AirPods 4 vs old AirPods: What’s the difference?

Apple has updated the AirPods, removing the 3rd and 2nd generation AirPods from the line-up and introducing AirPods 4 in two formats: with and without ANC (Active Noise Cancellation).

The 2024 AirPods feature a new design intended to make them more comfortable to wear, new acoustic architecture with low-distortion driver and high dynamic range amplifier, personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, an H2 chip and more. If you own AirPods or any generation should you update? And if you have never owned the AirPods before could it be time to invest?

New AirPods 4 vs old AirPods: Specifications

New AirPods 4 vs old AirPods: Design and Build

Over time the look of the AirPods has evolved from the long stems of the original AirPods introduced in 2016, to the 3rd-gen AirPods of 2021, which had shorter stems and redesigned earpieces. Over the years there has been no change to the white colorway that harks back to the iPod’s heyday and those classic silhouetted adverts.

The AirPods 4 haven’t detracted much from the looks of the 3rd gen models. Look a bit closer though and there are some noticeable differences on the 4th generation models. Apple has refined the design to give the new models a fractionally shorter stem and slimmer body, which it claims will provide a secure fit for “more people than ever.” So, if AirPods have been falling out of your ears in the past, maybe these ones will finally stay in place.

There’s also a change to the speaker grill on the side of the buds that face your ears. On the older variant, it’s a single, long horizontal opening, while the AirPods 4 have a smaller one that’s accompanied by a vertical grill on the upper part of the bud. Presumably this enhances the sound, as the new buds have what Apple describes as a ‘vent system for pressure equalization’.

It could also contribute to the addition of dustproofing that has the new models bestowed with an IP54 rating, where the older ones come with IPX4. Another reason could be to accommodate the new sensors, with the skin-detecting ones of the previous generation replaced by optical in-ear sensors for the 4^th Gen models.

Here’s how the dimensions compare:

• AirPods 4 – 30.2 mm (1.19 inches) x 18.3 mm (0.72 inches) x 18.1 mm (0.71 inches); 4.3 grams (0.15 ounces)
• AirPods (3rd Gen) – 30.79 mm (1.21 inches) x 18.26 mm (0.72 inches) x 19.21 mm (0.76 inches); 4.28 grams (0.15 ounces)
• AirPods (2nd Gen) – 40.5 mm (1.59 inches) x 16.5 mm (0.65 inches) x 18.0 mm (0.71 inches); 4.0 grams (0.14 ounces)

You still get the same controls on the stems that you can use to play, pause, skip back and forth through tracks, answer or end calls, as well as engaging the assistance of Siri. The latter also comes with Siri Interactions on the 2024 AirPods, which allow you to nod or shake your head in response to notifications, which could be great if you’re wearing them in class or a meeting and don’t want people to know.

The charging cases have also been tweaked somewhat, with the MagSafe version of the AirPods 3rd Gen being replaced by a USB-C charging one on the standard AirPods 4 buds and a USB-C/wireless version on the AirPods 4 with ANC, the latter of which can use your Apple Watch charger and Qi-certified chargers. The ANC model also benefits from the case now able to use the Find My service, so you can quickly locate it by looking on your iPhone and getting the case to emit a loud noise. The size has been slimmed down too, as you can see from these dimensions:

• AirPods 4 Charging case – 46.2 mm (1.82 inches) x 50.1 mm (1.97 inches) x 21.2 mm (0.83 inches); USB-C – 32.3 grams (1.14 ounces), USB-C/Wireless 34.7 grams (1.22 ounces).
• AirPods (3rd Gen) Charging case – 46.40 mm (1.83 inches) x 54.40 mm (2.14 inches) x 21.38 mm (0.84 inches); 37.91 grams (1.34 ounces)
• AirPods (2nd Gen) Charging case – 53.5 mm (2.11 inches) x 44.3 mm (1.74 inches) x 21.3 mm (0.84 inches); 38.2 grams (1.35 ounces)

New AirPods 4 vs old AirPods: Sound & Audio

Apple has upgraded the processor in the new AirPods to the H2, replacing the older H1 found in the 3rd and 2nd Gen offerings (the original AirPods has a W1 chip). The acoustic architecture has also been given a redesign, with new low-distortion drivers and high dynamic range amplifiers. You get head tracking on all models, as well as spatial audio for that immersive sonic experience.

The AirPods 4 get a few extra features from the AirPods Pro, with the introduction of Voice Isolation to make it easier to be heard on FaceTime calls, plus the Personalised Volume, with the buds (and your iPhone) monitoring the volumes at which you usually like to listen to content as well as where that is, and adjusting it automatically to suit your perceived preference.

The big difference though is of course Active Noise Cancellation. This is the first time that Apple has offered this on its open-ear design, as the Pro models have the in-ear buds that create a closed chamber in your ear canal. Apple refers to the noise cancellation in the 2nd gen AirPods Pro as Pro-level Active Noise Cancellation compared to the Active Noise Cancellation in the AirPods 4 with ANC and the original AirPods Pro. Pro-level seems to indicate it is double the amount of noise cancellation.

Along with reducing the sounds in your immediate environment, so that you don’t have to blast out your music (and ear drums) to be able to hear anything, the AirPods 4 with ANC also get the Transparency mode (also on the AirPods Pro) that uses the dual microphones to blend in sounds from your surroundings. Add to this Conversation Awareness, which lowers the volume when you start speaking to someone, and you have a pretty decent range of advanced features for not a lot more money.

Apple moves from Bluetooth 5.0 on the AirPods 3rd Gen to 5.3 on the AirPods 4, which should give a stronger connection to devices.

The AirPods (3rd Gen) always sounded good, but (on paper at least) the updated models will bring higher quality to the table, especially if you opt for the noise cancelling option.

New AirPods 4 vs old AirPods: Battery life

In a strange precedent, battery life is actually worse on the new models. This could be because the H2 processor is a power-hungry beast, or it might be due to Spacial Audio, Active Noise Cancellation, and other features.

The AirPods 3rd gen offered up to 6 hours battery life, while if you choose the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, and don’t turn off that feature, then battery life is just 4 hours.

It certainly seems to be the case that these additional features have impact on battery life: on the 3rd gen AirPods, when the Spatial Audio was enabled, battery life was reduced from 6 to 5 hours. Similarly, the AirPods Pro 2 sees a half hour loss from 6 hours to 5.5. hours if Personalised Spatial Audio and head tracking are enabled. If you enable Active Noise Cancellation with the AirPods 4, listening time is reduced from 5 hours to 4 hours. Even the non-ANC version sees some impact compared to the previous generation: 5 hours of listening time from 6 hours previously.

This doesn’t sound like sufficient battery life if you are about to embark on a long journey, but luckily the charging case adds 30 hours of listening time (and that number applies for the AirPods 3rd-gen and AirPods Pro as well).

Apple

Apple

Apple

New AirPods 4 vs old AirPods: Price and Availability

You can order the AirPods 4 for $129/£129 on the Apple store or from other retailers. They effectively replace the AirPods 2, which did cost $129/£129 until they were discontinued.

$129

$129

$129

$129.99

$129.99

The AirPods 4 with ANC are $179/£179. These replace the AirPods 3rd gen with Magsafe case.

$179

$179

$179

$179

$179.99

With the introduction of the new AirPods, Apple has now retired the AirPods 3rd Generation, although you should still be able to pick them up from third-party retailers. At the time of writing, they were still available on Amazon as well as several other suppliers. Prices will obviously fluctuate, depending on supply and demand.

The AirPods 3rd gen with Magsafe were $179/£179. For deals on all the old AirPods see our round-up of the Best AirPods deals.

New AirPods 4 vs old AirPods: How much better are the new AirPods 4?

There’s no doubt that the real star of the show is the ANC powered AirPods 4. Not only do you get the noise cancelling features that are so useful, but there’s also improved audio design, new fit, and wireless charging for the ANC case. That being said, dropping an hour of battery life (or two with ANC engaged) is not great, especially if you’re used to listening to content for long sessions. With that in mind, it’s worth considering what’s more important to you – how the music sounds or how long you can hear it.