Apple ’s AirPods are everywhere . The iconic whitewireless earbudsare so popular that I ’m guessing most phratry wo n’t bother reading a recapitulation before grabbing the latest model : the AirPods 4 .
I get it . At $ 129 , they ’re not cheap , but neither do they ask a draw of research — especially if you ’ve have AirPods in the past tense . As with all old generations , the best part about the AirPods 4 ( assuming you ’re an iPhone user ) is their simplicity . commit ’em up ( or do n’t — they come with most of a charge in the box ) , flip reach the hat , and watch as your sound now recognizes them and lets you connect them with a single tap . Pop ’em in your ears and start listening . earnestly , what could be easier ?
There ’s a lot more to the AirPods 4 story , but before I dig into the full review , I want to offer some historical linear perspective .
When I reviewed the AirPods 3 in 2021 , I sacrifice them a 4.5/5 . In hindsight , that was plausibly too generous , but two extremely influential factor conduce to my ebullience . First , the third - gen really were a big improvement over the 2nd - gen . Fit , sound quality , controls , spatial sound recording , wireless charging , water resistance … there was a lot to care . And while $ 179 still feel like a raft of money for what you were getting , at least it was consistent with Apple ’s AirPods pricing at the time if you include wireless charging .
Second , I maintain that there are two big grouping of wireless earbuds vendee : those who care ( or who are at least OK with ) silicone baksheesh that seal your ear canals , and those who hate them .
If you were in that second camp in 2021 , you had very few options . Semi - undefended model like the AirPods were hard to come by , and those that survive were n’t big ( though they were often very affordable ) . Theopen - ear earbud class , which has grown by leap and bound , had scantily begun .
yield those two realities , I reason that even if the AirPods 3 were n’t perfect , they were the obvious option for iPhone owners who do n’t like the feeling of silicone polymer cram in their ears .
OK , fast - forward to 2024 . If you ’re upgrading from a first- orsecond - gen model , the AirPods 4 are a big dance step up in all the way I described above , plus they offer up a few more perquisite I ’ll discuss in a moment . However , third - gen owners will be less impressed . The figure is nearly identical , sound quality is so closemouthed it ’s hard to pick a winner , and you may not even notice the more significant changes like Personalized Volume , the H2 chip shot , and the USB - C - equipped case . OK , the pillowcase is really diminished — you ’ll probably notice that .
My advice to third - gen owners is to stick with what you have or drop a mo more to get theAirPods 4 with ANC . They ’re the only semi - open earbuds with alive noise canceling that actually works — it ’s quite an acquirement . Plus you get wireless charging , something that the AirPods 4 lack .
I ’d also like to channelize out that open - ear earbuds are a fantastic alternative to the AirPods semi - open design . Most use an earhook human body , so that could be a deal - breaker for some mass , but that also do them ideal for running or exercising . You ’ll hear even more of the outside world and they wo n’t do work themselves on the loose after a few minutes . I know you ’ll plausibly end up bribe the AirPods anyway , but I intend you ’ll be impressed by the huge variety of options .
Design and shape
At a glance , it ’s most impossible to tell the third - gen and 4th - gen AirPods apart . Look cautiously and you may notice that the AirPods 4 have slightly thick stem , a slightly thin in - ear visibility , and that the talker chess opening is aimed slightly up when compared to the third - gen .
About the only change I detect while wear them is that the third - gen feels fractionally more secure thanks to its bigger visibility . But I can see this going the other way too , where some people find the AirPods 4 more well-to-do . But we ’re talking about a very small remainder either style .
The new rouse case , by contrast , is noticeably smaller and it now ( in the end ) has USB - degree Celsius for charging . The charging / mate LED is still there , but now you ca n’t see it unless it ’s illuminated . And Apple has removed the physical release from the derriere of the case . or else , you now tap justly below that unseeable LEDfor pairingand factory resets .
One belittled note : In the box seat , you get the AirPods and their charging caseful . That ’s it . Apple has lay off transport its earbuds with charge cable television . Most phratry , the companionship ground , already own a USB - C charging cable length . I ’m 100 % on circuit card with that philosophy for the AirPods 4 with ANC and higher as these model have wireless charging cases . But given the standard AirPods 4 only charge via USB - C , it would be nice if Apple let you add a cable to your lodge for a small fee .
Controls
I really like Apple ’s pinch restraint — they ’re the perfect balance between the seamlessness of touch command and the tactile feedback of physical push . They work just as well on the newest AirPods as on the other models that utilize this design . Still , I ’m lead to peep at Apple for not including theAirPods Pro ’s swipe gesture volume control . It ’s unbalanced that you still need to reach for your earphone or peach to Siri to modify the bulk on the non - Pro AirPods .
On the other manus , you now get optional brain motion for answering or declining an incoming call . At first , I was n’t trusted if I ’d ever use them , but then I received several spam calls in a wrangle and — I ’m not gon na rest — it was really satisfying to shake my brain and make them go away .
As with all AirPods , the AirPods 4 have clothing detection should you opt to use it . However , Apple has abandoned the skin - sensing technical school it used on the third - gen earbuds , opting for the infrared version it used on the original fashion model . Does that matter ? It calculate on if you wish to shove your bud in a pocket ( alternatively of the case ) when you remove them from your ears . If you do , it weigh .
The specs
Bluetooth quality
The AirPods 4 have Bluetooth 5.3 , an upgrade from the third - gen ’s 5.0 . In practical term , you probably wo n’t mark a divergence . Bluetooth 5.3 is supposedly more stable , with fewer dropout , but I have n’t establish this to be a problem with 5.0 .
Apple remains steadfastly opposed to offeringBluetooth Multipointfor simultaneous twist connections . Instead , it uses its iCloud - establish handoff feature for seamless shift among Apple devices . As long as you ’re all - in on Apple , it ’s a unspoiled alternative .
With Bluetooth 5.3 , Apple could have added support forLE AudioandAuracaston the AirPods 4 , but sadly , these two handy technologies are also no - shows on the new bud .
Sound quality
With the exception of the AirPods 4 with ANC ( see above ) there ’s a physical point of accumulation to how practiced a set of semi - exposed earbuds can sound . The design will always permit in some external noise , degrading detail ( and normally the blue - end bass frequencies ) of your medicine .
Apple ’s Personalized mass essay to compensate for noisy environments by adjusting the volume , but it can only do so much . If you manually push volume higher , that may help oneself , but it comes with its own risks ( noise - induced hearing loss is a very real peril ) .
Still , the AirPods 4 audio as good , if not skilful , than any other semi - loose earbuds I ’ve adjudicate . Bass — typically the Achilles ’s heel of semi - open designs — has a solid presence and come across as affectionate and reminiscent . I ca n’t detect any meaningful difference between the third - gen and fourth - gen , soI’ll quote myselfbecause this is still true about the Airpods 4 : “ As long as you ’re in a quiet localization , the AirPods 3 sound every bit as good as the AirPods Pro . ”
Of course , if you ’re not in a quiet localization — gyms , public theodolite , coffee shops , etc . — be cook for a less - than - hi - fi experience .
Spatial audio
Not everyone like how spacial audio recording sound ( especially for music ) , but since it ’s entirely optional , I see it as a fun extra on the AirPods 4 . Again , it works exactly the same as on the AirPods 3 , which is to say you may make stereo tracks sound more subject and airy . Some tracks benefit from this , while others do n’t — it ’s a very subjective affair .
The available head trailing is a great characteristic , but again , it works best in some situations than others . While listen to spacial sound medicine , I found it distracting . But using it to make the habitation field of operations experience more realisticwhen watch film on an iPhone or Apple TV 4 KiB is really cool . And when it come to FaceTime calls , I suppose straits tracking is a biz changer .
Call quality
Speaking of FaceTime call option , vox telephone on the AirPods 4 is a good tidings / bad news position . The skillful news program is that Apple has made further improvements to its background noise cancellation algorithms . During my testing , I walked down some very officious streets , with plenty of traffic and construction . None of these sounds were captured in my recordings , so your caller-out may never clear you are n’t indoors . More dependable news : The semi - unresolved design actually benefit you on calls because it lets you hear your own voice course , unmuffled by silicone eartips . However , that ’s a double - edged steel . That same transparency lets in everything else too , so you may finish up ask your caller to repeat themselves .
Battery life
By now , most AirPods fans have sex the hatful when it comes to bombardment sprightliness . It ’s o.k. , but it wo n’t win any award for endurance . Apple say you ’ll get up to 5 hours of listening time on a exclusive charge , with up to 30 hours when you include the fount ’s electrical capacity . That ’s really a little bad than the AirPods 3 , which were rated for up to 6 hours on a single accusation . On the smart side , the firm - charge feature works well : 5 minutes in the eccentric buy you an extra hour of hearing time .
So I ’ll enfold up where I started : For a lot of folks , the AirPods 4 are a no - brainer purchase . They may not win any innovation swag , but they ’ll work seamlessly with all of your Apple devices , they ’re comfortable , and if you must have a set of semi - overt earbuds , they provide very good sound and call quality .
I ’m annoyed that at $ 129 , Apple could n’t throw in wireless charging . Though I conjecture — given what it was charging for the AirPods 3 ( $ 179 ) as recently as August 2024 — the AirPods 4 are really a good deal by Apple ’s standards . You get almost all of the third - gen ’s features ( plus a few extras ) , minus the wireless charging , for 27 % less money . In fact , maybe the AirPods 4 ’s price is their biggest innovation .
For everyone else , I encourage you to explore the many awesomewireless earbuds alternativesthat are out there .
