Apple Unveils AirPods 4 With Two Models Featuring Improved Fit, USB-C, and More

[10anta]

I bought a pair of Pro 2s, but returned as I found them uncomfortable to wear for any length of time. My AirPod 2s are now malfunctioning due to what I assume is a battery issue. Not sure how I will or won’t get on with AirPod 4s. Reading the specs pages on the store, it looks like the non-ANC version also comes without a wireless charging case, which was an AirPods 2 feature, and feels like Apple cheaping out to try and coerce customers into getting the more expensive version.

 

[sdragon]

If AirPods 4 have ANC, why get the Pros? (Assuming you don't need the hearing loss thing they're adding?)

 

[Mrkevinfinnerty]

If AirPods 4 have ANC, why get the Pros? (Assuming you don't need the hearing loss thing they're adding?)

You get a charging cable in the box. That is a pro feature.

 

[ProbablyDylan]

If AirPods 4 have ANC, why get the Pros? (Assuming you don't need the hearing loss thing they're adding?)

Pros have rubber tips. Those might fit better and be more comfortable for some people.

 

[Wakakanada]

Been waiting a long time before finally taking the plunge on my first pair of Airpods, but this was the only product today that really caught my attention. The noise cancelling was the tipping point. Just pre-ordered.

 

[Knowimagination]

I ditched my pro 2s because I don't like the tips, very excited about the option of ANC on the 4s and will probably upgrade from my 3s because of it.

 

[NT1440]

Vowed I would never buy headphones with those rubber or foam inserts as I hate the feel.

I expected noise cancelling would be something I’d never get to use because of it.

Very interested in the 4’s now. Will probably upgrade during the holiday season…

 

[elliotmoore91]

The big question is whether they will fit like the airpod 2's. I hope so because he airpod 3's were terrible...

 

[turbineseaplane]

The big question is whether they will fit like the airpod 2's. I hope so because he airpod 3's were terrible...

This is literally the only question I have

 

[subjonas]

I think I’d like these. I have the AirPod Pro 2. They work great, and they are comfortable. But I don’t like how they close off the outside world. Most of the time I like a little bit of the real world to intrude. I don’t like feeling cut off.

But it has transparency mode. Both the Pro and 4 has both transparency mode and noise cancellation. The Pro has better noise cancellation and some other bells and whistles.

 

[Tyler O'Bannon]

I'm surprised that Apple did active noise canceling without needing to go to an IEM design on the AirPods 4.

Very curious how well this will work in comparison to APP’s.

 

[DocMultimedia]

I'll try these out for the noise cancellation during workouts. Local class leaders love to jam the tunes during aerobic and weight classes at my gym. I've just never liked any headphones that go inside my ears. We'll see how it goes.

 

[rbf1138]

This video has a short comparison of the size/design of the 3 vs. the 4.

 

[trusso]

How do you know it doesn't work? I doubt they would release this if it didn't work. Wait until the actual reviews come in.

Um... as someone who's used AirPods Pro for a while now, I can tell you that the only times they've seemed not to work are when I didn't have a good physical seal, and that even a minimal gap in the physical seal makes a world of (negative) difference.

I'll keep my hopes up for the folks who want to have their cake and eat it, too... but I'm not that hopeful. You can't fool physics.

 

[BoMo]

Um... as someone who's used AirPods Pro for a while now, I can tell you that the only times they've seemed not to work are when I didn't have a good physical seal, and that even a minimal gap in the physical seal makes a world of (negative) difference.

I'll keep my hopes up for the folks who want to have their cake and eat it, too... but I'm not that hopeful. You can't fool physics.

Ummmm…. As a pilot I have used several pairs of ANC headsets that don’t have a seal over the ears, and they work great. A seal makes it easier as it adds some PNC, but it certainly isn’t required.

 

[klky]

I'm very curious to try AirPods 4 with ANC. Bit skeptical at the moment but ready to be wowed. Open-ear will be nice if it really works as advertised.

 

[Saturn1217]

The big question is whether they will fit like the airpod 2's. I hope so because he airpod 3's were terrible...

Same. If they fit and not hurt after like 1-2hrs of use I'd spend easily $200 on them.

I really wish Apple would treat Airpods like they treat the apple watch and provide at least TWO sizes. Not everyone has the same shaped ears and I highly doubt a single model is going to fit most ears.

I have the airpods 2 right now and they are ok but still hurt a lot after a while. I can't do tips at all.

I'm hoping that airpods 4 will work for me but I'm doubtful.

 

[Tagbert]

If AirPods 4 have ANC, why get the Pros? (Assuming you don't need the hearing loss thing they're adding?)

Since the Pros are a closed ear style, it is likely that their noise cancellation is more effective at blocking noise. There must be a a limit to how much noise and open design can block.

 

[klasma]

It should be noted that according to Apple's comparison page, wireless charging is available only on the AirPods 4 with ANC model, not the plain AirPods 4 model:

Interestingly, they also don't list Find My for the plain model. I don't really plan on using ANC, but I guess it's one reason to prefer that model anyway as I look to replace my aging set of AirPod 2s...

Yes, they also noted that in the event video.

 

[alexhardaker]

Talk about making the product lineup messier…

They should’ve only announced the AirPods 4 with ANC. Those that don’t want to use it can turn it off.

The iPad lineup is still a mess as well.

It’s odd that they didn’t announce an update to the AW U2.

 

[Tdevilsg]

ANC needs a seal, can’t get around physics. One size fits all model just doesn’t work.

The seal could be coming from the shape of the airpods themselves. Either way, we will know in ten days. Again I would doubt they would market something like this as a premium offering of their most popular Airpods lineup in terms of sales without it actually working correctly.

 

[svish]

Thought Apple might have a different name for the lower variant. The new AirPods seem to be good.

 

[Katert]

I think I’d like these. I have the AirPod Pro 2. They work great, and they are comfortable. But I don’t like how they close off the outside world. Most of the time I like a little bit of the real world to intrude. I don’t like feeling cut off.

Transparency mode isn't good enough?

 

[123]

The hearing aid feature in the Pros could be huge.

It won't. It actually keeps people from buying the real thing. Air Pods are not made for this. They are not comfortable, they do not fit, and their battery life is awful. They also didn't invest even a fraction of the research that went into the development of dedicated systems when it comes to environment analysis and speaker isolation. You can see how bad their software is for everyday "intelligence" tasks, there is no way this is not going to suck.

 

[123]

For people like me with fussy ears, I hate the eartips. These are the perfect product for me. On/over ears are too hot/clampy. So this is best of all possible worlds.

But then they should have gone with AirPods, and AirPods Pro open and AirPods Pro sealed. Assuming the ANC actually works without sealing (which I doubt a lot!) they can do everything the Pro can do with the unsealed one. The current product matrix + names make no sense.