Apple’s popular headphones are getting a bit of an overhaul, with active noise cancellation and the arrival of USB-C.
After the Apple Watch Series 10, Apple unveiled the Airpods 4, its “most advanced and comfortable headphones”. These come in two versions. The first is the classic version, while the second benefits from active noise reduction technology, which is reminiscent of what the Airpods Pro offer.
Similar to the Airpods 3 in terms of design, they have a redesigned internal architecture, with a refined contour to ensure “a natural and stable hold” in the ear. The stem has also been modified: shorter, it houses the battery and a new pressure sensor to control playback and calls with a gesture.
The stem also includes the H2 chip, which already powers the Airpods Pro 2. It is present in both models to offer better sound quality to users, especially with spatial audio.
Switching to USB-C
Like the AirPods Pro 2, the AirPods 4 finally switch to USB-C for charging. Apple promises up to 5 hours of listening time on a single charge for the classic version and up to four hours of listening time with active noise cancellation enabled on the new version. Both models also support wireless charging.
Available for pre-order from Monday, September 9, the Airpods 4 will be on sale from September 20, at a price of 149 euros for the classic version and 199 euros for the model with active noise reduction.
The same goes for the Airpods Max, which don’t benefit from any major new features, except that they also switch to USB-C and are available in new colors (blue, purple, midnight, starlight and orange). Their price will still be the same, namely 579 euros.
