AirPods 4 review: ANC and better sound make a huge difference
Apple’s latest AirPods have so many features at such a great price, they give the AirPods Pro a run for their money
🏆 Review score: 3.5/5
Pros
✅ 🤏 Smaller, more compact design
✅ 👂 Improved sound quality
✅ 🎧 Active noise cancellation makes a big difference
✅ 🔌 USB-C and wireless charging have arrived
✅ 💰 Pro-level features at a more affordable price
Cons
❌ 📐 Design won’t be for everyone
❌ 🪫 Battery life is underwhelming
❌ 🧲 No MagSafe support
❌ 🛍️ AirPods Pro 2 are regularly on sale for around the same price
Shortcut review
The AirPods 4 are the ideal headphones for anyone who wants the smarts of AirPods Pro with the classic AirPods design. I’ve been using both the normal $129 version and the upgraded $179 version with active noise canceling for two months, and these are easily the best regular AirPods to date. Compared to other earbuds in this price range like the Nothing Ear and Sony LinkBuds Fit or S, the AirPods 4 offer a solid package for Apple device users.
That being said, they’re not perfect. They don’t like to stay in my ears, and working up a sweat at the gym does zero favors. I’m also underwhelmed by battery life, and the lack of combo wireless charging/MagSafe is sad to see. What’s more, the AirPods Pro 2 keep going on sale to match the AirPods 4’s price, which makes them a lot more appealing.
Regardless, if you need new AirPods and don’t want to buy the Pros (whether for financial reasons or the fact you don’t like the in-ear feel of silicone tips), the AirPods 4 are Apple’s best regular AirPods to date.
Up next: iPhone 16 Plus review: a big screen with AI at an affordable price
Full review
🎧 A smaller design that’s as comfortable as ever. Apple shrunk the size of the AirPods 4 and their charging case to be more compact and fit naturally in your ears, and I welcome the change. They feel much less like toothbrush heads sticking out of your ears, and the case is easier to fit into smaller pockets. Apple added USB-C to the case for charging (which means there are now two fewer products with Apple’s archaic Lightning connector), and there’s a speaker that chimes when you’ve lost your AirPods to help you find them.
Wearing the AirPods 4 feels like nothing. They slot right in and sit comfortably without growing tiresome over time. Even without silicone ear tips, the AirPods 4 have an improved seal that blocks out excessive external noise, which means they sit a bit deeper in your ear while not going as deep as the AirPods Pro. There are plenty of people who enjoy this style of earbuds, and if you’re one of them, you’ll really like this design.
🏃♂️ Durable enough for workouts, but not secure enough to stay in. The AirPods 4 are IP54-rated for water and dust resistance. That makes them safe for walking around in the rain or working out, which I’ve done quite a bit during my testing. However, I’ve also noticed that because they don’t fit in your ears with silicone tips or hooks, they’re much more likely they’ll slip out of your ears with almost any level of sweat. If you’re moving around a lot, it’s humid outside, or even if you’re chewing a piece of gum, there’s no guarantee these earbuds will stay in your ears.
Now, maybe that’s a non-issue for you, but most of the people allowed to try on my AirPods 4 admitted that the buds just won’t stay in their ears. You’ll likely find yourself adjusting them occasionally just to ensure they don’t fall out.
🤫 ANC makes a huge difference. Despite their looser fit compared to my AirPods Pro, the AirPods 4’s active noise cancellation was quite good. While the physical seal isn’t as great as other earbuds I’ve tested, Apple’s microphones and noise-canceling algorithm do a great job at blocking out external noise and making it easy to focus on the content you’re playing.
Being a fake New Yorker (a.k.a. I visit the city multiple days per week and have a list of my favorite coffee shops), I put the AirPods 4’s ANC through the subway test. I noticed that the easiest thing to hear was the train’s screeching brakes. The sounds of the opening doors and overhead announcements were much quieter, and hearing other passenger’s voices was near impossible (especially if you crank your music up a bit). Everything is brought down a couple of levels if you use the AirPods Pro, but in a vacuum, the AirPods 4 perform well.
You can switch between noise canceling, Adaptive Audio (which dynamically adjusts noise levels), and Transparency modes with the AirPods 4, so you won’t have to take them out to hear what’s going on. I found all of these modes to work well, but not quite as well as my AirPods Pro. I noticed that the transparency mode was a bit softer, while Adaptive Audio didn’t seem as responsive as what I’m used to from AirPods. Still, you won’t miss out on any major features here to improve your listening experience, which makes a huge difference in the regular AirPods experience.
Is it worth an extra $50 over the normal AirPods 4? I think so. Using the earbuds side by side, you hear a lot more external noise with the regular model, while the one equipped with ANC is far more enjoyable to use. Unless you’re on a strict budget, upgrading to AirPods 4 with ANC is the right move.
🔊 Good sound quality with spatial audio. The AirPods 4’s sound quality is solid. I wouldn’t say I was blown away, but they performed well. I’ve listened to a lot of music with these headphones, and everything sounded great. From country classics like Dwight Yoakam’s “A Thousand Miles From Nowhere” to Jay-Z’s “Izzy (H.O.V.A.)” and Frank Sinatra’s “Summer Wind,” these buds can handle any genre you throw at them. Sound quality is vivid and clean, while bass levels are sufficient without being overwhelming.
Apple’s new acoustic architecture uses a custom-designed low-distortion driver powered by a custom high dynamic range amplifier, meaning everything will sound better than it did with AirPods 3. And it does; I noticed podcasts and movies have more definition, while music is clearer with a more dynamic soundstage.
Both versions of the AirPods 4 are compatible with Spatial Audio, so you can enjoy an immersive listening experience, and they each come with head-tracking. I’ve never been a fan of Spatial Audio, but it works as expected, like on the AirPods Pro.
🔋 Battery life is a bit underwhelming. One thing I’m not a fan of with AirPods 4 is the battery life. Apple says both the regular model and the one with ANC can last up to five hours on a charge, but I got closer to 4 to 4.5 hours. With ANC turned on, that number never goes above four hours, which isn’t enough for flights or spending hours at your computer writing (like I do). The case gives you up to 30 hours of total ANC off listening time (20 hours total with ANC), which is nice, but who feels like taking out their headphones to recharge them halfway through the day?
🙃 Wireless charging quirks. Here’s the lowdown on wirelessly charging your AirPods 4:
If you buy the regular non-ANC model, you don’t get wireless charging at all.
If you buy the ANC-equipped model, you get wireless charging but no MagSafe support for a more secure connection.
If you buy AirPods Pro, you get both wireless charging and MagSafe.
It’s clear that Apple wants to push you towards buying its premium earbuds if you’re a fan of both wireless charging and MagSafe. The AirPods 4 with ANC are a good middle ground, especially if you’re on a budget and don’t want to spend more than $200. For that reason, they’re the ones I recommend buying since, otherwise, you’ll have to find a USB-C cable every time you want to charge your AirPods. While it’s nice to see the more modern port on these buds, let’s be honest: who wants to plug their earbuds in at night? Set ‘em on a Qi charger, and forget about it!
🧑🎓 Pro-level features at a better price... There wasn’t much I missed while using AirPods 4 compared to my AirPods Pro. I prefer the design with silicone tips, sure, but other than that, I had very few complaints. Apple even added the ability to play/pause your music by pinching the stem of either bud, as well as a speaker so you can play a chime to help find your lost AirPods or alert you of a low battery. There’s no volume control on the stems, but I didn’t find that to be a big deal. At $129 and $179, the AirPods 4 are quite a good value.
🧐 …as long as AirPods Pro aren’t on sale. That being said, there’s a huge caveat here: the AirPods Pro 2 are regularly on sale for less than $200. Sometimes, they’re on sale for less than AirPods 4, which is absolutely crazy to think about.
AirPods 4 with ANC is a solid pickup with a lot of pro-level features, but only if the actual professional AirPods aren’t on sale. If there’s a deal going on, you’re better off picking up the more premium option since you’ll get more bang for your buck.
Should you buy AirPods 4?
✅ Yes, if…
You want ANC at a more affordable price
You want some of the smartest earbuds available
You have any pair of old AirPods (besides Pros) and need an upgrade
❌ No, if…
AirPods never fit in your ears (get the AirPods Pro 2)
You want wireless charging and MagSafe (get the AirPods Pro 2)
You want longer battery life (get the AirPods Pro 2)
Max Buondonno is a writer at The Shortcut. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop.