Apple AirPods 4

Streamlined design and snappier controls with your iPhone®

Apple offers two versions of the AirPods 4, one with active noise canceling and this one without. And if you don't need that feature, this is an excellent value. You still get most of the upgrades from the previous generation AirPods, including Apple's H2 processing chip, improved call clarity, and refined, well-balanced sound. They also sport a streamlined, more contoured design to better fit more ear sizes. (Apple says the redesign is informed by thousands of ear scans and millions of data points they've accumulated over the years.)

The sweatproof AirPods 4 don't come with ear tips, they rest inside the ear without going too deep. From there, the H2 chip makes pairing and use with your iPhone even snappier. It has stronger processing and is more energy efficient than the already formidable H1 chip found in the previous-generation AirPods.

Steady, high-quality connection to your Apple gear

While the AirPods will play music and podcasts wirelessly from any Bluetooth-enabled phone or music source, the H2 chip makes pairing up with Apple devices even more special. A one-tap connection syncs up the earbuds to your iPhone®, and then you're automatically paired to other devices on your iCloud® account (like your Apple Watch®, iMac®, or iPad®).

Clear phone calls and FaceTime conversations

Of course, AirPods are as ubiquitous with phone calls and video chats as they are with music listening. For many, that's why they are considered "everyday essentials" — that are worn everywhere. Apple updated their Voice Isolation technology and microphones to better filter out external sounds for clearer conversations in noisier environments.

3D sound for iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV

These headphones also use head-tracking technology to serve up "spatial audio" for certain shows, movies, and music. It's designed to emulate the sound of a Dolby Atmos home theater speaker setup in a room. And as you nod or turn your head, the sound field stays fixed and centered.

To make things even more immersive, Apple can tailor the spatial audio experience to your ears. The sound adjusts itself based on the shape and geometry of your ears and head. If you have an iPhone with a TrueDepth camera, you can snap a photo of the side of your head to create your personal profile.

That profile will sync up and follow you to your iPad, iPhone, and Apple TV 4K. It's great for shows and movies, plus it adds an extra dimension to your tunes when listening to spatial audio music tracks on Apple Music. That streaming service has thousands of songs mixed in Dolby Atmos, and the Atmos version plays automatically when you're wearing AirPods.

Apple's most compact charging case

These AirPods offer five hours of music listening on a full charge. When you need to refuel, just click the AirPods into their included wireless charging case — the smallest AirPods case yet. It can bank 25 hours of power to recharge your AirPods. You can charge the case via USB-C, but note that Apple does not include a USB-C charging cable. This charging case does not have a built-in speaker for "Find My" like the case for the noise cancelling version.