Apple’s Glowtime event has revealed a new pair of AirPods and updates across the line. For this versus we’ll be focusing on the updates between the AirPods and the AirPods 3.
At its September 2024 event, Apple introduced two new AirPods models; with one an open-eared model that supports ANC and one that doesn’t.
For the lowdown on what’s different between the old and new model, here’s a rundown of what we learned from the Apple Glowtime event.
Price
The AirPods 4 comes in two different versions: one that supports ANC and one that doesn’t. As such, it’s available at two difference price points.
They are $129 / £129 for non-ANC version, and $179 / £179 for the noise-cancelling model. The AirPods 3, by comparison, was $179 / £179 when it was first released, so the AirPods is $50 / £50 cheaper than before and the for the same money you’re getting noise-cancellation into the bargain.
Design
The look of the AirPods 4 follows the same approach the AirPods 3 took (at least as far as we can tell from the presentation). It remains an open-eared design, so you’ll be able to hear what’s around you. This version of the AirPods don’t come with any ear-tips/gels.
Apple says they’ve mapped and analysed people’s ears to develop 50 million data points to help create the most comfortable AirPods yet. There’s still the force sensor for control on the stem of the earphones, although the case has been updated with USB-C support. Apple also says its the smallest charging case for its AirPods yet.
Features9
The new AirPods feature machine learning with calls, focusing on your voice and isolating the background for clearer call quality. You can also shake your head to accept (or not) Siri announcements with its gesture controls.
Battery life is 30 hours with the charging case, which matches the AirPods 3’s total.
The ANC version offers the biggest boost in features. There is, of course, noise-cancellation, along with a transparency mode, though colour us a little confused given these headphones sport an open-design, which means they already let audio pass-through to your ears.
The Conversation Awareness feature knows when you’re speaking and reduces the volume of the media you’re listening to so you can pick up on what’s being said in a conversation.
Sound Quality
Of course, we haven’t yet listened to the AirPods 4, so we can only go on what Apple is giving us. They said that for this particularl design of the AirPods, they offer a big improvement over the AirPods 3 with its redesigned acoustic archiecture.
There’s also support for Apple’s personalised spatial audio, that covers music, films and other media; as well as adaptive audio.
How do they sound? We can’t tell you that yet, but we imagine it won’t be too different from the AirPods 3.
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