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Apple AirPods 4 · Apple official supplied product photograph; complete original canvas, background and native alpha retained.

Apple AirPods 4
Photo 1 of 5

Apple AirPods 4 · Apple official supplied product photograph; complete original canvas, background and native alpha retained.

Apple · AirPods

AirPods 4

Released September 2024

AirPods 4 are Apple's 2024 open-ear earbuds without noise cancelling, with an H2 chip and a small USB-C case, suited to iPhone users who want simple, comfortable AirPods.

Model history · 4 models, 2016–2024
  1. 2016AirPods (1st generation)Compare
  2. 2019AirPods (2nd generation)Compare
  3. 2021AirPods (3rd generation)Compare
  4. 2024AirPods 4
Type
Open-ear
Noise cancelling
No
Battery
5 h
With case
30 h
Best codec
AAC
Weight
4.3 g

What reviewers say

Reviewers agree the redesigned shape is more comfortable and secure than before and the sound is good for open earbuds. With no seal or noise cancelling they block little outside noise; TechRadar thinks rivals with noise cancelling are better value, Tom's Guide found battery life average, and SoundGuys warns the one-size fit won't suit every ear.

From soundguys.com, techradar.com and tomsguide.com

Specifications

Report a wrong or missing spec

Sound

Type
Open-ear
Noise cancelling
No
Transparency mode
No
Spatial audio with head tracking
Yes
Bluetooth codecs
SBC and AAC
Lossless over USB-C
No
Chip
H2
Drivers
Custom high-excursion Apple driver and custom high dynamic range amplifier
Audio features
Personalised Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking; Adaptive EQ; Voice Isolation; lossless audio with Apple Vision Pro

Battery

Listening time (maker's claim)
Up to 5 hours
With the case
Up to 30 hours
Wireless charging
No
Charging case
Charging Case (USB-C), charged by USB-C cable only
Fast charging
5 minutes in the case gives around 1 hour of listening

Design

Weight (each earbud)
4.3 g
Water and sweat resistance
IP54
Bluetooth
5.3
Controls
Force sensor on the stems (press once to play, pause or answer a call; twice to end a call or skip forward; three times to skip back; press and hold for Siri); “Hey Siri” or just “Siri”; Siri Interactions by nodding or shaking your head
Microphones
Dual beamforming microphones and an inward-facing microphone; speech-detecting accelerometer
Fit and ear tips
Open-ear design with no ear tips
Case weight
32.3 g
Water resistance detail
IP54 (IEC 60529) for the AirPods and charging case
Works with
Full features with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Apple Vision Pro on the latest software; works as Bluetooth headphones with other devices, with limited features
Colours
White
In the box
AirPods 4 and Charging Case (USB-C), documentation; USB-C cable sold separately

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Up to 30 hours of listening with the case
  • H2 chip with Personalised Spatial Audio, head tracking and Voice Isolation
  • IP54 dust, sweat and water resistance for the buds and the case

Cons

  • No active noise cancellation or Transparency mode
  • The case charges only by cable, with no wireless charging or Find My speaker
  • Up to 5 hours per charge

Closest rivals

Model
TypeNoise cancellingBatteryWith caseBest codecWeightReleased
BoseUltra Open Earbuds
Open-earNo7 h26.5 haptX Adaptive6.4 gFeb 2024
SonyLinkBuds Open
Open-earNo8 h22 hLC35.1 gOct 2024
Anker soundcoreAeroFit 2
Open-earNo10 h42 hLDAC10 gOct 2024

Previous model: AirPods (3rd generation). Newer model: AirPods 5.

Sources

  1. support.apple.com/en-gb/121203
  2. apple.com/uk/newsroom/2024/09/apple-introduces-airpods-4-and-a-hearing-health-e…
  3. apple.com/newsroom/2024/09/apple-introduces-airpods-4-and-a-hearing-health-expe…
  4. apple.com/uk/airpods/compare
  5. support.apple.com/en-gb/118295
  6. support.apple.com/en-ie/guide/apple-vision-pro/devfb04be0c/visionos
  7. soundguys.com/airpods-4-vs-airpods-3-worth-the-upgrade-124463

Photo: Apple official supplied product photograph; complete original canvas, background and native alpha retained.

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