Apple AirPods 4 Review: the everyday buds that finally fix the fit (for me, at least)

Let’s talk price vs what you actually get. These AirPods 4 sit in that typical Apple zone: not cheap, not the worst deal either. If you compare them to random $30 earbuds on Amazon, of course they’re more expensive. But you’re paying for the integration with iPhone, the H2 chip features, and the overall user experience. For me, the question was: does this justify the price compared to AirPods 3 or just spending a bit more for AirPods Pro 2?

For an iPhone user who hates silicone tips and doesn’t need strong ANC, I’d say the value is pretty solid. You get: easy pairing, automatic device switching, Find My, decent sound, good call quality, and a very comfortable fit. If any of those matter to you daily, the extra cost vs cheaper earbuds starts to make sense. You don’t waste time fiddling with Bluetooth menus or dealing with weird connection bugs. It just works, which in real life is worth something.

On the downside, if you want serious noise cancellation for planes, noisy offices, or shared flats, I’d honestly tell you to save a bit more and go for AirPods Pro 2 or even a good pair of over-ear headphones. The AirPods 4 are more about convenience and comfort than isolation. Also, the fact that the USB‑C cable isn’t included and there’s no ear tips or accessories at this price makes the package feel a bit bare compared to some competitors.

So overall, value depends on who you are. For an Android user, I’d say skip them; there are better options with more features for the same or less money. For an Apple user who wants "put them in, they just work" earbuds with good comfort and decent sound, the price is high but not crazy. It’s not a bargain, but it’s good value if you actually use the ecosystem features every day.

Design-wise, these are very clearly AirPods. Same white plastic, same general shape, but with a shorter stem and slightly refined contour. Compared to the AirPods 3, they feel a bit more compact and sit a bit better in the ear. Compared to the Pros, they look less bulky since there’s no silicone tip sticking in your ear. It’s still not a subtle product; people will see you’re wearing AirPods from a mile away, but that’s kind of the deal with this lineup.

The case is a nice upgrade: USB‑C, more than 10% smaller by volume than the previous gen, and very pocketable. In jeans, it disappears easily and doesn’t create a big bulge. The hinge feels solid and the lid snaps shut with a reassuring click. The little speaker in the case for Find My is more useful than I expected; I’ve already used it twice to find the case under a pile of clothes. There’s no dedicated lanyard loop like on the Pro 2 case, which is a slight miss if you’re used to clipping your case to a bag.

The buds themselves have the usual force sensor in the stem. The click is clear enough that you know you pressed it, but it doesn’t require so much force that you push the earbud out of your ear. I still prefer this over touch-sensitive surfaces that misfire every time you adjust them. No volume swipe on the stem here, so you still need your phone or Apple Watch for volume, which is a bit of a shame in 2024.

In terms of style, they’re exactly what you’d expect from Apple: clean, simple, and a bit boring, but in a good way. No flashy colors, no weird shapes. If you want earbuds that "disappear" visually, these are not it. If you’re fine with the classic white AirPods look and just want something that feels well-built and compact, the design does the job without any real surprises.

Battery-wise, Apple claims up to 5 hours of listening on a single charge with noise control off, and up to 30 hours total with the case. In my use, with a mix of music, calls, and some of the noise control features on and off, I was getting around 4 to 4.5 hours per session before I started getting low battery warnings. That’s pretty close to the spec, so at least the marketing here isn’t totally inflated.

For my routine (about 1–2 hours of use in the morning, 1–2 hours in the evening), I only needed to charge the case every few days. I don’t sit with them in for 8 hours straight, so this is more than enough. The nice thing is the fast top-up: 5 minutes in the case gives roughly an hour of listening, which I tested once when I forgot to charge them. I dropped them in the case while making coffee, and they easily lasted through my commute after that.

The case charging options are flexible: USB‑C, Qi wireless, and Apple Watch chargers. I mostly used USB‑C from my laptop or phone charger, and it felt quick enough that I never really worried about it. Wireless charging is slower as usual, but handy if you already have a pad on your desk or nightstand. The only thing that bugged me is again: no cable in the box. It’s not a deal breaker, but at this price, including a simple USB‑C cable would feel more honest.

Overall, the battery life is "good, not mind-blowing". If you do full workdays with earbuds in non-stop, you’ll still need to pop them in the case once in a while. But for normal use—commutes, workouts, calls, and some media in the evening—the combo of 4–5 hours per charge and 30 hours with the case is solid. I never had a day where they died on me unexpectedly, which is what matters most.

This is the part that really changed things for me. I have small ear canals and anything with silicone tips (including AirPods Pro) ends up hurting after a while. With the Pros, I constantly had to adjust them, and they slowly slid out during runs. With these AirPods 4, the fit is more like the old AirPods 2: they rest in the ear rather than jam into the canal. For my ears, that’s a huge win. I can wear them for 2–3 hours straight without that pressure feeling I got from the Pros.

During workouts, I was a bit worried they’d fall out because there’s no rubber cap or hook. I did some treadmill running, cycling, and weight training. They stayed in place surprisingly well. They’re not glued to your ears like some sports earbuds, but they didn’t fall out once. I did have to readjust them a couple of times when I got really sweaty, but nothing dramatic. If you do intense running or HIIT, you might still prefer something with ear fins, but for normal gym use, they’re fine.

The IP54 rating also helps mentally: you don’t feel like you have to baby them around sweat or light rain. I used them in light drizzle a few times and during sweaty sessions without any issue. They’re not swimming earbuds, obviously, but for day-to-day use and workouts, the protection level feels adequate. Also, because they don’t seal the ear canal like Pros, I get less of that "plugged" feeling and less pressure when I move my jaw or chew.

Of course, comfort is super personal. If your ears never had problems with silicone tips and you love the tight seal of the Pros, you might actually find these too loose or not isolated enough. But if standard in-ear buds always end up hurting, these are worth trying. For my use, comfort is probably the main reason I’d pick AirPods 4 over AirPods Pro 2, even if I lose some noise isolation in the process.

It’s a bit early to talk about long-term durability, but after a couple of weeks of daily use, nothing feels flimsy. The hinge on the case is tight, the lid doesn’t wobble, and the magnets that hold the buds in place are strong enough that they don’t fall out even if you shake the case with the lid open. The plastic doesn’t scratch super easily, but like all glossy white AirPods, they will pick up micro-scratches and pocket marks over time. If you’re picky about that, you’ll probably end up buying a case cover sooner or later.

The IP54 rating gives some peace of mind. I’ve used them in light rain and during sweaty workouts without any problem so far. They’ve also survived a couple of drops from desk height to hardwood floor with no visible damage. That said, they’re still small, white, and very easy to misplace. The built-in speaker and Find My support for both the buds and the case are actually very useful. I used Find My twice already: once when the case slipped behind a cushion, and once when I left a bud on my desk and forgot it. In both cases, the sound and proximity view made it easy to track them down.

One thing to keep in mind is the battery aging. Like all true wireless earbuds, the internal batteries will slowly lose capacity over a couple of years. Apple doesn’t make that part magical. If you plan to keep them for 3–4 years, expect shorter listening times down the line. Without AppleCare+ or a battery service plan, replacing the buds or case will cost you. That’s not unique to AirPods, though; it’s the same story with most sealed earbuds.

So in practice, durability feels decent: they handle everyday life, sweat, and minor drops just fine. But they’re still small electronics you can lose or damage easily if you’re careless. If you’re rough on your gear or tend to lose things, I’d factor that into the decision, because replacing one bud or the whole set isn’t cheap.

On sound, I’d put these as better than older regular AirPods, slightly behind AirPods Pro 2. The bass is surprisingly present for an open-style earbud. When I first played some rap and pop tracks, I was honestly impressed for this format. It’s not subwoofer-level or anything, but you don’t get that thin, tinny sound cheaper open earbuds often have. Mids and highs are clear enough, and for Spotify, YouTube, Netflix, and calls, it’s more than enough. If you’re coming from cheap wireless buds, you’ll definitely feel the upgrade.

Where things get more mixed is the "noise control" part. Apple lists features like Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, and Voice Isolation. In practice, without a physical seal, you’re not getting the same noise cancelling effect as the Pros. These reduce constant background noise (AC, train rumble, plane engine) to a decent level, especially once you have music playing. Voices, keyboard noise, and loud conversations still come through quite a bit. On a metro ride, I could still hear announcements and some chatter, but it was less aggressive than with totally open earbuds. It’s more noise reduction than proper ANC.

Calls are where the H2 chip and Voice Isolation shine more. I did several calls outside and in a noisy kitchen. People on the other end heard me clearly most of the time, even with cars passing or dishes clinking. It’s not magic; in very loud environments, some background seeps through, but compared to my older AirPods 2 and a cheap Anker pair, these handled background noise better. Inside a quiet room, they’re basically perfect for calls and meetings.

Personalized Spatial Audio is nice for movies and some tracks, but I see it more as a bonus than a deciding factor. It does give a bit more sense of space, especially with head tracking, but after a while I mostly left it on and forgot about it. If you’re an audiophile, you’ll probably find the sound "good but not mind-blowing". For normal users like me who just want music and podcasts to sound clean and have decent bass, they get the job done very well.

On paper, these AirPods 4 are pretty straightforward: open-style in-ear buds (no silicone tips), IP54 dust/sweat/water resistance, H2 chip, USB‑C charging case, Bluetooth 5.3, and up to 5 hours of listening per charge (30 hours with the case if you don’t use noise control features). Apple pushes things like Personalized Spatial Audio, Siri interactions (nodding and head shakes), and better voice isolation for calls. The version I tried is the basic one, no AppleCare+ and effectively marketed as the one without full-blown Active Noise Cancellation.

In the box, it’s pretty bare bones: the AirPods 4, the USB‑C charging case, and some paperwork. One thing that annoyed me right away: no USB‑C cable included. I already have a bunch, so for me it’s fine, but for the price, it feels a bit stingy. The case works with USB‑C, Qi wireless chargers, and Apple Watch chargers, which is handy if you’re already in that ecosystem. There’s also a tiny speaker in the case that works with Find My, which actually helps when you lose it in the couch.

Function-wise, you get the usual controls: press once to play/pause or answer, twice to skip/end, three times to go back, hold for Siri, or just say “Siri” or “Hey Siri”. The new thing is the head gestures: you can nod to accept or shake your head to decline when Siri asks something, like a call or message. It sounds gimmicky, but in practice it does work and I ended up using it a few times when my hands were busy. It’s not life-changing, but it’s a nice extra.

Overall, the "feature list" is loaded, but the core of this product is simple: Apple earbuds that trade deep ANC and silicone tips for comfort and simplicity. If you expect them to behave like AirPods Pro 2, you’ll be a bit underwhelmed in noisy environments. If you’re coming from older regular AirPods, this feels like a cleaner, more modern version with smarter software and slightly better sound and call quality.