Alright, so Apple just dropped the iPhone 16 and decided to throw in some new AirPods 4 for good measure.
They’ve got a fresh look and, drumroll, Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) for the first time ever.
So, naturally, we had to see how these bad boys stack up against the old AirPods 3 and the AirPods Pro 2.
Here’s the deal: there are two versions. One’s $129, and the other is $179 with ANC. Before, you had to go Pro or Max for ANC, but now Apple’s bringing it to the masses. It’s a first for open-ear headphones under $200, which is kinda cool.
Apple claims the new design fits more ears. They scanned a gazillion ears to get it right. Honestly, it doesn’t look all that different, but if you’ve been struggling to keep AirPods in your ears, these might be your miracle.
Now, ANC usually needs some kind of ear seal, but Apple skipped the silicone tips this time. So, the noise-canceling isn’t magic, but it does a decent job cutting out stuff like AC hums and airplane engines.
Both models got a brain upgrade with the H2 chip, same as the AirPods Pro 2. This means better sound quality, spatial audio, Voice Isolation, and all that jazz. If you’re upgrading from AirPods 3, you’ll definitely hear the difference.
The case got a diet plan and is now tiny. But, surprise, no more MagSafe charging. The $179 version does Qi wireless charging, though. The cheaper one? No wireless charging at all. They also moved the pairing button to a hidden spot on the front.
Battery life took a hit. It’s down to five hours from six on a single charge, and even less with ANC on. Still, you get 30 hours with the case, which is smaller now.
The pricier model’s case has a speaker for Find My, so if you lose it, you can make it beep. The cheaper one still hooks up to Find My but won’t scream for you.
For $179, you get a pretty sweet deal with ANC. At $129, you’re still getting a solid pair of Bluetooth headphones. And let’s face it, the seamless pairing with Apple devices is the cherry on top. Competing products can’t touch that.