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AirPods, AirPods everywhere, let's all blast the tunes!
There is no shortage of choice when it comes to picking out AirPods. If you're deciding between an over-the-ear or an in-ear option, that makes for an easy decision since AirPods Max are the only traditional headphone option.
But if you want "AirPods" and you start looking into your options, it can become a little tricky to figure out which model is right. Are "Gen 2" AirPods Pro better than the NEW models just because they say pro? Do I need "conversational awareness?" Does it matter if I have "head tracking?"
There's a lot of jargon in this space.
The good news is, ALL the AirPods models sound great (I know because I have them all), so it comes down to the features that will actually make a difference for you enjoying your music and podcasts.
In Fall of 2024, Apple introduced two new, and very similar AirPods models: AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation.
While the sound quality out of both models is, in fact, the same, the addition of Active Noise Cancellation (explained shortly) to the base model AirPods really makes the new AirPods 4 the best choice for most people, in my opinion.
But you should decide for yourself. And to help you do that, here's some info that could be handy.
What's the difference between AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation?
A clunky name, a better case, and more robust features.
Those are the main differences between the new AirPods 4 models. That really sums it up nicely, if I do say so myself, but if you need more details, read on!
Active Noise Cancellation
As the name suggests, the lower cost AirPods 4 do not have Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and the more expensive ones do.
ANC on AirPods uses microphones pointed to the outside world as well as ones pointed toward the inside of your inner ear. As different sounds are detected on the outside world, AirPods work rapidly (like 10s of thousands of times a second) to reduce unwanted frequencies before they make it through to your ear. The result is you hear more of what you want (your music, podcast, audiobook) and less of what you don't (airplane engine, furnace, screaming infants).
Some people don't actually like ANC because they worry about not being able to hear street noises or vehicles during outdoor runs. But AirPods with ANC have a solution to that, providing a Transparency mode which can be toggled on to allow more of your surroundings to filter through.
They also have a mode called Adaptive Audio, which will basically automatically toggle through between Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency as you move through different environments.
If ANC doesn't seem like a big deal to you, you may be tempted to just go for the base AirPods 4; however, there are some other cool things you'll miss out on.
Conversation Awareness
There's a handy feature AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation (wow, this an annoying name to keep typing over and over again, but I will to prevent confusion) has that is borrowed from AirPods Pro Gen 2.
Conversation Awareness can detect if you're talking to someone. It will lower the volume of whatever you're listening to while also enhancing the voice in front of you (example, in line at a coffee shop when you're chatting with the barista).
This allows you to not take out your AirPods. If I'm in public, I will always take these out (like when they check your passport as you're boarding a plane) because I feel like it's polite etiquette. However, in the house as I'm doing chores and need to quickly ask my wife something, this feature is great.
Battery Life
You may be surprised to learn that the cheaper AirPods 4 actually have better battery life than the more expensive ones, but it's true! That Active Noise Cancellation does require constant computing power, which slowly diminishes your battery.
Having said that, I remember the days of two hours of battery life being SO long for an earbud. So, I'm not too phased by the fact that AirPods 4 have five hours of battery life and AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation "only" have four.
Charging
The AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation give you more charging options. This is a big difference in my books. Once you get used to the convenience of wirelessly charging your AirPods, it's tough to go back.
With AirPods 4, you are limited to wired charging through the USB C port. But with AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, you can do a wired charge or use an Apple Watch charger or a Qi-certified charger (that's the common wireless charging standard).
Case
The more expensive AirPods also have speakers built into the case. This means if you lose the case, you can use your iPhone and the Find My App to more easily locate them.
I've not been in the scenario often where my case has gone missing, but with two toddlers in my home, the most recent time the cases were hidden deep in a toy box, I was thankful to have the audible Find My support from my AirPods case.
What's the same about AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation?
Most of the stuff I just mentioned above are bells and whistles (except maybe battery life…if you REALLY think you need five hours of listening time).
Where it counts, both versions of AirPods 4 are the same.
Apple H2 Chip
The chip has been moved to the stem of the AirPods to improve the acoustics in the latest models. This powerful audio chip is what helps your music sound so good and also supports new functions, like being able to nod or shake your head to respond to Siri.
Voice Isolation
Both models of AirPods can detect your voice and tune out background noise when you're on phonecalls. In the few tests I've done taking calls outside and actually asking people how I sounded in noisy environments, I was impressed that issues, like wind and traffic, weren't detected by the people I was chatting with.
Sweat, Dust, and Water
Both models of AirPods 4 have the same resiliency against sweat, water, and dust. This is particularly relevant if you use your AirPods for exercising. Just remember "resistant" doesn't mean "proof."
The Recommendation
As I mentioned at the beginning of the article (thanks for making it all the way to the end, by the way, you're awesome) I think AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation are probably the right choice for most people (like even against AirPods Pro Gen 2).
Wireless audio
AirPods 4 With Active Noise Cancellation
AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation provide great battery life, a comfortable fit and come with some nice bells and whistles that were previously exclusive to the Pro model AirPods.
Wireless audio
AirPods 4
AirPods 4 have excellent audio quality, but you won't get a few nice features you'll find on the ANC model (conversation awareness, transparency mode, and a case with a built-in speaker. You will get better battery life since there is no ANC running in the background.
The Bottom Line
After switching between both modesl of AirPods for about a week I am most impressed by the comfort and secure fit of the redesigned earbuds. The slight tapering along the edge of the speaker makes the AirPods sit a little deeper in your ear canal, which makes them feel more securely in place.
Before actually trying these out, I figured they'd be an inferior fit to AirPods Pro Gen 2, just because of the abscence of the silicon tip. But now that I've tried them out, I've gotta say that's a non-issue. And even in terms of ANC, I figured there would be a quality dip since you're not getting any of the passive noise cancelling because of the silicon tip. However, the ANC eperience is shockingly good!
I'd say on par with (or VERY close to) AirPods Pro Gen 2, so if you'd previosly ruled out an open ear AirPod becuase of audio quality or comfort, you should reconsider. Because of the balance of features to cost with AirPods 4 with Active Noise Canellation I feel confident recommending these earbuds as something most people will appreciate.
While none of the features that are different between the AirPods 4 models are need to have, I do think they're nice to have. And with the price difference being relatively small between the two, I'd suggest most people go for the slightly higher-end ones.
But, you know you the best! If you really don't think you want Active Noise Cancellation and don't care about wirelessly charging the case, go full on with the base iPods 4 and enjoy the heck out of 'em! You'll get more listening time with those (between the case and the pods, up to 30 hours, 10 hours more than the ANC model) and you'll save a few bucks, which you can invest in an Apple Music subscription or an Audible Membership to enjoy books on your new AirPods.
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