AirPods 4 Review Videos Show Hidden Pairing Button, Lack of MagSafe

The first AirPods 4 reviews surfaced today, providing us with a closer look at Apple's latest earbuds before they launch on Friday.

AirPods 4 Hidden Button
There are two types of AirPods 4, including ones with active noise cancellation for $179 and those without active noise cancellation for $129. As discovered last week, the pairing button and charging status light are now hidden on both AirPods 4 charging cases, and some of the review videos offer a quick demonstration of these changes.

Marques Brownlee showed the new capacitive button starting at the 3:48 mark of his video:

Dave Lee touched on the button starting at the 3:20 mark of his video:

As noted in both reviews, both AirPods 4 charging cases no longer support MagSafe. This means that while the cases can be wirelessly charged, they lack magnets for a precise locked-in position or use with upright charging stands. There is one exception: the cases can still be magnetically attached to the Apple Watch's charging puck.

Read our full AirPods 4 review roundup to learn more about the earbuds.

Related Roundup: AirPods 4
Buyer's Guide: AirPods (Buy Now)
Related Forum: AirPods

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
imac video apple feature

Apple Launching These 15+ Products Later This Year

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors. Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each. iPhone 17 Series iPho...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
iPhone Car Key Kia

Here's Which Vehicles Offer iPhone Car Keys

Sunday July 6, 2025 3:03 pm PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. Apple has a web page with a list of vehicle models that ...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Will Expand to These 8 U.S. States

Tuesday July 8, 2025 11:26 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
iphone 17 pro render majin bu

New iPhone 17 Pro Renders Highlight Apple Logo and MagSafe Design Changes

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:43 pm PDT by
New renders today provide the best look yet relocated Apple logo and redesigned MagSafe magnet array of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Image via Majin Bu. Several of the design changes coming to the iPhone 17 Pro model have been rumored for some time, such as the elongated camera bump that spans the full width of the device, with the LiDAR Scanner and flash moving to the right side. ...
apple account card feature

Apple Account Card Expanding to More Countries

Tuesday July 8, 2025 7:34 pm PDT by
Apple is expanding the ability to add an Apple Account Card to the Wallet app to more countries, according to backend Apple Pay changes. With iOS 15.5, Apple updated the Wallet app to allow users to add an Apple Account Card, which displays the Apple credit balance associated with an Apple ID. If you receive an Apple gift card, for example, it is added to an Apple Account that is also...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...

Top Rated Comments

Radin.Y Avatar
11 months ago

Not sure why you would get these over the pro 2. If you can't afford the $20 difference you shouldn't be spending that much on headphones.
Many people don’t like the silicon seal on headphones
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
StoneJack Avatar
11 months ago
Pairing is one of most crucial points of using wireless headphones. The pairing button is also needed for resets.
Who was dumb enough at Apple to make the pairing button invisible?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dz5b609 Avatar
11 months ago
Did not like MKBHD's review at all (which rarely happens), like sure he's one of a percentage of people who don't fit Airpods but at that point why review it yourself and not have one of his numerous staff members do the testing. Yes ANC is going to be bad if the airpods don't fit you at all and have a bad seal. But that's not very interesting for the people watching the review whose ears are fitting for the airpods since those are the people who're interested in them.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sw1tcher Avatar
11 months ago

Not sure why you would get these over the pro 2. If you can't afford the $20 difference you shouldn't be spending that much on headphones.
in-ear earphones don't work for everyone. They don't work for me. I tried them and whenever I move around, I get a "thump thump thump" sound ('https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/hearing-the-thump-of-my-own-walking-while-wearing-new-airpods-pro.2208595/'). I looked it up and it's being referred to as "bone conduction." It's annoying AF.

https://service.shure.com/s/article/thumping-noise-when-walking-and-using-the-e3c-earphones?language=en_US

For those who cannot deal with the "thumping" and want earphones with ANC, the AirPods 4 are it. Sometimes it's not about the price.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
newJeans Avatar
11 months ago

Not sure why you would get these over the pro 2. If you can't afford the $20 difference you shouldn't be spending that much on headphones.
i don't like the sensation of the ear plugs / tips on the airpods pro. i went from airpods 1 > airpods pro > airpods 3 because of this. quite interested to see if the ANC of airpods 4 is actually good, but will wait for rtings to comment. :)
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Xade Avatar
11 months ago

Because one doesn't like rubber tips in the ear canals?

I have AirPods Pros and the regular original style (with the long stems) and will often pick the old ones when running because I don't like tips on the Pros when working out. They fit fine, but itch when I get sweaty and amplify internal body sounds too much.
I prefer the original style for working out as I can change songs by just tapping them instead of squeezing them like the pros which then fall out!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)