Apple unveils AirPods 4 in two new versions, one with active noise cancellation

There’s been a lot of talk over the past few months about Apple launching two — and possibly even three — new AirPods models alongside the new iPhone 16 lineup at its annual fall iPhone event. Now it’s official: Apple has unveiled a pair of AirPods 4, both of which sport an open design and serve as successors to the AirPods 3. The entry-level model has active noise cancellation, a feature not typically found in open-ear headphones.

The AirPods 4 are available for pre-order now for $129 and $179 respectively, and will ship on September 20.

In addition to being slightly redesigned to fit better in your ears, the AirPods 4 come with USB-C charging and Apple’s more advanced H2 chip. That same chip powers the AirPods Pro 2 and enables features like Conversation Awareness 2, Siri Interactions, Head Gestures, and Voice Isolation that come with iOS 18.

Apple also says sound quality has been improved thanks to a new acoustic architecture and the H2 chip’s more powerful digital processing capabilities.

There have been rumors for the past few years that Apple was planning to release cheaper noise canceling earbuds. The AirPods Pro 2 cost $249, but usually sell for $200 or less on Amazon and other online retailers. The AirPods 4 with active noise canceling cost $179, but they’re not quite what we’d expect. That’s because they have an open design, which typically doesn’t work well for active noise canceling. So we’re curious to see how well that noise canceling works. Stay tuned for some initial hands-on impressions.

You can watch Apple’s annual event here or follow updates via CNET’s live blog.

Apple AirPods 4 key features, according to Apple

• Improved design with an ergonomic fit for a wider range of ears
• Powered by Apple’s H2 chip
• Improved solar quality
• USB-C and wireless charging
• Smallest AirPods charging case ever
• Price: $129 and $179 (for the model with active noise cancellation)
• Shipping date: September 20