Apple AirPods 4 Review: ANC Without the Pro Price (2026)

Overview

Before Active Noise Cancellation became standard across every AirPods 5 model, Apple sold it as a $50 upcharge on the AirPods 4 — and that pricing structure, along with the earbuds themselves, is still live on Amazon for shoppers who don’t need the newest generation. The AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation lists for $179 and pairs an open-ear, tip-free design with the same H2 chip family driving Apple’s current lineup.

This generation’s redesigned housing and force-sensor stem for play/pause and call handling mark the biggest jump since the original AirPods, and the charging case now doubles as a Find My speaker for locating a misplaced case. It was Apple’s first non-Pro AirPods to add real noise cancellation without the silicone ear tips a sealed design normally needs, and it remains the only way to get ANC from Apple below Pro-tier pricing now that the standard AirPods 5 configuration has moved ANC into every model at a similar cost.

Key Specifications

Apple AirPods 4 ANC & Call Quality

TechRadar called the noise cancellation on this model seriously impressive for an earbud that skips silicone ear tips entirely, a notable result given how much passive isolation a sealed design normally contributes to ANC performance. The AirPods 4 pair Active Noise Cancellation with a Transparency mode and an Adaptive Audio setting that blends the two automatically based on how loud the surrounding environment gets.

Call quality benefits from Voice Isolation, which is aimed at cutting background noise on the caller’s end during phone and FaceTime calls. Wareable and SoundGuys both praised the noise-cancellation result on a tip-free design, though both outlets also flagged that the open-ear fit won’t seal for every ear shape the way an in-canal design like the AirPods Pro 3 does — comfort feedback that showed up consistently enough across hands-on reviews to be worth flagging here rather than treated as an isolated complaint.

Sound Quality & Spatial Audio

The H2 chip drives personalized spatial audio with dynamic head tracking, calibrated to an individual ear shape via a scan taken in the Settings app on a paired iPhone. Apple paired that with a custom high-excursion driver, a jump from the standard driver in older AirPods generations, aimed at giving low-end response more room without distorting at higher volumes.

Tom’s Guide framed the AirPods 4 as the model that finally brings Apple’s non-Pro earbuds into step with modern expectations, citing the redesigned housing and audio processing as the biggest jump since the original AirPods launched. Independent lab measurements of the exact frequency response haven’t been published by RTINGS or SoundGuys as detailed breakdowns, so specific dB figures aren’t cited here — the improvement is documented qualitatively by multiple outlets rather than with a single benchmark number.

Battery Life & Charging

With Active Noise Cancellation on, the earbuds run about 4 hours per charge and roughly 20 hours total with the case topping them up along the way; switching ANC off stretches that to 5 hours per charge and 30 hours total. A 5-minute charge in the case adds about an hour of listening time, and the ANC model’s case charges wirelessly on any Qi pad in addition to its USB-C port.

SoundGuys’ review noted that total battery life lags behind the competition at this price point — a fair critique given the Sony WF-C700N and Samsung Galaxy Buds FE both post longer case-assisted totals for less money. It’s a real trade-off for buyers switching from a non-Apple earbud with a bigger battery budget, not a defect specific to this unit.

How Does It Stack Up Against the Competition?

At $179 for the ANC model, the AirPods 4 sits above several budget ANC earbuds and well below Apple’s own Pro line — here’s how the specs compare.

Is the Apple AirPods 4 Worth It?

For an iPhone owner who wants Apple’s noise cancellation without stepping up to Pro-tier pricing, the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation still does what it set out to do — real ANC and Adaptive Audio in a comfortable, tip-free design, backed by the H2 chip’s spatial audio and Find My integration. It’s a sensible pick for anyone replacing an older, ANC-less AirPods model on a budget.

Buyers who care most about total battery life should look at the Sony WF-C700N or Samsung Galaxy Buds FE, both of which run considerably longer per charge for less money. And now that the AirPods 5 brings ANC to every configuration at a comparable starting price with a newer H2 chip revision, anyone buying new rather than catching a discount on this generation should weigh that upgrade first.

Still deciding between wireless earbuds? See our Apple AirPods 5 review for how the newest generation compares.

Still comparing Tech & Gadgets options? See our Apple AirPods 5 vs Apple AirPods 4 guide →Still comparing Tech & Gadgets options? See our Apple AirPods 5 vs Apple AirPods 4 guide →

GuideApple AirPods 5 vs Apple AirPods 4: Which Should You Buy in 2026?Read the Guide →

Marcus WebbSenior Editor 𝕏

Marcus has been hunting for the best tech and gear for over 40 years — as a coder, gamer, and lifelong outdoors enthusiast, he knows the gap between a good spec sheet and something that actually holds up. He brings that same critical eye to everything we cover.

Content produced with AI-assisted research — editorial policy →