When Apple released not one but two different versions of its new AirPods 4 in September of 2024 it changed the landscape of the company’s lineup. And it might just have been a stroke of genius.
The AirPods 4 come in a new, smaller case that you can take anywhere.
While the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Max still sit at the very top of Apple’s audio accessory pyramid, they’re known quantities and simply too expensive for a whole lot of people. The arrival of a new AirPods pairing is undoubtedly the best option for millions of people and the AirPods 4 (ANC) is arguably the best wireless earbuds for most people — including me.
I’ve been testing the standard AirPods 4 and upgraded ANC version since not long after they were released and I’ve used them to listen to music, podcasts, and audiobooks for countless hours during that time. I expected to enjoy the ANC version the most, but what I didn’t expect was for them to replace my AirPods Pro 2.