Impressive ANC, but battery life takes a hit

Ahead of the AirPods 4 release later this week, reviewers are offering their first look at these new open-ear earbuds, including the new features, ANC functionality, and more if you’re willing to buy the $179 model. Here’s how the new AirPods 4 have been doing in these reviews.

Also, you might want to read these:

AirPods 4 reviews

For TechRadar, even if AirPods 4 looks like its predecessor, they offer a better fit with more Pro features than ever:

When they’re in the ear, at first glance the Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation might not look much different to the third-generation AirPods. However, the design has been streamlined for a better fit, while the internal hardware has been upgraded, with many of the best features of AirPods Pro 2 trickling down to Apple’s new entry-level earbuds, making them a tempting option among the best AirPods.

The Verge‘s AirPods 4 review is categoric to say that ANC works impressively if you’re listening to songs, but it can’t do any miracle if you only turn ANC on. After all, these earbuds offer a open-ear design:

You’re always going to hear a fair amount of ambient sound if you’re not listening to something, but once the music starts, that’s where the ANC proves its worth. I’ve found that I can keep the volume at around 50 percent and barely notice any distractions. With past AirPods (and with the non-ANC AirPods 4), I routinely find myself cranking the volume to combat my surroundings. You won’t need to face that battle with the AirPods 4 with ANC, and that means you should be listening at safer levels more often than not. One unfortunate downgrade compared to the AirPods Pro is that you can’t adjust volume directly on the earbuds; there are no swipe gestures like on Apple’s flagship buds.

Engadget notes a small feature that makes a big difference when comparing AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4:

What you won’t find here are onboard volume controls. On the AirPods Pro 2, you can slide your finger on the stem to adjust the level. That function is absent on the AirPods 4. Apple recommends you ask Siri to change the volume, use your iPhone’s buttons, drag the slider on the Lock Screen player or swipe over to the Control Center. There’s also the Digital Crown on the Apple Watch if you’re on the Now Playing screen. Honestly, it’s all a hassle. Siri is too slow and reaching for something that’s not my earbuds just makes me mad. But, that hassle was there on the AirPods 3, so at least Apple is consistent.

Forbes mentions that AirPods 4 has a smaller battery than AirPods 3, which can be a bit frustrating for those wearing these earbuds for long periods of time:

Actually, the 3^rd generation of AirPods had better battery life: six hours between charges, but the new models only have five. This drops to four hours if you have noise-cancelling on, in the ANC version, obviously.

You can also read the reviews from The Wall Street Journal, Yahoo News, CNET, CNN, and PC Magazine.