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Amongst a plethora of new devices announced at Apple’s ‘It’s Glowtime’ event in September 2024 were the new AirPods 4. This was a timely update to Apple’s earbud lineup seeing as the AirPods 3 came out nearly three years ago.
Since then, competitors such as Huawei, Bose and Sony have all upped their earbud games with devices that deliver serious bang for their buck. That leaves Apple with some catching up to do.
So what’s new with AirPods 4, and has enough changed since AirPods 3 to justify an upgrade? Let’s take a deep dive and find out.
Read our full AirPods buying guide to find out the best AirPods for you
AirPods 4 vs AirPods 3 At A Glance
| Features | AirPods 4 | AirPods 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 8.6 grams | 8.56 grams |
| Charging Type | USB-C | Lightning |
| ANC | Yes if selected | No |
| Spatial Audio | Yes | Yes |
| Battery Life | Five hours | Six hours w/ spatial audio on, five without |
| Chip | H2 | H1 |
| Price | $179/£179 | $140-$170 depending on retailer |
Design and Weight
This is the easy part.
Visually, AirPods 4 and AirPods 3 look very similar. The AirPods 4 retain the same hard plastic casing and in-ear section as the 3rd generation AirPods, as well as the long stem.
The only noticeable difference is the addition of an external microphone used to implement Automatic Noise Cancellation for AirPods 4. The case for both AirPods is also the same, barring the fact that the AirPods 4 now have USB-C charging instead of Lightning.
In terms of weight, the AirPods 4 earbuds weigh 8.6 grams compared to 8.56 grams for the AirPods 3. For reference, the Bose QuietComfort earbuds weigh 8.49 grams.
So far, there isn’t anything to really set the two apart.
Price
AirPods aren’t exactly cheap, but they aren’t as expensive as other options like the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8. Whilst rare for Apple, it’s accurate to call AirPods mid-range devices. And the 4th generation model maintains that status.
The basic AirPods 4 cost $129/£129. If you opt for the ANC version, then it’ll cost you $179/£179.
As a result of the new release, you can no longer buy AirPods 3 from the Apple Store, but you can from third-party retailers. At the time of writing, you can buy a pair on Amazon for £149 in the UK and $199 in the USA with a year’s warranty.
Battery Life
Battery life is one of the main deciding factors when people are choosing a new pair of wireless earbuds. It isn’t exactly the AirPods’ strong point, and this seems to be a continuing trend with the 4th generation model.
The AirPods 3 had a six-hour battery life with Spatial Audio turned off and five hours with it turned on. The AirPods 4 have a stated battery life of five hours as standard which will almost certainly drop with ANC turned on.
That means the battery life has actually decreased in the new generation. The AirPods cases for both generations hold the same 30 hours of extra listening time battery.
Good To Know
Other brands such as the Sony XM5s last for around eight hours with ANC turned on!
Sound Quality
Now we are at the crux of the matter. What is inside AirPods 4 to make them sound better than AirPods 3?
Let’s start with the AirPods 3. At the centre of it all is the H1 chip. Whilst the same chip is found in the older AirPods 2, it is still an extremely powerful engine for a pair of earbuds. The third-generation AirPods come with the custom high‑excursion Apple driver and custom high-dynamic range amplifier.
Put simply, both of these features help to give AirPods a more rounded and dynamic sound. And that’s exactly how listening to them feels. The Airpods 3 are a great, if not world-beating, pair of earbuds.
The AirPods 4 have a similar driver with the same dual beamforming microphones to deliver excellent call quality. The big difference is that the new AirPods have the H2 chip, the very same one found in the AirPods Pro 2.
Find out more in our AirPods Pro 2 review
What does the H2 chip do? In Apple’s words, it uses “computational algorithms to deliver noise cancellation, superior three-dimensional sound and efficient battery life”. In other words, it is the bit of tech that actively manages the sound you are hearing.
And if you’ve used the AirPods Pro 2 you’ll know they sound brilliant and are some of the best out there. Our AirPods 4 review revealed that they don’t sound exactly like the Pro 2, but the gap in quality is much smaller than it used to be.
Automatic Noise Cancellation
The biggest difference between AirPods 3 and AirPods 4 is the introduction of Automatic Noise Cancellation (ANC). In fact, it almost seems like Apple made the AirPods 4 solely so they could bring in ANC and USB-C charging.
ANC is a feature that reduces the influence of outside and background noises on your listening experience. By using external microphones, AirPods 4 can detect sounds and then emit opposite frequencies into your ear to cancel them out.
The basic AirPods 4 do not come with ANC. For that, you will have to pay an extra $50/£50 for AirPods 4 ANC.
These are the first non-Pro AirPods to come with ANC. AirPods 3 does not have ANC.
AirPods 4 vs AirPods 3 Conclusion
The release of the AirPods 4 doesn’t look like an exciting update on the surface.
Digging a bit deeper however and there are some worthwhile upgrades. The main one being the addition of the H2 chip and ANC. Whilst ANC isn’t everyone’s priority, the lack of it in the standard AirPods has meant they have lagged behind competitors for a few years now.
Read more in out AirPods 3 vs AirPods Pro 2 comparison
Buying a pair of AirPods 4 will deliver you a more rounded, dynamic and adaptive listening experience than AirPods 3. They are so good that they even come close to the AirPods Pro 2.
With all this considered, AirPods 4 have become a very good buy at their current price point. If you want a pair of Apple earbuds, you won’t get better value.
