Apple AirPods 4: this is what I’ve been longing for

Here’s what happened. Since I got my hands on the fourth generation of Apple’s new AirPods, I’ve used my Libratone Air+3 and even AirPods Pro 2 a lot less. All the more surprising given I didn’t have great expectations for Apple’s latest creation. I was sure the manufacturer was just doing some minor product maintenance. As their shape means the AirPods already have a fan base – so people buy them anyway – why go to all the trouble? I was wrong. Let me explain why.

Design: Apple has listened to the community

First things first: Apple has apparently sneaked into a few forums and taken some criticism of its third gen AirPods to heart. The result is a fourth generation that’s even narrower and fits smaller ears much better.

Due to the technology used in the AirPods 4, they’re not quite as slim as the second generation. But there’s a marked difference with their direct predecessors, and they’re more comfortable too. The comparatively long stems are also a thing of the past.

Case: a lot of fuss about not a lot – but still good

I had such low expectations because Apple focussed on two things when unveiling them: ANC, active noise cancellation, and the new charging case. First, let’s look at the charging case. Apple was thrilled to announce this is the smallest case ever. 10% smaller than its predecessor, in fact.

I wasn’t in the slightest bit bothered and, to be honest, I’m still not. The previous case was already petite and fit easily into small trouser pockets. The fact you can now charge the case wirelessly could be practical, but how many people really need that? However, I like that you can now locate the case via Apple’s Find My. Now that it’s smaller, this is increasingly necessary, especially with my sloppy housekeeping.

That being said, I was a bit wary of how much the brand had banged the drum about its charging case. Now that I’ve been using the AirPods 4 for a few days, I can say that I like the compactness but would hardly notice the extra 10%. The Find My feature is reliable and works with all other Apple devices.

And last but not least, wireless charging is undoubtedly practical and works well – especially if you have an Apple Watch and its own magnetic charger. But I hardly use it, as the case slips, which is why I prefer the traditional wired version. Charging is important because the battery in the AirPods is its Achilles' heel.

Battery: four hours isn’t enough

If you use the AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation – and let’s be honest, that’s why you’d buy them – the battery will only last four hours (four hours four minutes when I put them to the test). That’s a bit meagre. If you use them to make calls, this’ll reduce the time even more. Having a full charging case is all the more important, as it provides enough energy for four more charging cycles – 20 hours of music. If the pods are empty, you have to wait an hour for them to be at 100%. However, if you only need a short boost, charging for five minutes gives you about an hour’s listening time (at medium volume). That’s not bad. Unfortunately, this doesn’t apply to me, as I prefer the volume higher. If you’re the same, deduct about 20% from all the figures.

Then there’s the AirPods 4 main feature: the fact there’s a version with ANC. So the AirPods with the popular design (because it’s comfortable) are finally catching up with the Pros. But how’s that supposed to work? An open design that doesn’t shield your ear from the outside world with silicone or some kind of ear plugs? Wouldn’t the noise get past the AirPods and into your ear? A few years ago, Huawei tried something similar with the FreeBuds 5, which only partly did the job. Samsung has had more success with the Galaxy Buds 3, which – like the AirPods 4 – mostly play off of devices from the same brand.

Sound: Apple, why were you so modest about it?

The manufacturer kept harping on about the case and ANC but has said suspiciously little about the sound. The only reference was to the fact that the H2 audio chip is now also included in the standard AirPod version.

However, this has really paid off. In every respect. The treble range is much more detailed compared to that of its predecessor. The comparatively sparse, at times somewhat monotonous sound of past gen AirPods has given way to a richness of detail that can more than challenge the Pro 2 version. Here’s Coldplay’s Yellow to give you an example:

The same goes for the transitions between instruments in different pitches. You notice it a bit in music that features piano or polyphonic choruses. The whole thing sounds more airy and less like it’s being squeezed into the small earpieces. The AirPods have also made progress in terms of bass, although it’s not yet reached the level of the Pros. I detect a lot more punch, without the bass dominating the whole sound (Mark by Shahamen).

However, as the AirPods 4 don’t seal the ear with silicone, the bass has more opportunity to escape and doesn’t penetrate the ear as much as with the AirPods 2 Pros.

Say hello to Pro features

You also notice the details and H2 chip when on phone calls. The AirPods 4 also support voice isolation, which makes the conversation much more pleasant for the person on the other end. Moreover, machine learning helps optimise the distinction between voices and background noise. And during FaceTime calls, head tracking kicks in, so you feel like you’re in the same room as the other person.

The H2 chip is also behind former Pro features such as the excellent transparency mode. Fortunately, I usually don’t use it – and I’ll leave it at that. But to be fair, Apple is doing better in this area than many of its competitors. With the AirPods 4’s transparency mode, you really feel like you’re not wearing headphones and sounds from outside aren’t artificially amplified by microphones.

Last but not least, the pinch gestures for music control are now also available for the standard AirPods. In other words, you squeeze the stem for certain controls, such as to pause or play the next song. The only thing you won’t find here is the swipe gesture for controlling the volume like you have on the Pros.

ANC: good start, natural limits

Let’s get to the crux of the matter. What’s the lowdown on Apple’s ANC? As it happens, the brand’s actually not doing a bad job. Yes, the noise cancellation isn’t as good as the AirPod Pros, but that’s because the design makes it impossible to match them. Nevertheless, ANC does a good job of keeping low-frequency noises away from your ears. Not completely, but to the extent that the sounds seem more distant, as though from the other room. However, I wasn’t satisfied with how the headphones handled high-frequency noises, such as voices or train announcements. You have to turn the music up quite a bit to drown it out.

Apple has also included two other features. The first being personalised volume. Microphones measure ambient noise and reduce or increase your music volume so you have peace and quiet without damaging your hearing. It works well so far. The second new feature’s adaptive mode, which I’m less of a fan of. It regulates noise cancellation depending on the background noise. I either have ANC set to maximum or switched off. A few minutes battery here or there doesn’t make any difference to me.