Most can’t go out and spend thousands on a new iPhone every year, so the release of the new AirPods 4 is a welcome addition for those who want to cop some new Apple tech without breaking the bank. These new headphones come in two variants (both white): AirPods 4 (AU$219) and AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation (AU$299), which makes them some of the most affordable headphones the brand makes. Still, they claim the title of the most advanced and comfortable headphones Apple has ever created (with an open-ear design).
Before we tell you all about these headphones, the AirPods 4 are available to pre-order from today and will be available in stores in Australia beginning Friday, 20 September. Given their price point and value for money, we’d expect them to be slightly challenging to get your hands on. Our advice is to get in early!
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It’s time to rejoice for those who had trouble fitting the previous-generation AirPods into their ears because Apple has reworked the design of the new AirPods 4 to fit more ears. The new design is “built with an unparalleled data set that uses advanced modelling tools (3D photogrammetry and laser topography) to precisely map and analyse thousands of ear shapes and over 50 million individual data points in total,” according to Apple. While we haven’t had a chance to try them ourselves, we’ll go out on a whim and say that they probably got it right this time, considering the lengths they’ve gone to here.
The case is also 10 per cent smaller and conveniently uses USB-C charging. Thankfully, only a handful of products still use the defunct Apple Lightning connection. Additionally, if you opt for the AirPods 4 with ANC, you can charge using an Apple Watch charger or Qi-certified charger. This model is also the smallest in the industry, with wireless charging capabilities, and measures 50mm wide, perfect for putting in your pocket.
Battery life remains a question, but the brand says the case can provide up to 30 hours. Still, it’s unclear how long the headphones last outside their case and in your ears playing music.
Sound quality has also seen a “massive improvement,” thanks to an entirely new acoustic architecture, a low-distortion driver, and a high-dynamic range amplifier. If they sound anywhere near as good as the current generation Apple AirPods Pro, then the brand is onto a winner, and we can’t wait to test them.
Next to the hardware advancements, the AirPods 4 also adds software tricks. These include Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking (which we don’t use), Voice Isolation for clearer call quality, and Siri Interactions to integrate more closely with Siri by nodding and shaking your head to control certain features. You can also take control of your music and videos with a new force sensor on the stem that plays or pauses music and videos and even mutes or ends calls.
Finally, the brand has debuted Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) in its open-ear headphones for the first time with the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation (AU$299). These bring carry-over features from the more expensive AirPods Pro, including Transparency mode, Adaptive audio, and Conversation Awareness features. Where other brands struggle with integrating these features, Apple has nailed this in the past with headphones like the AirPods Max, which leads the industry in this regard, so we’d expect the same here.
The AirPods Max (with USB-C) comes in five new colours: midnight, starlight, blue, orange, and purple, and it has complementary finishes alongside other Apple products like the Mac and iPad.
You can pre-order the AirPods 4 through the links below before they’re available in stores on Friday, September 20, 2024.
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