Beginning in 2024 Apple began offering the entry-level AirPods 4 product in two versions: AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation. These AirPods 4 are the “base” model without the additional features.
As Apple often mentions, “AirPods 4 are the best headphones Apple has ever created.” The updated headphones offer “open-ear design, setting an entirely new benchmark for fit and comfort.”
Apple improved the fit and comfort of these AirPods:
“The new design is built with an unparalleled data set that uses advanced modeling tools, like 3D photogrammetry and laser topography, to precisely map and analyze thousands of ear shapes and over 50 million individual data points in total. This process helped refine the design to deliver the most comfortable AirPods ever with one shape that naturally fits even more users around the world.”
AirPods 4 offer the following core technologies:
- Custom high-excursion Apple driver
- Custom high dynamic range amplifier
- Voice Isolation2
- Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking3
- Adaptive EQ
- Vent system for pressure equalization
The AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation add 4 features, including Active Noise Cancellation, Adaptive Audio, Transparency mode, and Conversation Awareness. These additional features also allow this model to use Live Translation for communicating across languages.
AirPods 4 are powered by Apple’s H2 headphone chip. Built-in sensors include:
- Dual beamforming microphones
- Inward-facing microphone
- Optical in-ear sensor
- Motion-detecting accelerometer
- Speech-detecting accelerometer
- Force sensor
These sensors offer many new features not available in previous “base” AirPods models:
“With the H2 chip, AirPods 4 unlock intelligent audio experiences only Apple silicon can deliver, such as Voice Isolation, enabling clearer call quality no matter the environmental conditions, and Siri Interactions, allowing users to simply nod their head yes or gently shake their head no to respond to Siri announcements. For even more control, AirPods 4 also feature a new force sensor on the stem to play or pause media and mute or end calls with a quick press.”
Each AirPod 4 is 1.19 inches (30.2 mm) x 0.72 inch (18.3 mm) and 0.71 inch (18.1 mm) deep. Each weighs 0.15 ounce (4.3 grams). The AirPods 4 case measures 1.82 inches (46.2 mm) x 1.97 inches (50.1 mm) and is 0.83 inch (21.2 mm) deep. The case weighs 1.14 ounces (32.3 grams).
The base AirPods 4 allows only USB-C connector charging, while the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation adds Apple Watch or Qi‑certified charging. AirPods 4 allow up to 5 hours of listening time on a single charge, however, 5 minutes of charging provides around 1 hour of listening time.
AirPods 4 connect using Bluetooth 5.3.
Source: Apple (product page, newsroom)
