Alongside the iPhone 16 models, Apple launched its next-generation flagship AirPods, the AirPods 4. There's a new design and for the first time, Active Noise Cancellation, so we thought we'd check them out to see how they compare to the prior-generation AirPods 3 and the AirPods Pro 2.
There are two versions of the AirPods this time around, an entry-level $129 model, and a $179 model that also includes Active Noise Cancellation. ANC has previously been exclusive to the AirPods Pro and the AirPods Max, and this is the first time that Apple's used it in an open-ear headphone design and in a device at the sub-$200 price point.
Apple tweaked the design of the AirPods, introducing a shape that's supposed to fit more ears. The revamp took into account millions of scans of different ears to get a more comfortable, snug fit for people. In practice, the design isn't that much different, but if you have had trouble keeping AirPods secured in your ears, you might have luck with the new shape.
ANC typically comes in headphones or earbuds that have some kind of seal with the ear canal, but that's not the case here. Apple did not add silicone tips like it has for the AirPods Pro 2, so the ANC isn't going to cut out sound quite as well as earbuds where you get a seal. That said, the ANC is pretty decent at cutting down on annoying ambient noise like ACs, the drone of an airplane engine, and similar sounds.
Apple upgraded both models with the same H2 chip that's used in the AirPods Pro 2, and it's an upgrade over the H1 that was in the AirPods 3. Sound quality is about on par with the AirPods Pro 2 as a result, and the feature set is the same in terms of support for spatial audio, Voice Isolation, Personalized Volume, Transparency in the ANC version, and other functions. If you're coming from AirPods 3 and upgrading to AirPods 4, you'll definitely notice the boost in sound quality.
Apple slimmed down the AirPods case, and it's tiny. Cutting case size sacrificed MagSafe charging though, so while the $179 model supports Qi-based wireless charging, it does not have a magnet inside. The more affordable model doesn't have wireless charging at all. The button at the back for pairing and setup is gone, but there's actually a hidden button at the front for these features.
Battery life has actually gone down compared to the AirPods 3. You'll get up to five hours of listening time with a single charge instead of six hours, and a little less with ANC turned on. There's still 30 hours of total listening time with the case, even though it's smaller than before.
The case for the more expensive model also has a built-in speaker for Find My, so if you misplace your AirPods, you can get the case to play a sound so you can find them. This isn't a feature of the cheaper version, but it still has general Find My connectivity so you can locate it on a map.
For the $179 price, the AirPods 4 with ANC offer a pretty robust feature set, and at $129, the version sans ANC is competitive with many other cheaper Bluetooth headphones on the market. The main benefit of AirPods with Apple devices is the automatic pairing and device switching, which you can't get with competing products.
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