Apple AirPods 4 vs AirPods Pro 2: what are the differences?

Apple's new AirPods 4 have launched. Taking the place of the older AirPods 2 (2019) and AirPods 3 (2021), the new AirPods 4 are now the entry-level wireless earbuds in the company's headphone range. There are actually two models under the AirPods 4 umbrella: one without noise-cancelling, and one with active noise-cancellation (ANC).

So how do they shape up against Apple's flagship ANC wireless earbuds model, the five-star AirPods Pro 2? The Pro 2 is the first Apple in-ear model to get a five-star rating from us, and we've yearned ever since for Apple's cheaper models to catch up in terms of performance, design and features.

They share many of the same DNA, of course, especially in how they interact with iOS devices, but there are plenty of key differences between the established Pro 2 and the new AirPods 4 – let's take a look.

AirPods 4 vs AirPods Pro 2: price

The AirPods 4 are the cheapest models in Apple's headphones range. The base AirPods 4 (without ANC) will cost £129 / $129, while the AirPods 4 with ANC is yours for £179 / $179. They will be globally available from 20th September.

The AirPods Pro 2 officially cost £229 / $249 / AU$399, although you can occasionally find some great discounts bringing that price below the £200/$200 mark. The Pro 2 range originally launched in 2022, while in 2023 Apple swapped out the old Lightning connector charging case with a USB-C case. The buds and performance remain the same, but new health-related upgrades (including Hearing Protection, Hearing Test and a Hearing Aid feature) will appear in 2024.

AirPods 4 vs AirPods Pro 2: design

The biggest differentiator between the AirPods 4 and the AirPods Pro 2 is regarding the use of eartips in the design. The AirPods Pro 2 feature swappable eartips as part of their now-iconic stem-and-bud design, which allows for more individual fit and comfort, as people can choose between four eartip sizes (XS, S, M, L) to find the best seal for them. Finding the best seal isn't just for sound quality – it determines the amount of bass you hear – it's also pretty crucial for effective ANC and noise isolation.

The AirPods 4, however, continue with the eartips-less design that their previous generations (and the wired EarPods before them) have been known for. Despite the claim that the lack of eartips means a more universal fit, we found this wasn't always the case, with some members of the What Hi-Fi? team finding they didn't stay put at all or weren't comfortable.

However, Apple is hoping to address that with the new AirPods 4, calling them the "most comfortable AirPods ever" in this open-ear design. Apple says it has used advanced modelling tools, 50 million data points and precisely mapped and analysed over thousands of ear shapes to refine the design of these standard AirPods 4. We haven't tried a new pair of AirPods 4 yet, but we are looking forward to seeing if the updated design really does have a more universally-friendly fit.

Both remain lightweight designs and are only available in one (white) finish. The stems on the AirPods 4 feature a force sensor so you can press them to control music playback and take calls. In the AirPods Pro 2, you can also long-press the stems to switch between ANC and Transparency modes. It's unclear if this control feature is also available to the AirPods 4 with ANC, or if you can only change noise modes using an iPhone/iPad's settings.

The AirPods Pro 2 further have a touch capacitative layer on the stems that lets you swipe up and down to change the volume directly on the buds. Unfortunately, it looks like this on-bud feature still isn't available in the AirPods 4.

The charging case for both models now features a USB-C connector instead of the older, now effectively defunct Lightning connector. The AirPods Pro 2's case has a built-in speaker to emit tones when charging and when locating it using Find My, and has a lanyard loop.

Apple says the AirPods 4's charging case is 10 per cent smaller than its predecessor, calling it the "smallest charging case" yet. That sounds like it's even smaller than the one with the Pro 2 – we'll find out for sure when we have both models in hand. What we do know is that the AirPods 4 with ANC model will come with a charging case that has built-in speakers and is compatible with Qi-certified and Apple Watch wireless chargers (but no lanyard loop). The AirPods 4 base model's charging case is USB-C only and doesn't include extra fancy features.

AirPods 4 vs AirPods Pro 2: features

The AirPods Pro 2 were the first model to come with Apple's latest H2 chip – which brought with it significant improvements to sound, noise-cancelling, longer battery life and many additional features. In general, the Pro 2 offered more powerful and seamless operation with connected iOS devices.

The AirPods 4 are also now powered by the same H2 chip. This means they now also have more of the same features enjoyed by the flagship model, including Personalised Spatial Audio including dynamic headtracking for both variants.

In the Pro 2, the ANC quality is two times more effective than the first-gen Pro model and a look through the footnotes on the AirPods comparison table online seems like it will remain twice as effective compared with the new AirPods 4 with ANC. Apple says the H2 chip in the AirPods with ANC will bring 'advanced computational audio' and we're curious to see just how effective noise-cancelling can be in an open-ear design with no eartips. We've encountered open designs from the likes of Bose and Huawei, but neither of those models offered ANC.

As Apple's flagship model, we expect the Pro 2 to continue to deliver the best ANC performance, which convincingly dim surrounding noise, deep rumbles and office chatter to a minimum, and are nicely effective at damping down sudden, loud, harsh noises, too. We find it to be a comfortable, airy experience too, thanks to repositioned acoustic vents that promote better airflow.

In the AirPods 4 with ANC, you get a few additional features that were exclusive to Pro 2: Transparency mode alongside full ANC, Adaptive Audio and Conversation Awareness. Adaptive Audio dynamically adjusts the level of noise-cancelling depending on the noise around you, while the clever Conversation Awareness feature reduces the volume of the music when it recognises you're speaking to have a chat or order a latte. In our extensive time with the Pro 2, we find both of these features work well, so their addition to the AirPods 4 line is welcome.

Call quality is improved thanks to voice isolation technology that removes background noise for clearer voice calls – for both models. You can also use gesture controls to respond to Siri's voice announcements – shake your head for 'no' or nod your head for 'yes' – to accept or reject a call.

Battery life remains 30 hours in total with the charging case for both AirPods models, however a look into the specifications on the official Apple website shows the AirPods Pro 2 still have the edge with six hours of listening time on a single charge, while the AirPods 4 can only manage five hours. The Pro 2 and new AirPods 4 (both versions) all run on Bluetooth 5.3.

AirPods 4 vs AirPods Pro 2: sound

The AirPods Pro 2 were the first in-ear AirPods model that really wowed us with their sound. Apple has always delivered a fairly balanced, neutral-toned sound with a clear, natural way with voices and rhythmically capable performance, but the AirPods Pro 2 pushed the boat even further. New high-excursion low-distortion drivers, powered custom amplifiers and the new H2 chip, alongside those repositioned vents, delivered a more powerful, punchy, dynamic and subtle performance than before.

They sound wonderfully open and clear, deliver bags of nuanced detail, timing is snappy and the dynamics are engaging and flow with fluidity. Voices are warm and natural, bass is taut and weighty, and the tonal balance is impressively even. Overall, it's an exciting, involving listen.

The standard AirPods have had a small sliver of this performance quality without really excelling enough to become favourites or troubling the competition, however. The new AirPods 4 feature "new acoustic architecture" – we don't know what this entails exactly, but we hope it involves an updated driver for improved performance. Coupled with the powerful H2 chip, Apple aims to deliver the "best sounding AirPods ever in this open-ear design”.

That open-ear qualification is interesting, isn't it? Can they deliver the same kind of punch, weight and solidity that the AirPods Pro 2 offer, especially without eartips to give a good seal? Will the AirPods 4 with ANC sound different from the base model, when ANC is turned on? These are all questions we're hoping to answer once we get samples of the new AirPods 4 in our hands.

AirPods 4 vs AirPods Pro 2

The Apple AirPods Pro 2 are our go-to recommendation for those after the best-performing AirPods in-ears , for sound, noise-cancelling, design and ease of use, provided you can afford the flagship price.

The new AirPods 4 are the cheaper options, but there's a wrinkle thrown in with the AirPods 4 with ANC offering a halfway point between the base AirPods 4 and the flagship sibling. If the AirPods 4 with ANC's noise-cancelling abilities are convincing enough, it could spell trouble for the Pro 2.

We'll have to wait and see how the two AirPods 4 models fare when it comes to fit and performance, so stay tuned for our full review in due course. We'll update this article once we know for sure.

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