Apple gave its AirPods lineup a makeover on Monday, introducing two different pairs of wireless earbuds dubbed the AirPods 4, a minor refresh for the over-ear AirPods Max and some new features for the existing AirPods Pro. Both models of the fourth-generation AirPods look like slightly smaller versions of the third-gen model from afar, though Apple says the shape has been refined to improve overall comfort. They also feature Apple’s H2 chip, smaller charging cases with USB-C and promised improvements to sound quality.
The higher-end version of the two comes with active noise cancellation (ANC), which was previously limited to the AirPods Pro and Max. Its case also supports wireless charging and has a speaker that should make the whole thing easier to find if it’s ever misplaced.
The revised AirPods Max, meanwhile, now charge over USB-C and come in a few new colors. Finally, while there aren’t all-new AirPods Pro, Apple says the current model will receive new software features centered on hearing health, including the ability to function as a “clinical-grade” hearing aid.
Of course, the best way to figure out how much these updates matter is to actually listen to the new headphones. Unsealed earbuds like the AirPods 4 tend to naturally let in lots of outside noise, for instance, so we’ll be eager to see how well its ANC feature works. We’ll have full reviews in the near future. If you’re already dead-set on upgrading in some fashion, though, we’ve put together a quick and dirty breakdown of how the updated AirPods lineup stacks up.
AirPods 4
AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
AirPods Pro (2nd gen)
AirPods Max
Pricing (MSRP)
$129
$179
$249
$549
Design type
Earbud (unsealed)
Earbud (unsealed)
In-ear (sealed)
Over-ear
Active noise canceling
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Transparency mode
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Adaptive Audio
No
Yes
Yes
No
Multipoint connectivity
No
Automatic device switching with Apple devices only
No
Automatic device switching with Apple devices only
No
Automatic device switching with Apple devices only
No
Automatic device switching with Apple devices only
Battery life (rated)
Up to 5 hours
Up to 5 hours (with ANC off; up to 4 hours with ANC enabled)
Up to 6 hours
Up to 20 hours
Total battery life with case (rated)
Up to 30 hours
Up to 30 hours
Up to 30 hours
N/A
Wired charging
USB-C (cable not included)
USB-C (cable not included)
USB-C (cable included)
5 mins in case = around 1 hour of listening time
USB-C (cable included)
5 mins charge = around 1.5 hours of listening time
Wireless charging
No
Yes
Yes
No
Water and dust resistance
IP54
IP54
IP54
No
Size and weight
1.19 x 0.72 x 0.71 inches
0.15 ounces
1.19 x 0.72 x 0.71 inches
0.15 ounces
1.22 x 0.86 x 0.94 inches
0.19 ounces
7.37 x 6.64 x 3.28 inches
13.6 ounces
Case size and weight
1.82 x 1.97 x 0.83 inches
1.14 ounces
1.82 x 1.97 x 0.83 inches
1.22 ounces
1.78 x 2.39 x 0.85 inches
1.79 ounces
4.74 ounces
Chip(s)
Apple H2
Apple H2
Apple H2
Apple U1 in charging case
Apple H1
Bluetooth
Bluetooth 5.3
Bluetooth 5.3
Bluetooth 5.3
Bluetooth 5.0
Bluetooth codecs
AAC, SBC
AAC, SBC
AAC, SBC
AAC, SBC
Spatial audio
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Control type
Touch controls with force sensor
Touch controls with force sensor
Touch controls with force sensor and swipes
Digital Crown dial + Noise control button
Mics and sensors
Dual beamforming microphones
Inward-facing microphone
Optical in-ear sensor
Motion-detecting accelerometer
Speech-detecting accelerometer
Dual beamforming microphones
Inward-facing microphone
Optical in-ear sensor
Motion-detecting accelerometer
Speech-detecting accelerometer
Dual beamforming microphones
Inward-facing microphone
Skin-detect sensor
Motion-detecting accelerometer
Speech-detecting accelerometer
Nine microphones total: eight ANC mics, three mics for voice pickup (two shared for ANC)
Optical sensor
Position sensor
Case-detect sensor
Accelerometer
Gyroscope
Catch up on all the news from Apple’s iPhone 16 event!
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/heres-how-the-new-airpods-4-compare-to-the-rest-of-apples-headphone-lineup-190150611.html?src=rss
