AirPods 4 review – the world’s most popular earphones just got better – and now has ANC

Apple’s AirPods are the most popular earphones in the world and the latest version – the AirPods 4 – are even better and now include active noise cancellation.

These are open style earphones – there is no silicone tip like the AirPods Pro 2 – and they have been redesigned with shorter stalks with an improved fit after mapping tens of thousands of ears and collecting more than 50 million data points.

The bud has a new angle to direct audio into your ear while narrowing the width slightly so they rest inside your ear easier and stay in place.

For our review the AirPods 4 sat comfortably and didn’t come loose even when we were moving around and exercising.

But that’s us – there will be some who will feel like the AirPods 4 could fall out of their ears – they probably won’t – but they want a more a secure feeling.

For the customer who is not comfortable with an earphone that needs to be jammed into their ears, the AirPods 4 are ideal.

And the big development is the fact they now have ANC so you can block out most of the ambient noise around you.

There is also a more affordable version that does not include ANC.

All models of the AirPods 4 include the new H2 chip and a re-designed acoustic architecture which does all the heavy lifting when delivering improved audio quality, advanced interaction with Siri and clearer calls with voice isolation.

We heard a noticeable improvement with the audio quality thanks to the new custom low-distortion driver and high dynamic range amplifier.

As a result the bass level has really improved along with the clarity in the mids and highs.

The new AirPods 4 also deliver personalised spatial audio with dynamic head tracking.

This adds an entirely a new and immersive way to experience your movies, TV shows and games.

Add it even works well with FaceTime calls.

And this is all thanks to the H2 chip which can apply directional audio filters and adjust the frequencies that each ear receives so users will be hearing sounds coming from all directions.

Users can control playback thanks to the Force sensor in the stem and even switch between ANC and transparency mode.

The active noise cancellation is surprisingly good despite the open design of the AirPods 4.

It uses the same ultra-low noise microphones as AirPods Pro 2 and does a good job in reducing the sound around you even though there are no silicon ear tips to seal off your ear even further.

The Transparency Mode is excellent and allows you to still be aware of what’s happening around so you can stay connected to your environment. In this mode it’s like you’re not wearing any earphones at all.

There’s also Adaptive Audio onboard which can automatically adjust the level of transparency and ANC based on the amount of noise around you.

One of our favourite features is Conversation Awareness which means every time you speak the AirPods 4 lowers the volume on whatever you’re listening to and then, when you finish talking, it goes right back to where it was before.

This was convenient when we needed to speak to somebody or go up and order a coffee – and we didn’t need to take out the earphones.

Not so good when you want to sing along with the music – but it can be toggled on and off in the iPhone settings.

The AirPods 4 also allow you to stay connected with Siri so you can enjoy a true hands-free experience.

A new feature unlocked by the H2 chip allows users to simply nod their head yes or shake their head no in response to Siri.

This means you can choose to answer or dismiss calls, respond or dismiss messages and engage or dismiss notifications simply by nodding or shaking your head.

This works with AirPods 4 when paired with iPhones and iPads, Macs and Apple Watches running iOS 18, iPad OS 18, macOS Sequoia and watchOS 11.

We make a lot of calls each day and they were loud and clear with the AirPods 4 thanks to the new Voice Isolation feature that can lock in on your voice and at the same time reduce any background noise like wind and other city noises.

Even in the middle of the Sydney CBD, we were able to hear the person we were talking to quite clearly – and they were able to hear us without most of the background noise.

The USB charging case is 10 per cent smaller than the previous model – it’s really small.

The AirPods 4 ANC model’s case includes speakers so you can make it easier to locate with Find My with proximity view.

There is no button on the case anymore, but they easily pair with iPhone as soon as you open the case.

You can also double tap the front of the case near the LED to initiate pairing.

And the case now also has a USB-C port for charging.

The ANC case supports wireless charging and can also be charged with the same charger used for Apple Watch.

AirPods 4 will play for up to five hours on a single charge – four hours with ANC.

In total the case can offer 30 hours of charge and 20 hours if you’re listening with ANC.

The AirPods 4 are available now and are priced at $219 and $299 (with ANC).

VERDICT:

The AirPods 4 are a huge leap forward to already excellent earphones. And with the addition of ANC and other features it will make them even more attractive for customers looking for great audio and a seamless experience when connected to their iPhone.