Apple’s newest AirPods 4 add affordable ANC and wireless charging

By Phil Nickinson Published October 3, 2024

Apple’s annual fall event (or close enough to fall, anyway) has arrived. And with it we have the iPhone 16, of course, a new version of the AirPods Max — and new entry-level and midrange AirPods (to go along with new features for the existing AirPods Pro).

Apple has said goodbye to the original long-stem AirPods design, with the new AirPods 4 looking a lot like the third-gen AirPods. It has also created a separate version called the AirPods 4 with ANC.

The AirPods 4 with ANC, as the name suggests, will include active noise cancellation, marking the first time we get that feature outside of the AirPods Pro line. It’s also the first time Apple has offered ANC without the use of passive noise isolation solutions like silicone eartips or over-ear ear cushions.

Apple credits the AirPods 4 with ANC’s new H2 processor for this achievement. They’ll also include transparency mode and adaptive audio, which can automatically switch depending on what it hears in the environment around you.

The AirPods 4 with ANC also offer a USB-C case with wireless charging plus a built-in speaker for Find My, while the regular AirPods 4 can only charge via USB-C. Both cases are 10% smaller than the third-gen model and Apple claims that the AirPods 4 with ANC’s case is the smallest on the market to offer wireless charging.

If you want all that ANC goodness, however, you’ll have to pay a little extra. The non-ANC version costs $129, and the model with ANC costs $179. By comparison, the AirPods Pro cost $249.

Curiously, battery life has been slightly reduced. The third-gen model had a claimed 6 hours of playtime on a single charge and a total of 30 hours when you include the case. The fourth-gen are now rated for 5 hours per charge, yet they still get 30 hours total.

Apple calls these new AirPods models the best-fitting AirPods ever. According to the company, the new design is built with “an unparalleled data set” that uses advanced modelling tools, like 3D photogrammetry and laser topography, to precisely map and analyze thousands of ear shapes and over 50 million individual data points in total. Apple boasts that they’re also the best-sounding AirPods ever, with a “massive improvement” to audio quality, thanks to a new acoustic architecture.

AirPods 4 will include all the usual Siri and Mac features you’ve come to expect, and conversation awareness and adaptive audio are on board, too.

The AirPods 4 — as well as everything else new Apple announced — are available for preorder now and will ship September 20.