Testing Apple's New AirPods 4 With Active Noise Cancellation

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.

Related Roundup: AirPods 4
Buyer's Guide: AirPods (Buy Now)
Related Forum: AirPods

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light

iOS 19 Will Bring Biggest Design Overhaul Since iOS 7

Monday March 10, 2025 12:17 pm PDT by
Apple is planning for a major design overhaul of the iPhone, iPad, and Mac interfaces with the introduction of iOS 19, iPadOS 19, and macOS 16 later this year, reports Bloomberg. The update will "fundamentally change" the look of Apple's operating system, introducing a more consistent cross-platform experience. Apple plans to update the style of icons, menus, apps, windows, and system...
ios 18 4 carplay

Apple Upgrades CarPlay in Two Ways

Wednesday March 12, 2025 6:05 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 18.4 update for the iPhone includes a smaller but meaningful improvement for Apple's in-car iPhone mirroring system CarPlay. Specifically, CarPlay now shows a third row of icons, up from two rows previously. However, this change is only visible in vehicles with a larger center display. For example, a MacRumors Forums member noticed the change in a Toyota Tundra with a...
Apple One Apps Feature 2

Apple One's Best Plan Now Includes Two More Perks For Free

Monday March 10, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Apple One allows you to subscribe to up to six Apple services for one discounted monthly price. There are three Apple One tiers: Individual, Family, and Premier. Over the last month, the highest-end ‌Apple One‌ Premier plan has gained two additional perks. Here is what Apple One Premier already included, for $37.95 per month:Apple Music Apple TV+ Apple Arcade Apple News+ Apple Fitness+...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3 Launch Now Just Months Away: Here's What We Know

Tuesday March 11, 2025 3:26 am PDT by
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as excellent for...
iOS 18

12 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.4

Monday March 10, 2025 9:28 am PDT by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.4 in early April, bringing further refinements to Apple Intelligence features, a neat new capability to iPhone 15 Pro devices, new emoji, and more. While not quite as packed with new features as Apple's preceding iOS 18 point releases, iOS 18.4 still introduces enhancements that aim to make your iPhone smarter and more intuitive. Below, we've listed 12 new...
iphone 17 mockups idevicehelp

Video Shows iPhone 17 Mockups Based on 'Internal Documents'

Monday March 10, 2025 4:41 am PDT by
YouTuber iDeviceHelp on Friday posted a video that shows off mockups of Apple's forthcoming iPhone 17 models that are purportedly based on "internal documents." We're sharing the video here since it was made in collaboration with leaker Majin Bu, who last month published similar iPhone 17 renders that were widely corroborated by separate leakers with links to Apple's Chinese supply chain....
iOS 18

iOS 18.3.2 Update Coming Soon for iPhones

Monday March 10, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple employees are internally testing iOS 18.3.2 for iPhones, according to our website's visitor logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. The software update should be released in the next week or two. iOS 18.3.2 will be a minor update that addresses software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. Don't expect any new features. iOS 18.3.2 will be an interim...
iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.3.2 With Bug Fixes

Tuesday March 11, 2025 10:33 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.3.2 and iPadOS 18.3.2, minor updates for the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that came out last September. iOS 18.3.2 and iOS 18.3.2 come a month after Apple released iOS 18.3.1 and iPadOS 18.3.1. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release...
Apple Maps vs Google Maps Feature

iOS 18.4 Adds a Highly-Requested Setting to iPhones — But Not in U.S.

Wednesday March 12, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
iPhones are finally getting a much-requested setting, but availability is limited. The upcoming iOS 18.4 update introduces an option to set a default navigation app, other than Apple Maps, but unfortunately this new setting is limited to users in the EU. There, you can now set an app like Google Maps or Waze as your default navigation app on the iPhone by opening the Settings app and tapping ...

Top Rated Comments

Muero Avatar
25 weeks ago
The article claims the case “does not have a magnet inside” but this is false. It has magnets for three purposes:
1. To keep the lid closed
2. To keep each AirPods snugly in position in the case
3. On the back to attach an Apple Watch charger
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
officialtlong Avatar
25 weeks ago
I have only about 45 mins of listening time but it is quite amazing the amount of ANC these provide considering the gaps in fitment. I've owned all AirPods and these are quite good for the money.

If you have the Pro 2's and are happy with fitment, no need to get these. Pro 2's are the best sonically.

I am one of those people that hate wearing Pro 2's when working out or working period because they get sweaty and start falling out where regular AirPods let my ears breath and they stay in, so these are a treat for that purpose.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BigBellyBelcher Avatar
25 weeks ago
$10 more to get discounted pros from Best Buy while on sale
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AllanMarcus Avatar
25 weeks ago

The article claims the case “does not have a magnet inside” but this is false. It has magnets for three purposes:
1. To keep the lid closed
2. To keep each AirPods snugly in position in the case
2. On the back to attach an Apple Watch charger
The article is referring to a MagSafe magnet.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Funny Apple Man Avatar
25 weeks ago

$10 more to get discounted pros from Best Buy while on sale
Yes, but it depends if one is comfortable with the ear tips or not.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lkrupp Avatar
25 weeks ago
Received my AirPods 4 w/ANC yesterday. Very pleased with their quality, performance, and ear fit. The active noise cancelation works very well.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)