Apple AirPods 4: Everything we know so far
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Our Apple event live blog is up and running with our in-depth coverage of the AirPods 4 launch, plus all the latest on the iPhone 16 series.
The AirPods 2 and 3 are the least expensive ways to join the ever-growing AirPods fold, although it’s been some time since some new earbuds have joined the stable. While there hasn’t been an official update from Apple about whether they even exist yet, the AirPods 4 look more and more likely to be coming at the Apple event.
Of course, we’re probably going to hear more about the latest budget buds from Apple on September 9th, when the firm holds its yearly iPhone launch event, this year called ‘Glowtime’. Leaks and rumors suggest we might even be getting two pairs of earphones during the event, one with a feature straight from the AirPods Pro, and the other a cheaper price.
There’s information galore out there for the most dedicated AirPods sleuths — here’s everything we know about the AirPods 4.
Apple AirPods 4: Potential release date
With Apple's 'Glowtime' iPhone event just around the corner, it's most likely that we're going to see the AirPods 4 unveiled alongside the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro models. That's going to happen on Monday, September 9, and we're expecting some big announcements for the AirPods line.
Gurman wrote earlier this year that two new pairs of AirPods are set to come in September 2024, which matches perfectly with the iPhone event. The previous two AirPods releases have both come during the Apple event in the latter quarter of the year, so it would stand to reason that the latest models won't be any different.
Ming Chi-Kuo, as far back as the beginning of 2023, reported that there would be new AirPods coming at the end of 2024 or the beginning of 2025, and it looks like his early prediction is going to ring true.
Apple AirPods 4: Rumored price
This is where things get interesting — it looks like we're going to be getting two different pairs of AirPods, splitting the AirPods 4 into two different price brackets. According to Mark Gurman, we're going to be looking at "the biggest AirPods launch to date". There's going to be a new model that replaces the lowest-cost AirPods 2, which currently cost $129 full price in the Apple Store. The new pair are likely to be the same kind of price, albeit, one would assume, with more improvements to the formula.
The other pair are looking to be a more feature-filled option that replace the AirPods 3. That means we can probably expect a similar price, which would sit them firmly at around $170. Of course, at the moment, these aren't solid prices and there haven't been too many rumors that put a proper dollar amount on Apple's latest buds — but we can glean some information by reading between the lines.
These price guesses would match the current lineup, but there is a chance that Apple throws a spanner in the works. There are rumors and rumblings that a new pair of AirPods Pro 3 are also on the way — and that could change the price of the best noise-canceling earbuds, throwing off the whole price estimation. In this case you might be looking at a $20 price increase on those above, and given the rising price of the AirPods competition, we wouldn't be surprised to see those tags going up.
Apple AirPods 4: Rumored design
Apple has a very specific design language for its AirPods line, and it's unlikely that it's going to change any time soon — but we can expect a refresh to the look of the base model AirPods with the AirPods 4. Don't expect any new color options a la the AirPods Max, but there are going to be some visual updates.
After all, there has to be some way of telling the newly split range apart. For one, there are likely to be some updates to the way that the stems of the buds are going to look, with Mark Gurman telling us that the design of both the new models will look like a "blend of the third generation AirPods and the Pro model". To this end, expect shorter stems, for one, and potentially a different fitting bud at the top. It's unlikely, however, that we'll be getting silicon tips like the AirPods Pro, presumably in an effort to keep the two models separate.
The charging cases will also look different, with the USB-C connector on the bottom from the latest refresh of the AirPods Pro 2. What the case is going to look like however remains murky — although you can expect a white, plastic curved oblong with a metal hinge.
Apple AirPods 4: Rumored specifications
Going back to the split, there are going to be two different spec options with the AirPods 4. Let's start with the lower cost model, which some online denizens have preliminarily dubbed the 'AirPods Lite'. These are designed to replace the AirPods 2 as the base model, and they're going to give you the AirPods experience without any of the extras that you might pay more for with the likes of the AirPods Pro. Fit will be improved, says Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, although whether they've got the likes of Spatial Audio or not remains to be seen. Expect better battery life than the AirPods 2 as well.
The more expensive of the two models is going to feature some extra specs to justify their higher cost. According to Gurman, that means the buds will feature “noise cancellation to match the AirPods Pro," but it’s not clear whether he means in terms of quality or just a feature-for-feature match. Also unclear is whether they'll get the transparency modes and adaptive noise canceling of the Pro models. After all, there has to be something that makes you want to spend the extra.
Secondly, the enhanced version of AirPods 4 will inherit another feature from AirPods Pro 2: a higher-end case with a speaker built in. As with the Pro model, this will make it easier to locate via the Apple Find My network, which will connect up to your Apple Account so that you can more easily track and find your AirPods if you lose them. Again, we're expecting an improvement in battery life.
This might be a good opportunity for Apple to release a new AirPods chip after the H2 chip that came with the AirPods Pro 2 — although it's more likely that will only come with the release of a new pair of Pros. If those are coming later, then we think these new AirPods 4 are likely to see the inclusion of the H2 chip, especially if they feature noise canceling.
Apple AirPods 4: Features I'd like to see
There are several different things I'd like to see from the AirPods 4 that haven't yet been announced, from additional colors to some interesting audio boosts. The H2 chip from the AirPods Pro 2, for example, could bring some epic updates to the AirPods 4, such as increased battery life and better sound. But what else do I want from the next version of Apple's budget buds?
A comfier fit
So it looks like we can expect some kind of new design for the earbuds, but at the moment that doesn't seem to extend to them being adjustable. Perhaps because my ear holes are somehow bigger than everyone elses, but I've always struggled to get any form of AirPods 2 or 3 to fit in my ears properly. I'd like to see the fit of the AirPods 4 to be adjustable no matter how unlikely it may be.
Hi-res lossless playback
Is this going to happen? No. Would I like this to happen? Absolutely — after all, there's nothing out there beyond a seperate DAC that's capable of truly using all the top quality tracks on Apple Music, so it would be wicked to see the cool tech that lets Vision Pro play them over the AirPods Pro 2 come to the AirPods 4.
More color options
The AirPods Max come in multiple colors, so why can't the AirPods 4? I'd like some more options beyond the white plastic color that the AirPods 2 & 3 come in, and, if I had my way, it would hot pink. Please Apple, it doesn't have to much. The Barbie movie did well, so pink AirPods would definitely go down a storm.
Apple AirPods 4: Outlook
There are more details around the AirPods 4 than you might expect, but as always, none of it is solid until Apple spins up the projector and gives us a presentation. We've not got long to wait now until we get a clearer picture of what Apple has in store for us this year, but until then we'll have to make do with our best approximations, guesses, and rumors.
Stay tuned for more AirPods 4 news as we receive it.
