2nd generation were available for $129, while AirPods 3rd generation were $169 without wireless charging or $179 with wireless charging. AirPods 4 are launching at a similar price, with the non-ANC model selling for $129, while the ANC model is $179. You can pre-order the AirPods 4 now and they will be available September 20. It should be noted, AirPods Pro 2nd generation are on offer on Amazon at the moment for $189.99.