AirPods have come a long way in the eight years since their introduction. But now, competitors are catching up, and even Apple’s own Beats lineup is catching up. The iconic status of AirPods has been somewhat diminished, and in some ways, even surpassed. How can Apple compete in this situation?
The answer is simple: better design, more features at a reasonable price. Apple has done just that with AirPods 4. AirPods 4 have many of the features of AirPods Pro 2, and offer a better fit than their predecessor, AirPods 3, but at the same price of 269,000 won.
Overall, Apple has made the AirPods 4 more valuable than their predecessors. However, since comfort is important when it comes to wireless earphones, you might be wondering if it’s worth the extra expense to upgrade to the AirPods Pro 2.
Design and fit
AirPods have changed their design with each generation, promising a better fit each time. According to Apple, AirPods 4 have a design that “can be worn more naturally and securely by more people.” Apple explained that it used “an unparalleled data set” to create “the most comfortable AirPods ever.”
Could “over 50 million individual data points” be wrong? In my ears, the AirPods 4 fit better than the AirPods 3, but I still had the issue of the right earbud fitting better and the left less so. While walking, both were stable, but when I ran up the stairs, the left earbud fell off.
But overall, they’re a much better fit than the original AirPods from 2016. Back then, I hated AirPods. They kept falling out of my ears, and I spent more time bending over to pick them up than listening to music.
Personally, I found the AirPods Pro with silicone ear tips to fit much better and be more secure. However, there are situations where the open design is better, so I wouldn’t give up on the AirPods 4 completely. I would say that the AirPods 4 will fit everyone’s ears well, but everyone’s ears are different, so I recommend trying them on first and then deciding.
ANC performance and sound quality
Apple offers two models of AirPods 4. One costs 199,000 won, and the other costs 269,000 won and features Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). ANC has two noise-blocking modes: ‘Adaptive Audio’ and ‘Transparency Mode.’ In addition, the ‘Conversation Recognition’ function, which was previously only supported by AirPods Pro, has been added.
The AirPods 4 with and without ANC are externally identical, and their internal specifications are almost identical. It is not clear whether the $149 model has a modified H2 chip without ANC, or if it is blocked via software, but aside from the presence of ANC, there is no difference between the two models.
In my actual experience, the ANC performance of the AirPods 4 is affected by the open design. For example, while walking down a busy street, most traffic noise was reduced to the point where it was barely audible, but not to the level of the AirPods Pro 2. Depending on the situation, the AirPods 4 may be better because they do not completely block out surrounding noise. If you are in an environment where you need to reduce noise as much as possible, the silicone ear tips of the AirPods Pro 2 are more suitable.
My favorite feature is ‘conversational awareness’. It automatically lowers the volume when the user speaks and keeps it until the end of the conversation. It works well for 1:1 conversations, but when several people speak at the same time, the volume goes back up. This feature can be useful for short conversations at the checkout counter or at a kiosk.
Overall, the sound quality of the AirPods 4 is very good for a typical open-back earphone. Complex tracks like 311’s “Need Somebody” and Buñuel’s “Crack Shot” were played cleanly, and the Real Boston Rich’s “Help Me” had a thick and clean bass without distortion. The desired energy was well expressed in pop tracks like Katy Perry’s “Woman’s World” and Glive’s “Minnesota is a place that exists.” The guitar sound was clear on acoustic tracks like Fog Swamp’s “Split the Sky” and Indigo Girls’ “Romeo and Juliet.”
The clarity and volume of voices were also impressive in podcasts and phone calls. While the AirPods Pro deliver better voices thanks to the silicone eartips, the AirPods 4 sounded almost as good. Since the AirPods 4 have the same H2 chip as the AirPods Pro 2, it’s reasonable to assume that the sound quality they produce is almost identical. The only differences between the two products in terms of sound quality are the presence of eartips and the effect of the open design.
Charging Case
The USB-C charging case for AirPods 4 also differs between the ANC and non-ANC models. The 269,000 won model has a built-in speaker for the ‘Find My’ function and supports USB-C and wireless charging. You can use both the Apple Watch charger and the Qi charger. It does not support MagSafe like the AirPod Pro case, but you can charge it by placing it in the center of the MagSafe charger. The case for the 199,000 won model only supports wired USB-C charging.
The case is slightly smaller than the AirPods 3 case, but still roomier than the original AirPods case. However, compared to other competing products on the market, the AirPods 4 case is very sturdy and compact. Cases for other earbuds are often overly large.
Apple has removed the setup button on the back of the case. Instead, you need to press the status light underneath the front of the case. This is mentioned in the AirPods 4 manual, but since most users don’t read the manual, it can be confusing when setting it up.
Battery life
Using ANC will shorten the battery life of the AirPods 4. Apple claims four hours of playback on the earbuds and 20 hours with the case on a full charge. With ANC turned off, you get five hours on the earbuds and 30 hours with the case.
In our tests, the earbuds lasted 4 hours and 16 minutes with ANC turned on, which is a few minutes longer than Apple’s claimed battery life. After five minutes in the fully charged case, the battery was charged to 27 percent. According to Apple, five minutes of charging should give you an hour of use.
price
The AirPods 4 with ANC are priced at $269. The AirPods Pro 2 are priced at $349, but can often be found at discounted prices on retailers like Amazon. If you need full noise cancellation and the silicone eartips are comfortable, it’s worth the extra money. Another advantage of the Pro model is the upcoming hearing aid support feature, which is not available on the AirPods 4.
Cheap alternative
AirPods 4, which do not support ANC, are sold for 199,000 won. The earbuds and case design of this model are the same as the ANC model. However, the following features are not provided.
- Active noise cancellation (including adaptive audio and transparency mode)
- Conversation recognition function
- Wireless charging case
- ‘Find Me’ Alert Speaker
Other than that, they are the same. The AirPods 4 have the same H2 chip as the ANC model, and the audio quality, fit, and features are the same. So it’s worth considering whether the model with these features is worth the extra 70,000 won. In my opinion, it is worth it.
AirPods 4, should you buy them?
The AirPods 4 with ANC are priced at $269, and offer much better value than the AirPods 3. The sound quality is great, the noise cancellation is very useful, and the fit is improved over the previous model. There are also convenient features such as wireless charging and a Find My speaker in the case. In conclusion, the AirPods 4 are great earphones overall. However, they would be even better if they didn’t fall out of your ears easily.
editor@itworld.co.kr
Source: www.itworld.co.kr
