AirPods 4 hands-on: noise cancellation for people who hate ear tips

For the first time, Apple’s AirPods for the masses come in two different versions. Today, the company announced its AirPods 4 earbuds, which start at $129, but there’s also a higher-tier $159 model that brings active noise cancellation to this open-style design. We’ve seen this attempted by other brands before — most recently Samsung with the Galaxy Buds 3 — and I’m very curious about how well Apple’s implementation will be able to combat city streets and airplane noise without the help of an in-ear seal from silicone tips.

I just checked out the AirPods 4 here at Apple’s event, and the earbuds themselves look and feel quite similar to their predecessors, though Apple’s website says the contours have been refined for a more secure fit. The charging case is now smaller and lighter than ever, and if you spring for the ANC version, the case supports wireless charging and includes a speaker for Find My location tracking.

The internal acoustic architecture has been redesigned yet again for improved sound, and the AirPods 4 pick up a lot of software tricks from the AirPods Pro, including adaptive audio, transparency mode, and conversation awareness. Much of this is possible because they include Apple’s H2 chip.

The AirPods 4 go up for preorder on Friday, along with the new iPhone 16 lineup, and will be available in stores on September 20th. Stay tuned for our full review in the coming days. I’m eager to see how the ANC fares. Will it actually be useful? Can it possibly compare to the AirPods Pro and their traditional in-ear fit? We’ll find out soon enough.