‘ANC Lite’: AirPods 4 reviewed

AirPods 4 bring professional-grade features to Apple’s non-Pro earbuds.

Author

Leander Kahney
September 27, 2024

In partnership with

I predict Apple will sell a boatload of AirPods 4 this holiday season.

For the same price as the old AirPods, the updated earbuds bring a ton of new features, from hardware to software. Not least, active noise cancellation — and this in a pair of open-ear earbuds.

It’s quite the feat of engineering — but does it work? And how do they sound?

Our writer Ed Hardy has been testing them all week. Here’s his hands-on AirPods 4 review.

Also in today’s newsletter:

  • If you’re running iOS 18, texting just got a lot more fun. Try out these five new texting tricks.

  • These somewhat astonishing discounts on Apple's genuine iPhone 16 cases are still available! Save on multiple colors for every model in the lineup.

  • And talking of iPhone 16 cases, we updated our best cases guide again.

  • I know, the Vision Pro isn’t setting the world on fire right now. But this is nothing new for Apple: The original Mac didn't either, and look what happened to that. Apple keeps improving its products, and that’s going to be true of the next-gen Vision Pro, which will come with a beefed-up, AI-ready chip.

  • Apple TV+’s splashy George Clooney/Brad Pitt movie Wolfs is now available to stream.

  • We got a lot of comments on yesterday’s poll about the best way to make coffee (following our post about the AeroPress). I was surprised my favorite method — a Nespresso machine — got so few votes, earning just a couple more than the bottom choice: Keurig. Just goes to show … never trust polls!

— Leander Kahney, EIC.

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AirPods 4 deliver better sound and ‘ANC Lite’ [Review] ★★★★☆

AirPods 4 bring professional-grade features to Apple's non-Pro earbuds. Our hands-on review puts them through real-world testing.

Try the 5 best new Messages features in iOS 18

Apple’s Messages app gains five great new features that make texting all the more fun.

Next-gen Vision Pro with M5 chip will support Apple Intelligence

Apple's next-gen Vision Pro might retain the same design, but pack significant performance boosts.

A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team

Price drop: This $100 smartphone is smaller than a credit card

Tired of stretching your hands and pockets with a gigantic iPhone? Try the NanoPhone, a small smartphone that's perfect for travel.

Grab an official Apple case for iPhone 16 at a sweet discount

Don't pay full price for Apple's own iPhone 16 case. You can already get one on sale, even though the handset just launched.

Pitt and Clooney reluctantly team up in madcap ‘Wolfs’ on Apple TV+ [Updated: Now streaming]

The new action-comedy pairs George Clooney and Brad Pitt. "Wolfs" is their first shared bill since 2008. And it looks like a lot of fun.

A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team

Your key to the PDF kingdom -- just $60 for life

If you find yourself working with PDFs day in and day out, a PDF Reader Pro Permanent License could become your new best friend.

How to hide apps on your iPhone and iPad in iOS 18

Here's how to hide apps on iPhone, plus how to lock them behind Face ID. iOS 18 makes extreme privacy easy.

Best cases you can buy right now for iPhone 16 handsets [Updated]

If you got one of this year’s new models, you should check out our roundup of best iPhone 16 cases if you want something to protect it.

Today in Apple history: Steve Jobs and Jef Raskin clash over the Mac

On September 27, 1979, Steve Jobs and Mac creator Jef Raskin clashed over the direction of the project. Guess who won?

Tweets of the day

Wallpaper of the day

One more thing ...

❝

I think great artists and great engineers are similar in that they both have a desire to express themselves. In fact, some of the best people working on the original Mac were poets and musicians on the side. In the ’70s, computers became a way for people to express their creativity.

Great artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo were also great at science. Michelangelo knew a lot about how to quarry stone, not just how to be a sculptor.

— Steve Jobs, 2011.

Today’s poll

How important is ANC in AirPods to you?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

Results from yesterday’s poll: What’s the best way to make coffee?

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