Apple released two new AirPods for the first time at its September event for iPhones: AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancelation (ANC) and AirPods 4 without ANC, priced at $180 and $130, respectively. This is also the company’s debut in providing ANC with an open-ear design. It has previously only offered noise cancelation on the in-ear AirPods Pros .
Apart from ANC, the only two features on the high-end AirPods 4 that are absent on the base model are support for wireless charging and a speaker in the case for Find My alerts. I’m assuming most people will pay the extra $50 for ANC, which is why that’s the most important area these were supposed to ace. While they did a great job canceling low-end noise, high-end sounds were barely reduced.
Overall, the Pros are far better regarding ANC, owing to their silicone in-ear tips that completely block your ear canals. This isn’t Apple’s fault; it’s just a design feature. But Apple could’ve made up for that by featuring a longer battery life, better onboard controls, and a snugger fit on the AirPods 4 .
Apple AirPods 4 With ANC: Design The first feature I noticed on these was how much the charging case has been trimmed down compared to the 2022 AirPods Pros. Shaving off a few centimeters from both ends, the case is significantly less elongated than before—to the point where it’s very close to being a perfect square. The thickness remains unchanged mainly; if anything, it looks stumpier than before.
Annoyingly enough, th.