Airpods version 31/9/2024 ![]() ![]() It also supports Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, which itself is more efficient and more stable than Bluetooth 5.0. One way to achieve this could be with Apple’s H2 chip.Īlready found on the AirPods Pro 2, the H2 chip is more efficient than the H1 equivalent found in the AirPods 3. We’d hope to see longevity meaningfully improved on the AirPods 4. While battery life improved with the AirPods 3, these gains were nullified when Spatial Audio was enabled. Apple AirPods 4: Software and performance If you listen to music on a platform which doesn’t support Spatial Audio, such as Spotify, the omission of the latter in exchange for a lower price could make the ‘Lite’ version of the AirPods 4 the more appealing choice. These may include ear detection and support for Spatial Audio. If Apple does go down the route of releasing a cheaper version of the AirPods 4, we wouldn’t expect core audio quality to suffer, but it’s likely that Apple would cull certain premium listening features from the cut-price option. We’ll have to wait and see how it goes about this. ![]() The AirPods Pro will continue to be pitched as Apple’s earbuds of choice for audiophiles, but Apple at least needs to keep pace with wireless in-ears that cost less and sound better – such as the Sony WF-C700N. These could be courtesy of refinements to Adaptive EQ, or due to the presence of Apple’s H2 chip (see below). An unsealed fit means bass is never going to be brilliant, but we’d still hope to hear improvements in the AirPods 4. Sound quality on the AirPods 3 was balanced and broadly impressive, but far from the best out there. ![]() In fact, Gurman reckons all AirPods will switch to USB-C by next year. This is pretty much a certainty, given the EU’s ruling on ports and the fact that Apple has already starting fitting the interface to its flagship devices, including the iPhone 15 family. Only time will tell whether Apple agrees and adds it to the AirPods 4.Īs for the charging case, there’s been plenty of discussion surrounding the switch to USB-C. We commented on this omission in our review of the AirPods 3, and it feels like a feature that should be offered as standard, rather than relying on Siri or your smartphone. Similarly, we would be glad to see the touch controls used to offer on-bud volume control, as they are with the AirPods Pro 2. This points away from the presence of active noise cancellation on the AirPods 4, although doesn’t rule it out. Sadly, Gurman thinks this is unlikely to happen, suggesting instead that the AirPods 4 will stick with the unsealed setup of previous editions. One welcome update would be the addition of changeable ear tips to the AirPods 4, a feature currently reserved for the Pro series. In the same vein, we think the AirPods 4 will follow all previous editions and ship only in Apple’s trademark white finish. The two are already visually very similar, so it’s likely that the AirPods 4 will refine the existing formula rather than doing anything revolutionary with the styling. We’d hope and expect to see the design refined further for the fourth generation.īloomberg's Mark Gurman predicts that the next AirPods will blend the design of the AirPods 3 with the AirPods Pro 2. In our review of the AirPods 3, we found their shorter stems and contoured shells more comfortable than previous editions. (Image credit: Shutterstock / Ivan_Shenets) We still think a spring Apple Event in March is the most likely date, but nothing close to an official release date has surfaced yet. Kuo, though, has suggested that the AirPods might not ship until later in the year, or even early in 2025 – a delay credited to a change in manufacturing partners. We’d certainly expect to see the AirPods 4 arrive next year, a timeline backed by Gurman. Based on those date windows, the AirPods 4 would be overdue after the first quarter of 2024. The original AirPods launched in December 2016, followed by the second generation in March 2019, then the AirPods 3 in October 2021. Apple’s events in September and October 2023 passed by without any mention of the AirPods 4. ![]() What’s not clear is when either or both models will launch. Respected Bloomberg analyst Mark Gurman has backed up these claims with a suggestion that the regular AirPods 4 will benefit from noise canceling and a case equipped for Find My alerts, features which the basic option apparently won’t offer. Analysts Jeff Pu and Ming-Chi Kuo have both referenced a low-cost version of the standard AirPods, possibly dubbed the AirPods Lite, which could hit the US market at a more accessible price of $99. Rumors indicate that Apple may release two versions of the AirPods 3: the regular version and a cheaper, simpler variant. ![]()
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