Electronics & Computing Audio & Headphones Wireless Earbuds Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation

Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation

Published date: 25/Sept/2026

Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation

Colour

Currently unavailable

Key Features

Battery Life
5 hours
30 hours total
Noise Cancelling
Adaptive ANC
Resistance
IP54
Bluetooth
5.3
Weight
4.3 g each
Earbud Type
In-ear

What Customers Say

Reviewers and owners consistently praise the light, tipless design as comfortable for long wear, and many were surprised by how well the noise cancelling works without ear tips. Sound is widely described as a clear step up from earlier AirPods, with fuller bass, and calls come through clearly thanks to voice isolation. The small case, with wireless charging and a Find My speaker, was another frequent highlight, as was the easy setup with Apple devices.

The recurring complaints are noise cancelling that cannot match sealed earbuds, a one-size fit that does not suit every ear and can loosen during exercise, short battery life with noise cancelling on, and no volume control on the earbuds.

For iPhone owners who dislike ear tips, reviewers agree these are a comfortable, capable everyday pair, as long as you accept lighter noise cancelling and shorter battery life than sealed earbuds.

Who Should Buy This

  • iPhone owners who want Siri, Find My and spatial audio built in,
  • Listeners who dislike silicone ear tips and want an open fit,
  • Commuters who want noise cancelling in a small, light pair,
  • Callers who want voice isolation to cut background noise,
  • Owners of Qi pads who want to charge the case wirelessly.

Who Should Skip It

  • Frequent flyers who need a sealed fit to block engine rumble,
  • Runners who need fins, hooks or ear tips to lock earbuds in place,
  • Android owners, since many features rely on an Apple device,
  • Long-listening buyers who need more than a few hours per charge.

What Experts Says

Overall Assessment and Positioning

The Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation bring noise cancelling to Apple's open, tipless AirPods design, sitting between the plain AirPods 4 and Apple's sealed Pro earbuds. They are aimed at iPhone owners who want quieter commutes and Apple's everyday features without silicone ear tips in their ears.

Key Strengths and Standout Features

At 4.3 g per earbud with no tips to change, they are light enough to forget, and the IP54 rating covers sweat and rain on the way to work. Apple quotes 5 hours per charge with noise control off and 4 hours with noise cancelling on, so heavy users will lean on the case, which takes the totals to 30 and 20 hours and charges over USB-C or on a Qi pad. Voice Isolation and a speech-detecting accelerometer help calls, while Adaptive Audio, a transparency mode and Conversation Awareness let the earbuds adjust how much of the outside world you hear. Personalised spatial audio with head tracking and a Find My speaker in the case complete a strong Apple feature set, although there is no volume control on the earbuds.

Value Proposition and Who It's Best Suited For

These suit iPhone owners who dislike ear tips and want noise cancelling in the smallest, lightest AirPods. Anyone who needs a sealed fit for flights and runs, or long listening sessions between charges, should consider sealed in-ear alternatives with larger batteries.

Similar Reviews

Video Reviews

ChoiceWise Scores: 81 Out Of 100

Sound Quality
pending
Noise Cancelling
90
Battery Life
63
Call Quality
98
Comfort & Fit
85
Features & Connectivity
71

The ChoiceWise Score is calculated using a defined methodology based on the features and factors that matter most in this category. Read our full scoring methodology: choicewise.app/methodology#score

Earbud typeIn-ear
Active noise cancellationAdaptive ANC
IP rating (earbuds)IP54
Spatial audioYes (head tracking)
Transparency modeYes
Call noise reductionYes
Voice pickup sensorYes
Battery life (earbuds)5 hours
Battery life (earbuds, ANC on)4 hours
With charging case30 hours total
With charging case (ANC on)20 hours total
Quick charge1 hour from 5 minutes
Case chargingUSB-C, Qi wireless
Earbud weight4.3 g each
Charging case weight34.7 g
Ear tips suppliedNone
ControlsPress
IP rating (charging case)IP54
Bluetooth version5.3
Voice assistantSiri
Wear detectionYes
Find my earbudsYes
Other featuresConversation Awareness Adaptive EQ
ColourWhite
ReleasedSeptember 2024
Box contentsAirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation Charging Case (USB-C) with speaker Documentation

Frequently Asked Questions

Apple quotes 5 hours of listening per charge with noise control off and 4 hours with noise cancelling on. With the charging case the totals are 30 hours and 20 hours.

5 minutes in the case gives about 1 hour of listening. The case charges over USB-C, on a Qi-certified wireless charger or on an Apple Watch charger.

They have active noise cancellation with Adaptive Audio, a transparency mode and Conversation Awareness. There are no silicone ear tips, so the fit is open rather than sealed.

The earbuds are rated IP54, which means protection against dust and splashing water such as sweat and rain. They are not built for swimming.

Volume control on the earbuds is listed as not supported. Presses on the force sensor handle playback, calls and skipping tracks, and a press and hold calls Siri.

They use Voice Isolation to reduce background noise on calls, together with a speech-detecting accelerometer.

Yes, Find My is supported, and the charging case includes a speaker to help you locate it.

They work as Bluetooth earbuds with non-Apple devices, but Apple says functionality may be limited.

ChoiceWise does not perform hands-on product testing for this page. The expert opinion and recommendations are based on third-party reviews and sources, which we analyze and summarize using our editorial process.