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In brief: Aside from the iPhone 16, the latest standard AirPods hardware revision was one of the main attractions of Apple's Glowtime presentation. The AirPods 4 introduce a new form factor and gains some features previously exclusive to the more expensive Pro model.
Pre-orders are now open for the AirPods 4. Two models will be available on September 20. Starting at $129, the headphones gain intelligent noise management features previously reserved for the $249 Pro variant.
With the addition of Apple's H2 chip, the cheaper model now supports personalized volume and voice isolation. The latter filters out background noise so a speaker's voice sounds clearer during calls.
On iOS 18-compatible devices, H2-powered Apple headphones also recognize physical gestures for interacting with Siri. Users can nod or shake their heads to respond to Siri notifications without using their hands.
Additionally, the AirPods 4 will introduce a mid-range model, bluntly dubbed AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancelation (ANC), that gains more of the Pro variant's intelligent audio functionality while remaining much cheaper. For $179, it adds transparency mode, Conversation Awareness, and Adaptive Audio.
While ANC blocks outside noise, transparency mode helps users remain aware of their surroundings while using headphones. Adaptive Audio aims to balance the two settings as users move through constantly changing environments, and Conversation Awareness temporarily lowers the volume when the device senses that the user is speaking with someone.
Moreover, the standard AirPod charging case switches to USB-C with the AirPods 4. Older cases were among the last Apple devices using the company's proprietary lightning cable.
The AirPods 4 also feature a new physical design aiming to fit snugly into a wider variety of ear shapes. Apple mapped thousands of ear types with tens of millions of data points and tools like photogrammetry and laser topography.
Furthermore, the AirPods Pro 2 gains health-related features that can turn the device into a medical-grade hearing aid. Sound boosting can help users suffering from hearing loss, hearing test functionality can help people accurately diagnose potential hearing problems, and other new software features can manage loud noises to prevent hearing loss.
After the new features receive marketing authorization from global health organizations, they are expected to debut in over 100 countries this fall, including the US, Germany, and Japan.