Apple AirPods 4 Review: Sound Tests, ANC, and iOS Integration

Explore the Apple AirPods 4 sound, ANC features, and seamless iOS integration in this in-depth review.

Apple AirPods 4: Quick Two-Minute Overview

Apple’s AirPods 4 arrive as the more budget-friendly alternative to their pricier sibling featuring active noise cancellation and extra perks. Priced around $160, these wireless earbuds embrace an open-ear design, perfect for those who dislike the feeling of in-ear buds blocking the ear canal. Despite this, they stay surprisingly secure and deliver great sound.

However, the key takeaway? If you don’t mind in-ear designs, you can get better sound quality and a more versatile feature set from other budget earbuds at a lower price.

Still, Apple users have solid reasons to stick with AirPods. The best features—such as spatial audio with head tracking in movies, automatic device switching, and overall ease of use—work exclusively within the Apple ecosystem, making them a cozy fit for Apple loyalists.

The sound itself is rich and dynamic, balanced across frequencies, making it enjoyable for a wide range of music. Yet, compared to competitors in the mid-range, AirPods 4 misses out on some fine details, which results in music that sometimes lacks depth and realism. The open design lets external noise creep in, affecting sound fidelity.

The biggest downside for many is the lack of standard multipoint Bluetooth pairing, meaning smooth switching only works among Apple devices. Most similarly priced wireless earbuds support multipoint pairing, allowing easy toggling between devices like an iPhone and a Windows laptop or Chromebook. Plus, many competitors offer active noise cancellation and on-ear volume controls—features AirPods 4 skip despite their higher price.

If you’re an Apple fan, these buds have unique perks, solid design (I particularly like the pinch controls), and a comfy fit. But if you want more bang for your buck, consider Sony’s WF-C700N or Nothing Ear (a) earbuds for less.

Price and Release Date

• Price: Approximately $160
• Release Date: September 20, 2024
• Positioned as Apple’s cheapest modern AirPods

At this price point, AirPods 4 find themselves in the competitive “mid-range earbuds” zone but only offer features closer to budget models. Apple has started offering discounts during sales, a rarity for their earbuds, but don't expect prices to dip below $120 anytime soon.

It’s a fair price for earbuds with good sound and excellent spatial audio, but most rivals in this range pack active noise cancellation, like the Nothing Ear (a) priced around $125.

Specs Breakdown

Features and iOS Ecosystem Benefits

As expected, AirPods 4 shine brightest when used with Apple devices.

They connect quickly and switch seamlessly between your iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, or Apple Watch—all linked to your Apple ID. This means your AirPods are essentially "connected" to all your Apple gear simultaneously. Start playing on another device without taking them off, and they’ll switch audio automatically or allow manual switching. This works beautifully and is a major bonus for Apple users immersed in the ecosystem.

Outside Apple devices, you’ll lose most of these perks. The lack of standard multipoint Bluetooth means switching between, say, an iPhone and a Windows laptop is clunky.

One standout is spatial audio with head tracking. When watching movies or listening to Dolby Atmos content, the sound feels like it’s coming from fixed speakers surrounding you, even as you move your head—just like a home theater. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of this in music because I tend to move a lot during listening, but the effect in movies? Absolutely stellar.

Another travel-friendly feature is Audio Sharing, letting two people listen to the same iPad show simultaneously—a sweet perk for long trips.

Find My support is limited: you can see where you last used the AirPods, and they can ping through other iPhones nearby, but it’s not as precise as on AirPods Pro 2, which can direct you right to them or emit a locating sound.

Siri can be activated hands-free with “Hey Siri,” but honestly, I’m not wildly impressed with Siri’s usefulness to justify leaving it on. AirPods 4 also support Apple's "Announce Notifications," where Siri reads incoming alerts aloud. While potentially handy, I found this distracting and turned it off, especially since my Apple Watch already handles notifications efficiently.

A fun addition: you can use head gestures to respond to notifications—nodding or shaking your head to accept or decline. The buds beep when they detect your head movement, and you need to perform distinct motions for confirmation. It’s cleverly done, though I did feel a bit silly nodding vigorously while waiting at a crosswalk, probably looking like I was having a spirited conversation with my podcast.

The control scheme uses squeeze-sensitive stems borrowed from the original AirPods Pro:

• Squeeze once to play/pause
• Twice to skip forward
• Thrice to go back
• Hold to summon Siri

I really like this system—it’s comfy and works even with gloves on, unlike purely touch-based controls. However, there’s no volume control on the buds themselves, which feels like a missed opportunity.

Battery life was a mixed bag. Apple claims 5 hours per charge, which was disappointing on paper, but my testing at 50% volume saw about 7 hours and 5 minutes from full to empty. The case adds another 25 to 34 hours, depending on usage, and a quick five-minute charge gives about one hour of listening.

Still, 5 to 7 hours is on the lower side, especially with no ANC to sap power. By comparison, the Nothing Ear (a) lasts 9.5 hours with ANC off.

Charging is via USB-C only; no wireless option here.

Microphone quality remains strong, typical for Apple, capturing clear voice with minor digital artifacts due to processing—but overall, voice calls come through clean and intelligible.

Feature Rating: 3.5/5

Sound Quality Review

• Well-balanced sound
• Good bass and energy
• Lacks fine detail

Compared to previous budget AirPods, the AirPods 4 deliver a noticeably different audio experience—even ignoring spatial audio. Sound is more immersive, natural, and lively, making music listening enjoyable.

Bass sounds full and well-controlled—though not earth-shaking, it’s right where it should be. For instance, the bassline in Allie X’s “Black Eye” holds up nicely, avoiding the muffled thuds you get in cheaper earbuds.

Mid frequencies are clear, allowing instruments to stand out even in dense mixes like Moloko’s “I Want You.” Vocals pop nicely against the background.

Highs sparkle, adding brightness and clarity to the tracks. The buds dynamically respond to music’s shifts, keeping things lively.

The catch? They skip on finer details, making them fun for casual listening but less suited for audiophiles craving deep immersion or accuracy.

The open design lets in outside noise, dulling detail. I tested them in various settings; the issue persisted.

Loss of clarity leads to reduced realism. Some tracks, like Sonny Rollins' “St. Thomas,” which relies on subtle percussive sounds, sounded like a distant copy rather than an intimate recording.

Another example is Solji’s “Again It Rains.” The rain sounds static and simplified rather than textured and rich, unlike on earbuds that better capture this complexity.

On the flipside, spatial audio in movies works wonderfully, wrapping you in an enveloping soundscape with punchy bass and clear highs. Action films feel thrilling and dynamic. Dialogue, however, feels quieter and less distinct, as external sounds mix in through the open ear design and lack of ANC. Compared to AirPods Pro 2, where effects and dialogue are balanced, AirPods 4 require volume boosts that make effects overpower talk.

Fine details also fall short in action scenes—for example, water droplets during helicopter rescues in “The Matrix” sound like background hiss rather than individual droplets. Still, this is less critical than for music.

In sum, AirPods 4 sound good but pale next to rivals like Sony WF-C700N and Nothing Ear (a).

Sound Quality Rating: 3.5/5

Design and Comfort

• Secure open-ear fit
• Smallest AirPods case yet
• IP54 rating on both buds and case

I’ve never been a huge fan of open-ear designs that rely on grip around the ear canal skin. I prefer in-ear buds. Still, AirPods 4 represent the best and most comfortable rendition of this style. I can wear them for hours without discomfort or pressure, although after long use, I notice slight soreness where they rest. So, I’m still leaning toward in-ear for the long haul.

They stay put well during normal walking or workday activities and even light jogging, though I can’t guarantee they’d hold up during intense runs or workouts.

At only 4.3 grams each, they’re feather-light and don’t protrude as much as AirPods Pro 2, which some might like. The signature stem design feels well-balanced and elegant—arguably the most refined AirPods design so far.

The case is the smallest Apple has made for AirPods, which is a real win. Some manufacturers forget that people want earbuds they can toss in a pocket without bulk or discomfort.

A neat touch is the charging indicator light, now hidden behind the white case shell, glowing mysteriously when active. Less great is the pairing/reset “button” on the back, now a touch-sensitive area without a visual indicator—less intuitive in emergencies than a physical button.

Removing the earbuds from the case is trickier due to magnetic resistance—you’ll need some practice, but it’s manageable.

IP54 water resistance on both buds and case is impressive, especially for mid-range earbuds. This means protection from dust and water splashes, handy for rainy days or outdoor use.

If you’re wondering whether you can visually tell these AirPods 4 apart from the ANC model, the answer is no by earbud look alone. They’re nearly identical except for a tiny model number inscription. The ANC case, though, has distinct speaker holes on the bottom.

Design Rating: 4/5

Value for Money

• Cheaper earbuds sound better
• Superior cross-platform features elsewhere
• Apple ecosystem perks remain strong

AirPods 4 target savvy Apple users, which shapes their value proposition. But as you’ve probably gathered, they don’t offer the best price-to-performance if you mix Apple with other platforms like Windows laptops.

Models like Sony WF-C700N and Nothing Ear (a) bring richer, more detailed sound, active noise cancellation, and multipoint Bluetooth pairing—features missing here. Both also have on-ear volume controls (and Nothing even offers pinch gestures like AirPods).

Still, if you live entirely in the Apple world, the hands-free device switching, spatial audio, and Find My support add real convenience. The ANC AirPods 4 model adds wireless charging and better Find My integration, alongside the noise cancellation itself.

One more thing: some folks dislike in-ear tips, and alternatives I mentioned all have them. So if you prefer open-ear buds, AirPods 4 fill that niche well but don’t outperform standard earbuds in sound.

Value Rating: 3/5

Should You Buy AirPods 4?

Comparison: AirPods 4 vs Sony WF-C700N vs Nothing Ear (a)

Technical Specs Comparison

Sony WF-C700N delivers superb music accuracy, effective noise cancellation, app-based controls, and multipoint pairing.

Nothing Ear (a) fans of stem designs and gesture control get superior sound and ANC compared to Sony, for slightly less cost.

Check out our review of the Apple AirPods Max for a premium wireless headphone experience.

Final Thoughts

Apple AirPods 4 offer a fine balance of design, Apple ecosystem perks, and decent sound with open-ear comfort. However, they fall short against competitors in sound detail, noise cancellation, and cross-platform functionality. If you're deeply invested in Apple devices, they’re a comfortable, seamless choice with charming spatial audio for movies. Otherwise, budget rivals like Sony or Nothing deliver more bang for your buck.

FAQ

• What is the battery life of AirPods 4?
  Around 7 hours per charge in real-world use, with up to 30 hours including the charging case.
• Do AirPods 4 support active noise cancellation?
  No, ANC is not available on this model.
• Can AirPods 4 connect to multiple devices simultaneously?
  They support automatic seamless switching only within Apple devices tied to your Apple ID but lack standard multipoint Bluetooth for cross-platform use.
• Are AirPods 4 water-resistant?
  Yes, both the earbuds and case have an IP54 rating for dust and splash resistance.
• Do AirPods 4 have volume controls on the earbuds?
  No, volume control is not available on the earbuds themselves.

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