Why Apple’s New Cheap AirPods Might Be the Best Ones to Buy

Unpopular opinion: Out of Apple’s two new AirPods, the entry-level AirPods 4 are the better deal.

Published October 11, 2024

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Updated October 11, 2024

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You’re probably aware that Apple recently overhauled its AirPods lineup. It discontinued the AirPods (2nd-generation) and AirPods 3 and introduced two new models of AirPods 4 — one with ANC and one without.

The best AirPods are still the year-old AirPods Pro 2 (which Apple is still selling and hasn’t changed, although it will update them with a “clinical grade” hearing aid feature — which sounds awesome — in the very near future). At $229, they’re also Apple’s most expensive wireless earbuds.

And while it’s obvious that the “next best” AirPods are the new AirPods 4 with ANC, I’d argue that the more affordable AirPods 4 without ANC — which are technically Apple’s worst AirPods — are actually the better buy. Here’ why.

Apple AirPods 4

Specs

Release date	September 2024
Charging port	USB-C
Noise-cancellation	No
Does Apple currently sell?	Yes

$89 at Amazon

$129 (31% off)
$129 at Apple

Same sound for less

No matter which AirPods 4 you buy, whether they have ANC or not, you’re getting the same sound quality. Both have the same acoustic architecture with a “low-distortion driver and high dynamic range amplifier.”

And both are powered by Apple’s H2 chip and support Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking — so your music sounds immersive and adjusts depending on your head movements. It’s neat.

I’ve been listening to both models for several weeks and both sound good — slightly fuller than the AirPods 3 (discontinued), but not as good as the AirPods Pro 2.

AirPods 4 in ear — The AirPods 4 have an “open-ear” design, which means they lack silicone eartips and don’t passively block out outside noises as well as the Pros.

Are the upgrades worth it?

I concede that the AirPods 4 with ANC have several useful upgrades over their non-ANC counterparts, as they borrow several features from the high-end Pros. However, these features either don’t stack up to the Pros or, in my opinion, aren’t absolutely worth it.

First, there’s the obvious: active noise-cancellation and transparency modes. These are pretty effective and impressive — especially considering these are Apple’s first “mid-range” wireless earbuds to have them — yet both predictably fall short when compared to the Pros. (Apple claims the Pros have twice as powerful noise-cancellation.)

Then there’s support for things like Adaptive Audio (adjusts ANC levels based on your environment) and Conversation Awareness (music automatically lowers when talking to somebody). While neat, I don’t think they’re absolutely game-changers. In fact, I typically have Conversation Awareness togged off anyway, as I prefer to use the earbuds’ on-stem touch controls.

Additionally, the charging case that comes with the noise-canceling AirPods 4 is better — it supports wireless charging and has a built-in speaker (for Find My). While the latter is pretty helpful (I “ping” my AirPods fairly frequently when I can’t them), I’ve found that the former isn’t for me.

This is because the wireless charging case doesn’t support MagSafe and thus magnets are too weak to charge on my MagSafe stand — it just slides off. Plus, I just prefer wired charging as it’s faster, more reliable and I have no shortage of USB-C cables in my house.

Want an upgrade? Go with the Pros

For anybody thinking about spending the extra dough on the AirPods 4 with ANC, I’d argue that you should just go with the AirPods Pro 2 instead. You’re getting all-around better wireless earbuds — better sound and better ANC — for not that much more.

Since the AirPods Pro 2 have been out for over a year, they’re also almost always discounted on Amazon, so the price difference is basically negligible. In fact, the AirPods Pro 2 dropped to $169 on the most recent Prime Day and, for a short time, they were cheaper than the AirPods 4 with ANC.

AirPods compared 2024 refresh — From left to right, the AirPods 4, AirPod 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 2.

There’s also the fit factor. While both AirPods 4 models have an “open-ear” design and no silicone tops, the AirPods Pro 2 fit more securely and make the Pros be better for exercising. Despite having the same IP54 rating, the silicone tips will likely help the Pros combat sweat better, too, making them safer to exercise.

So, if you want AirPods but don’t want to shell out the dough for the AirPods Pro 2, it’s safer to go with the entry-level AirPods 4. You’ll save $50.