Foreign journalists shared their impressions of the latest 4th generation AirPods.
Most of them were satisfied with the gadget. However, there are a number of complaints about the headphones.
Let’s find out what people say about the device.
1. The Verge
Everything is good here, but if it is not a “basic” model
The design has changed a little
Were among the first to publish our review The Verge. Below is their adapted text with impressions.
From the outside, you won’t notice any radical differences from the AirPods 3. Apple has continued to tweak the shape and contours of the earbuds for a better fit, and the charging case is smaller than ever. But these are still the same earbuds we’re used to, and they still only come in white.
There are big changes under the hood: For the first time, Apple is offering two different versions of the regular AirPods. Both deliver same sound qualityso don’t worry about that. They are all IP54 dustproof and waterproof, and they all have the H2 chip. That’s where the similarities end.
Miracles do not happen. AirPods Pro Provide Better Noise Cancellation Than AirPods 4If you’re looking to create a “private bubble of peace,” the AirPods 4 won’t do it.
The noise-canceling in the new headphones works best at reducing low-frequency noises, like the hum of an airplane or city traffic. But unless you’re listening to music, you’ll still hear most of the sounds around you. Turn on playback and turn up the volume to 50%, and you’ll barely hear 99% of the noise.
Active noise cancellation works well enough to help you keep the volume at a reasonable level – even on city streets
You can’t adjust the volume with swipes like you can with AirPods Pro 2.
Adaptive sound is less useful here than on the AirPods Pro, as the AirPods 4 always make it easy to hear what’s going on around you, a feature of the open design. The ability to amplify speech when talking to others can be useful, though, and it works well.
The case on the more expensive headphones supports wireless charging with any Qi-compatible charger. There is also a built-in speaker on the bodywhich can make a sound when you try to track its geolocation using Locator.
The standard $129 AirPods 4 don’t have these features. It’s a shame that the base model doesn’t have wireless charging, and the lack of a speaker is a no-brainer.
AirPods 4 delivers denser bass layerthan their predecessors. There was a good amount of instrument separation when listening to, for example, Bleachers’ “Tiny Moves”; there are subtleties and expressions in the upper range.
Both the headphones and the case are protected from dust and moisture
Anyone who frequently uses AirPods for voice calls will appreciate the feature. Voice isolationwhich has long been available in AirPods Pro, is now available in AirPods 4. By running machine learning algorithms on both the AirPods and the source device at the same time, Apple can better isolate your voice even in the noisiest environments.
Battery life is 4 hours with noise cancellation on or 5 hours without. Add the charging case and you get a total of 20 and 30 hours respectively.
2. Engadget
As always, great headphones, but there are questions
The ANC version has a speaker at the bottom
At the journalists Engadget received similar impressions.
The revised shape does result in an improved fit in your ears. AirPods 4 more comfortable and stays in place betterthan their predecessors. During the entire testing period, there was never a feeling that the headphones were about to fall out. Of course, the most reliable fit still remains with the AirPods Pro.
What you won’t find here is a touch-sensitive volume control. On the AirPods Pro 2, you can slide your finger along the “tail” to adjust the volume. This feature is missing on the AirPods 4. Sure, you can ask Siri to do it, but the voice assistant is too slow for such a task.
Looking at the earbuds themselves, you won’t be able to tell the two versions of the AirPods 4 apart. However, you can tell them apart by looking at the cases. The ANC model has a speaker in the case, so there are visible holes next to the USB-C port. On both AirPods 4, the LED indicator light is now hidden. Furthermore, Apple has removed the button for pairing and resetting the headphones. Now you need to double-tap next to the LED to put the AirPods 4 into pairing mode (or double-tap the case three times to reset the headphones – a total of 6 taps).
The key part of the 4s is the interaction with Siri, which lets you accept or reject calls, reply to or reject messages, and interact with or dismiss notifications. It’s all done with a nod or shake of the head. And like everything else, you can turn them off if you prefer to do things the old-fashioned way.
The noise-canceling version also has a number of features that the “basic” headphones don’t have:
• adaptive audio
• function Awareness
• transparency mode
• wireless charging
Finding via Locator in both models also doesn’t work the same way as in AirPods Pro. You can’t find the earbuds with an accuracy of a few centimeters, only by sound.
And still these are some of the best headphones
Apple has equipped the AirPods 4 with a newly designed 11mm low-distortion driver and a high-dynamic-range amplifier. The driver is built with a new membrane mesh as well as a new magnet, and overall it has better performance. The company has also eliminated sound reflections.
Richer bass, clearer highs and even greater instrument separation – all of which are true compared to the AirPods 3. There’s more low-end tones than the previous model, and the drums are better positioned in the soundstage, making it wider and more immersive. The improved frequency response is fully visible with Dolby Atmos content (movies, music, and TV).
The sound itself is the same in both versions of AirPods. At least that’s good.
As for voice calls, everything is fine with the microphones. Talking to people on the phone might be a little more comfortable than with AirPods 3. But that’s not certain.
Autonomy is about the same as Apple promises us. If you alternate transparency and noise reduction, then one charge will last you about four hours. Alas, but the “basic” version does not have wireless charging. And the more expensive model has it, but without MagSafe support. That is, the case will charge from it, but not at full speed, as if there were magnets.
Otherwise, everything is standard regarding charging: 5 minutes at the outlet gives an hour of battery life.
To take or not to take
Based on reviews, the AirPods 4 offer a significant upgrade over the AirPods 3, but only in the noise-canceling version.
It probably makes sense to get the AirPods Pro 2 instead of the AirPods 4. New health features will be available for these headphones soon.
Source: www.iphones.ru
