Last month when Apple launched the iPhone 16 phones, a surprise appearance at the launch event was the AirPods 4. A surprise because it comes with active noise cancellation (ANC), something that until now Apple had reserved for the AirPods Pro. Another important thing is that this ANC comes even though the AirPods have an open design – in other words a design that lacks silicone tips that can go into the ears and create a seal and fit that prevents noise cancellation. completes? So, how does ANC work in the AirPods 4? Its design limitations are quite attractive. In fact, it’s better than expected.

ANC isn’t the only notable thing about the AirPods 4. Its sound has also been upgraded, and it now offers some of the signature features we typically associate with Pro Series pods.

Now, before I get into the AirPods 4 with ANC that I’m reviewing today, a quick note on the differences between the regular AirPods 4 and the ANC ones. First of all is the price. The regular AirPods 4 are priced at Rs 12,900 while the AirPods 4 with ANC are priced at Rs 17,900 with an additional Rs 5000. For this extra money, you get not only ANC but also a case that supports wireless charging – for example with the Apple Watch charging puck – and has a small speaker so it can ring bells. In terms of sound quality, both variants of the AirPods 4 are similar, with both using the H2 chip, borrowed from the Pro line. Both also have a case with a USB-C port.

AirPods 4 design and fit

Personally, I’m not a fan of open design earbuds. These are buds that lack silicone tips, tips that can create a comfortable fit and seal. Conversely, the open design doesn’t go as deep into the ears and the fit isn’t always as secure as it is with buds like the AirPods Pro that have silicone tips. But there are some people who prefer the open design: it makes the inside of the ears sweat less, it doesn’t always put a bit of pressure inside the ears and it’s kind of more hygienic and easier to clean. .

If you’re one of those who like buds with an open design, you’ll love the AirPods 4. These are perfect buds in terms of fit and finish. In my ears, obviously, they didn’t fit as snugly as the AirPods Pro, but they sat well enough that they didn’t slip off even when I shook my head vigorously.

As is the case with AirPods, these still come in one color – milky white. They are also made of shiny and glossy plastic, which will accumulate scratches during your use. The case is made of the same plastic. The build quality is, of course, superb and you get the feeling that there’s a lot of tech wizardry going on inside the buds as well as the charging case.

The charging case is now smaller than before. It also has a USB-C charging port, and the more expensive AirPods 4 with ANC come with a case that has a small speaker for ringing and supports wireless charging.

The buds come with an IP54 rating, which allows them to handle water splashes, wet hands, and gym sweat. The stems are touch-sensitive, although in my use I found the touch controls finicky. But that’s on me because I’ve never been comfortable controlling earbuds — any of them — from the surface of their stems or buds. I find it very cumbersome. But if you don’t, using the Touch Spot on the AirPods 4 you’ll be able to control: playing and pausing music and skipping back and forth, summoning Siri, answering and hanging up calls.

AirPods 4 also come with a ton of sensors. This means that the buds can sense when they are in the ears and pause the music when you take them out, or start playing it again when you put them back in. They also support head tracking – essential for spatial audio and for features like shaking your head to decline a call.

AirPods 4’s sound quality and ANC

The big news with the AirPods 4 is that they now have the H2 sound chip, the same chip that Apple also uses in the AirPods Pro. In a way, it is an upgrade to the vanilla AirPods. And this is reflected in the sound they produce. It’s a fuller, slightly meatier sound with more bass – I can easily sense this in Eminem’s songs. The AirPods 4 also have somewhat more refined mids and highs as I experienced while listening to the Emily soundtrack with its accordion-heavy sound.

The sound signature of the AirPods 4, despite their small size, is a crowd pleaser. No matter what you’re listening to, from classics like Bohemian Rhapsody to the latest Bollywood craze like Tauba Tauba, AirPods 4 do a great job.

A lot of this is also due to the active noise cancellation, which is surprisingly good considering the design of the AirPods 4. Of course, the design also means that as purely ANC buds, the AirPods 4 don’t work that well. As such, they can’t silence a crowded room around you as soon as you put them in your ears, something that the AirPods Pro 2 or some other earbuds and headphones can do. Instead, ANC in the AirPods 4 reduces the noise and chatter around you, even if the sounds still reach your ears. But once I turned on the music on it, the ANC combined with the sound of the music was enough to keep the office gossip from my coworkers away from my ears.

Like the AirPods Pro, the AirPods 4 also have many smart features. Transparency mode is present and it recognizes dialogues. So, if you turn your head toward your office coworker and say something, the AirPods 4 immediately lower the music volume and you can carry on the conversation. When the conversation ends, the volume returns to the regular level. In calls, the AirPods 4 offer features like “dual beam-forming microphones” that can reduce background noise. Spatial audio is supported. In use, I found it to be quite effective, but not as impressive and sturdy as I get with the AirPods Pro 2.

Overall, in terms of performance I think the AirPods 4 give you about 90 percent of what the AirPods Pro 2 do, but at a relatively lower price.
With the case, the battery life of the AirPods 4 ANC variant is around 20 hours, with around 2 hours of continuous music playback. These figures match those I got in use from the AirPods 4 I reviewed. The regular version, without ANC, offers about 30 hours of battery life.

What is the price of AirPods 4?

When I started reviewing the AirPods 4, I wasn’t expecting so much. That’s because I never liked regular AirPods. But this, especially the AirPods 4 with ANC, is different. The sound performance of these buds, especially being supported by ANC, pleasantly surprised me.

I think the AirPods Pro 2, with their silicone tips, are a design that will appeal to more people. And the ANC on the AirPods Pro 2 is definitely, in a very measurable way, better than what the AirPods 4 can offer with their open design. But if you don’t mind the design, and you’re just looking for a pair of buds that offer solid sound quality and that you can pair with your iPhone or MacBook, the AirPods 4 are a bit more affordable, and Still a perfectly capable option. Having said that, the AirPods Pro 2 are now somewhat outdated and can also be found on sale at a discount. And if you can afford it for close to Rs 20,000, it’s definitely a better option than the AirPods 4 with ANC.