The Apple AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation is worth getting instead of the regular ones. Both sound good, but the active noise cancellation (ANC) feature works really well most of the time.

On the outside, the new AirPods don’t look very different from the AirPods 3. Apple has made some adjustments to improve how they fit and has made the charging case smaller. This time, the case has a USB-C port. However, the AirPods still look the same as before and are only available in white.

For the first time, Apple is offering two types of regular AirPods. They both have the same sound quality, so there’s no need to worry about that. Each one includes Apple’s H2 chip, which improves sound quality and voice call clarity. They are also resistant to dust and water. The basic AirPods 4 cost ₹12,900, while the upgraded model is ₹17,900. The higher-priced model includes some extra features, with the main one being active noise cancellation.

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Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation

Pros:

• The noise cancellation is usually quite good for this type of design  

• Better sound quality than before  

• Case supports wireless charging and has a built-in speaker  

Cons:

• Doesn’t support connecting to multiple devices at once  

• Volume control is less convenient compared to AirPods Pro  

• Noise cancellation might not work well in every situation

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Apple AirPods 4

Pros:

• Better sound quality  

• Clearer calls thanks to voice isolation  

• Works well with other Apple products  

Cons:

• No wireless charging option  

• The case doesn’t have a built-in speaker  

• Lacks proper multipoint connectivity

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Let’s look at this closely. How effective can Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) be in earbuds that don’t fully seal your ears? Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 3 Pro also had ANC, working similarly to the AirPods Pro. The Apple AirPods 4 use microphones to listen to the sounds around you and create counter-sounds to reduce noise. However, with other earbuds, ANC benefits from the ear tips’ natural noise-blocking. The AirPods 4 don’t have this, so don’t expect them to work miracles. The AirPods Pro provide much better noise cancellation. If you want complete quiet, the AirPods 4 won’t deliver that.

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How Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) works in Apple Airpods 4

You’ll hear some background noise when you’re not listening to anything, but once you play music, the Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) really helps. I’ve found that with the ANC, I can keep the volume at about 50 percent and still not get distracted. With older AirPods or the non-ANC AirPods 4, I often had to turn up the volume to block out the noise. With the ANC in the AirPods 4, you won’t need to do that, so you’ll be able to listen at safer volume levels. However, unlike the AirPods Pro, the AirPods 4 don’t let you adjust the volume directly on the earbuds with swipe gestures.

Also Read: 6 Best Noise-cancelling Headphones to Buy Right Now

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Lack of Hearing Health features

The Apple AirPods 4 won’t have the hearing health features that the AirPods Pro will offer, but they still provide a good reason to upgrade. They block out enough outside noise so you don’t need to turn up the volume too high. Although they might not work as well in noisy places like a crowded bar, I’ve been impressed with how effective their noise-cancelling feature is for open-ear headphones.

The more advanced model has noise cancellation, transparency mode, and a feature called Adaptive Audio, which lets important sounds like sirens come through. However, Adaptive Audio isn’t as necessary here because the AirPods 4 already let you hear your surroundings well due to their design. On the other hand, Conversation Awareness, which lowers the volume when you start talking, is still useful — unless, like me, you tend to talk to yourself a lot.

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What you’ll get in Premium version

The more expensive ₹17,900 AirPods 4 come with extra features. Their case can be charged wirelessly using Apple’s MagSafe or any Qi-compatible charger. It also has a built-in speaker that plays a sound to help you find it with Apple’s Find My app. The cheaper ₹12,900 AirPods 4 don’t have these features. While I can live without the speaker, not having wireless charging in the basic model is disappointing and reduces its overall value.

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Sound Quality

In terms of sound quality, these are the best standard AirPods Apple has made so far. The sound is similar to the AirPods 3, but the AirPods 4 have deeper bass. When listening to songs like “Tiny Moves” by Bleachers, you can hear each instrument more clearly, and the higher notes are sharper. While the AirPods Pro still offer slightly better sound quality overall, the AirPods 4 are still great. Also, both the regular and noise-canceling models have the same sound quality.

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What’s new in Apple AirPods 4

Head Gestures Feature: How it works in Apple AirPods 4

The new AirPods 4 have a feature that lets you use head gestures to interact with Siri. If you enable this feature, you can answer a call or respond to notifications by nodding your head up and down. To dismiss notifications, you can shake your head side to side. While I prefer not to have notifications bother me through my earbuds, the head gestures worked well during my tests, even with small movements. Some people might enjoy this new way of using Siri, but I prefer the traditional methods.

Voice Isolation Feature & It’s Limitations

If you often use AirPods for voice calls, you’ll find the Voice Isolation feature helpful. This feature, which was previously available only on AirPods Pro, is now included in AirPods 4. It uses machine learning to focus on your voice even in noisy places, similar to Google’s Clear Calling feature. This can be really useful when you need to make calls in noisy environments. However, Voice Isolation only works for calls and can’t be used for recording voice memos or videos.

Also Read: Best Earbuds Under 2000 rupees in India (2024)

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Additional Features you’ll get

In addition to these new features, you also get the usual Apple perks like sharing audio, automatically switching between devices, using “Hey Siri” hands-free, and connecting with Apple TV. I still hope Apple will add real multipoint support so you can connect to two devices at the same time, but it seems like they’ve decided not to include this feature, and it probably won’t change.

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Talking about Battery

The battery lasts for about four hours if you use noise cancellation, or five hours if you turn it off. With the charging case, you get a total of 20 hours with noise cancellation and 30 hours without it. (The less expensive AirPods 4 last longer because they don’t have noise cancellation.) I haven’t tested them for a long time, but the battery life seems accurate so far. Unfortunately, Apple hasn’t focused on making the AirPods 4 easy to repair, so eventually, the battery life will decrease.

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Conclusion

The noise cancellation on these earbuds isn’t as good as pricier options, but it’s still sufficient to let you enjoy your music at a normal volume in most places. You can notice when the noise-canceling feature is active, which isn’t always the case with other open earbuds that claim to have noise cancellation. Also, the wireless charging feature makes the more expensive model a better choice for most people.

The standard AirPods 4 offer great sound quality and work seamlessly with other Apple devices. They’re a big improvement over the older second-gen model and cost the same ₹12,900. However, they don’t have as many features as the noise-cancelling version. If you can afford to spend an extra ₹500, it’s worth it for the better experience.