The Apple AirPods 4 are official and there are two models to choose from, one of which has ANC

Apple has today unveiled new headphones in the form of its fourth-generation Apple AirPods. Unlike in previous years, there are two different models of the Apple AirPods 4; one with active noise cancellation and the other without.

Like previous iterations of the company’s true wireless earbuds, the AirPods 4 use an open-fit design that rests in your ears without the need for silicone eartips. This is one of the big differentiating factors between them and their flagship stablemates, the AirPods Pro 2, with the other being price.

The new AirPods 4 with ANC will be available to buy for £179 from 20 September, while the non-ANC model will set you back £129. Meanwhile, the older Pro 2 model cost £219.

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In my experience, open-fit earbuds such as the Apple AirPods 4 don’t block external sound nearly as effectively as models with ear tips that fill your ear canals, but they’re often more comfortable to wear for long periods.

To ensure optimal comfort, Apple has refined the design of the AirPods 4. The new design is the result of extensive research into the ear shapes of millions of people, including the use of 3D photograms and ear mapping technology. From what I’ve seen of them, they don’t look that different to their predecessors, so I’ll reserve judgment until I’ve had them in my ears.

The same goes for audio quality, which Apple claims to have received a massive upgrade from the last-gen model. This is courtesy of a new acoustic architecture said to deliver richer bass and much clearer high-frequency sound. It didn’t reveal details of this architecture during its Glowtime event on Monday evening, nor did it discuss the size of drivers being used.

However, it did confirm that the new models will house the same H2 chip as the AirPods Pro 2. They’ll also support Personalised Spatial Audio, nod and head-shaking gestures to respond to on-device Siri and earbuds controls via force sensors built into their stems.

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Battery life looks to be unchanged at 30 hours of total audio playback, although how this is split between the earbuds and their accompanying charging case remains to be seen. Said case has received a bit of makeover and becomes the smallest case Apple has produced for its AirPods range. As per EU regulations, both the AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with ANC use USB-C for charging their cases, with Apple’s proprietary Lightning port finally ditched across the range, now. It’s worth noting that only the more expensive model with ANC supports wireless charging.

In addition to ANC, the pricier AirPods 4 support Apple’s excellent transparency mode for allowing you to hear what’s going on in your surroundings. Meanwhile, Adaptive Audio is on hand to automatically fine-tune your listening experience based on the level of external noise and there’s also Conversation Awareness.

This feature is also found on the AirPods Pro 2 and automatically reduces the volume of what you’re listening to when the buds detect you’re speaking. Once you’ve finished talking, the volume is automatically increased again. The final change of note to the case sees the addition of a speaker. This isn’t to transform it into a portable speaker but instead to help you locate it using Apple’s Find My service.

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Along with the announcement of the AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with ANC, Apple unveiled five new colourways of its popular over-ear headphones, the AirPods Max. The new variants of the Max cost £499, support USB-C charging and those new colours are Midnight, Blue, Purple, Orange and Starlight. Like the AirPods 4, they’re available to preorder now and will be officially released on 20 September.

Rounding out Apple’s headphones reveals was news that the AirPods Pro 2 are receiving some new features via a firmware update due in the autumn. These are all focused on health and well-being, specifically hearing protection and dealing with hearing loss.

The trio of features fall under three main areas: Prevention, Awareness and Assistance. The first of these – Hearing Protection – minimises exposure to damaging external noise via improved passive noise reduction. This will be engaged by default and Apple assured viewers it won’t hamper audio quality in any way. The Awareness element of the AirPod Pro 2’s new capabilities revolves around a clinically validated hearing test that involves tapping the screen when you’re able to hear specific frequencies.

Various headphones manufacturers offer something similar in their companion apps and, like many of them, Apple is using the results to craft a bespoke audio profile tuned to how you hear. However, rather than touting this option as improving immersion, Apple is describing it as a hearing aid feature. It will boost specific frequencies to ensure you’re able to better hear details in what you’re listening to and will be automatically applied to all of your Apple audio devices. It was already possible to transform the AirPods Pro 2 into hearing aids via third-party software but Apple is bringing it in-house and that will make it considerably more accessible for those with auditory issues.