AirPods 4: A Major Update with Active Noise Cancellation and Improved Sound Quality

AirPods, as mass-level true wireless earphones, have finally received a major update in their fourth generation. This time Apple has transferred many of the functions of AirPods Pro to AirPods 4, including active noise cancellation, which can isolate background noise even if it is not an in-ear design.

Design and Functionality Improvements

AirPods 4 maintains its long-standing open design, and its shape has been recalculated ergonomically, which is said to improve the wearing experience. The low-distortion driver inside has also been improved, greatly improving the sound quality and supporting personalized spatial audio. The chip has been upgraded to H2, supporting new features such as hearing protection and shaking your head to respond to Siri.

Active Noise Cancellation and Other Features

The biggest change is the addition of a version that supports active noise cancellation. This feature was included in the first generation of AirPods Pro. It was not included when the previous generation AirPods 3 was launched, which disappointed many people. Nowadays, those who don’t like the in-ear design have a new choice. In conjunction with the active noise cancellation function, functions such as “Adaptive Noise Control” and “Transparency Mode” are also added.

Charging Box and Battery Life

The charging box has also been updated, adding the same built-in speakers as AirPods Pro 2 and supporting USB-C and wireless charging. It supports up to 30 hours of battery life when used with the charging case. It is worth mentioning that when active noise cancellation is enabled, AirPods 4 has a slightly lower battery life than AirPods 3, only 20 hours, and the battery life on a single charge has dropped from 6 hours to 4 hours.

AirPods Max: New Colors and USB-C Charging

Compared with the new AirPods 4, the new AirPods Max launched at the same time has relatively little change. It only adds new colors (midnight black, blue, purple, orange, and starlight gold), and the charging socket is finally changed to USB-C, other functions and designs remain unchanged.

New Hearing Health Features

At the press conference, Apple spent a lot of time emphasizing the hearing health functions of the AirPods series. In addition to providing hearing protection functions through active noise cancellation, iOS 18 also added a new hearing test function. In addition, AirPods Pro 2 can be used as a medical-grade hearing aid, people with poor hearing can live a better life.

Price and Launch Date

The new AirPods 4 and AirPods Max are priced as follows:

• AirPods 4: HK$1,099
• AirPods 4 active noise cancellation model: HK$1,499
• AirPods Max: HK$4,599

All three headphones are available for pre-order starting today and will be officially launched on September 20th.