APPLE’S AirPods have won.
Just look around next time you’re at a busy train station or on a city street. How many ears are plugged with those pure-white Apple earbuds? You’ll probably give up trying to count.
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The number of people now using AirPods is estimated to be over 100 million. That’s a huge chunk of the global population.
And that number is about to rise given that Apple has just turned out two new pairs of AirPods 4.
I’ve been quietly (and also loudly) testing them out in secret since their debut at the Apple Glowtime event on September 9.
They come in two flavours: regular Apple AirPods 4 for £129 / $129 and AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation £179 / $179.
These are now officially the entry-level AirPods, unless you decide to buy older or refurbished models.
Like before, the AirPods connect wirelessly to your devices, pause music when you pop an earbud out, and re-charge in their handy carry case.
And they’ll still let you chat to Siri if you want to.
But there’s plenty of new stuff to get excited about.
Probably the most common complaint leveled at Apple over its AirPods is comfort.
Many people say that the AirPods just don’t fit well. I’ve never had a problem, but every ear is different.
Other headphones solve this with silicone tips, just like the AirPods Pro.
But Apple has taken a new stab at creating what it calls the “most comfortable” headphones it has ever made.
This involved scanning thousands of ears (yes, really) to produce what Apple reckons is the perfect AirPods shape.
I will say that they do feel very comfortable even with extended use.
And they’re neat and lightweight, so you hardly notice them in there.
Despite this tight and comfortable new design, the AirPod still sound great.
You reach impressive levels of volume, clarity, and bass despite the relatively low price and small frame.
And there’s now support for Personalized Spatial Audio that dynamically tracks your head to give you an immersive experience while watching movies or listening to music.
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It’s difficult to explain exactly why it feels so cool. But it does feel cool, and you should try it.
There’s new Voice Isolation (courtesy of the built-in H2 chip) to make your spoken words sound clearer on the phone.
I tried this with a call at a busy New York intersection and I was reliably informed that the background sound was completely shut out. Very cool.
The stems of the new AirPods have a force sensor for pausing or playing music.
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And the charging case (which brings you up to a mammoth 30 hours of battery life total) now supports USB-C charging.
That’s the same type of cable that plugs into the latest iPhone, iPad, and Mac models. A great change, as the world moves towards a single cable rather than the dizzying array of wires we were used to in the past.
If you buy the ANC version of the AirPods 4, the case also supports wireless charging. This even works with an Apple Watch charger, if you have one.
The big change for the AirPods with ANC model is, as the name suggests, its noise-cancelling tech.
APPLE AIRPODS 4 BATTERY EXPLAINED
Here’s what you need to know…
The new Apple AIrPods 4 offer five hours of listening time on a single charge.
But you’ll get 30 hours of total listening time using the case.
With Active Noise Cancellation turned on, you’ll get four hours of listening time per charge.
And the total listening time drops to 20 hours with ANC enabled.
You toggle it on and totally shut out the ambient din around you.
It’s impressively good considering there are no silicone tips for a perfect seal.
This is especially useful if you’re trying to listen on a plane, while moving around a city, or sitting in a noisy office.
You can also switch to Transparency Mode to bring in noise, which is great for hearing announcement on a train platform, for instance.
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And Adaptive Audio gives you a bit of both, blending ANC and Transparency mode depending on your situation.
Lastly there’s Conversation Awareness, which will automatically lower your media volume when you start speaking to someone.
All of these tricks will cost you an extra £50 / $50, but they’re so good it feels like an easy sell.
The only other big change is the new Siri Interactions feature.
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It lets you nod or shake your head to say “yes” or “no” to Siri requests.
So if you’re in a busy lift, just shake your head to turn down an incoming call. It’s easy and intuitive – classic AirPods magic.
Time and again you’ll hear audio obsessives talking about how the sound quality of AirPods can be beaten by similarly priced alternatives.
Just ignore them. Preferably using Active Noise Cancellation.
Firstly, I will say that I think that the new AirPods 4 sound great for the money – especially the ANC version.
But ultimately (and perhaps confusingly), sound quality is just one small part of why you’re buying headphones.
Headphones are – at their most basic – a delivery mechanism for getting audio into your ears.
It doesn’t matter how delicious the pizza you ordered would’ve been if it’s been thrown around, the toppings have fallen off, and there’s a thumbprint on every slice.
You’ll eat it, bitter and resentful.
AirPods are the intact pizza, quickly delivered. Maybe it’s not the best-tasting three-Michelin-star pizza in the world. But it comes to you whole, delicious, and un-thumbed. And ultimately, all pizza is good pizza – as long as you get it properly.
If you only own one pair of headphones, you cannot do better than Apple AirPods.
They just work, and well. They are simple, practical, and delightful. And importantly, they’re not wildly expensive.
If you’re obsessed with music and have loads of cash to spare, go buy some posh over-ear headphones packed with tech and plug in for lossless audio brilliance.
Most people don’t want care enough about that experience to pay big bucks for it.
The Apple AirPods 4 deliver pure audio magic at a fairly low price. They were already great, and now they’re even better value for money.
The Sun says: The new AirPods 4 are blissfully comfortable, sound great for their size, and supercharge your ears with more features than ever before. They’re popular for a reason – and just got way better. 5/5
The Apple AirPods 4 (£129 / $129) and AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation (£179 / $179) are available on Friday, September 20.
All prices in this article were correct at the time of writing, but may have since changed.
Always do your own research before making any purchase.