I was not interested in AirPods, especially because of my ear size, but honestly, I also felt that due to those small pods, they would fall out. They would have been one of the most impractical earpieces for everyday wear or use. But it turned out all my speculations proved wrong when AirPods were launched in 2016. They have become so much a part of my life that today I will not be able to step out even without them. Over the years, I continued to end up going back to my AirPods for regular usage even after trying a couple of other wireless earphones. For me, AirPods have become something of an extension of iPhone and, in some ways, my personality. As of now, it is quite evident that, by 2024, Apple wants even more people to have this experience, and the motivation behind these two new AirPods models seems to be the one doing that.
Let’s dive into the AirPods 4.
The first thing you notice is how compact the package is. If AirPods 3 borrowed its design cues from the Pro version, AirPods 4 seems to go back to the original design philosophy. The case is incredibly small, fitting easily into the watch pocket of your jeans. It might just be the most compact wireless earphone case I’ve ever seen.
The earbud design feels more or less the same—no silicone tips, of course, unlike the Pros. Frankly, I’d stick with the AirPods Pro. Their fit with the silicone tips doesn’t make me worry they are going to fall out of my rather large ears. However, over the years, I’ve had my share of concerns because in my most active times, my AirPods never once fell out. That’s the beauty of Apple’s design: shape and weight tend to keep these in place, and they really haven’t strayed from the formula there for a number of years. No wonder Apple’s EarPod design has been emulated through several generations of EarPods.
Getting the AirPods 4 set up is quite painless if you’re already a member of the Apple family, since you just pop open the case, and your iPhone or iPad will immediately recognize them. You will then have to accept individual volume settings and a new feature that allows you to answer calls by nodding your head. After pressing play on your first song, you are rewarded with warm, balanced sound that makes you feel like you’re listening through your beloved AirPods.
For a fresher, this would appear to be a leap from using a pair of earphones that the previous audio quality they had was colossal. I must confess that when listening to the Coke Studio 9 version of “Afreen Afreen” by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Momina Mustehsan, it became a nostalgic moment for me because it reminded me of the first time I heard the original version by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan decades ago on my BPL music system. This would yield strong, balanced sound feathery with good vocals but never overpowering them. There is no overcooked bass here, and the audio sounds pure and clear. Still, because this earbud has no silicone tips, you will hear some ambient noise. But turning up the volume is sure to drown it out. Spatial audio with head tracking is supported by AirPods 4- which means its direction can be moved around with you or fixed in space according to your preference.
Call quality stands the test of time and is up to the mark Apple has set over years. And at Rs 12,900, it is the most affordable AirPods till date. Apple obviously wants to make their most in-demand earphones more accessible, knowing once a person tries out an AirPods, they won’t likely stray from them and would eventually upgrade later on to a Pro version. For any Apple user, these are arguably the best truly wireless earphones currently in the market. Now, with the launch of AirPods 4 featuring Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), there is a new choice that has surfaced.
The AirPods 4 with ANC looks, sounds, and delivers exactly the same as the non-ANC standard AirPods 4, but when you put them on, the noise cancellation impresses. Surprisingly, it works without the silicone tips that adorn the Pro models.
My Preview of the Noise Cancellation
I managed to preview the noise cancellation during the Apple event. In the packed Steve Jobs Theatre, among hundreds of journalists and content creators with which I’d try out the new iPhones, an Apple rep gave me a shot at trying the AirPods 4 with ANC right as I put them on: the hubbub noise of the crowd faded from my ears and I was placed in a peaceful, almost silent space. Pretty amazing first impression of what these earphones can do.
Although in India, AirPods are still a premium product, elsewhere, like in the U.S., they are everywhere-from cab drivers to people heading on the subway and even California municipal workers-there seems to be no one who is not using AirPods. Because of this, introducing noise cancellation in the AirPods 4 will make it a significant upgrade for most users, so many will like the AirPods even more.
The AirPods 4 with ANC offer both Adaptive and Transparency modes. I use Adaptive mode very rarely when walking outside because it automatically controls the noise cancellation around the environment, but when I am at airports and need to hear announcements or chat with fellow passengers, the Transparency mode comes in handy and allows external sounds to filter in. The AirPods also boast something called Conversation Awareness, which will automatically reduce the audio it detects you’re speaking. I’m not a big fan of this feature though because it will cut out the audio altogether if it thinks you’re just coughing or clearing your throat. Again, though, it does seem to improve the quality of the audio. No background noise could be now distantly heard as I listened to “Souparnikamrutha,” a gentle morning track that provided the perfect scenario for the day, and with every note of his, Yesudas’ silky voice could be totally appreciated. The audio remains balanced, with clear delivery of all elements of the music.
But when I made the switch to something just a little bit fresher-like Ed Sheeran’s “The A Team”-Spatial Audio really showed off its stuff. It felt like being inside an orb, and Sheeran’s voice and instruments seemed to float around me. It creates an immersive uniqueness that will wash you away in your own private soundscape.
I think my favorite thing about the AirPods 4 with ANC is how they help me concentrate at work. That’s because they allow me to wear them all day without anyone bothering me because people assume I am on a call. However, I will be enjoying noise cancellation as well as designing my own mental space. They work flawlessly, and also, they can swing between devices without a hitch, so be it my iPhone, iPad, or MacBook-they are quite handy when multitasking calls with Zoom meetings and YouTube videos at the same time.
In a nutshell, Apple has only taken an already winning product and made it even more worthwhile to invest in. Regardless of whether you opt for the AirPods 4 or AirPods 4 with ANC, you are getting that premium experience perfectly integrating with the Apple ecosystem. And that noise cancellation will now come within a more affordable option further reinforces the idea that Apple is bent on making AirPods indispensable for users all around.