Apple AirPods 4 Review – Great Sound, Decent Value

Unboxing the Apple AirPods 4

Starting off our Apple AirPods 4 review with the unboxing, the packaging is your standard Apple affair, with it being a small white box with minimalist design elements. In fact, you pretty much just get an illustration of the pair of AirPods on the cover box and practically nothing else. Inside the box, we found the following items:

• Charging Case (USB‑C)
• Documentations
• The Apple AirPods 4 itself

Just to be clear, this is the variant without ANC.

Specifications

Drivers	Custom high-excursion Apple driver Custom high dynamic range amplifier Personalised Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking
Microphone	Dual beamforming microphones Inward-facing microphone Voice Isolation
Frequency Response	20Hz – 20,000Hz (44.1kHz Sampling)
Headphone Type	Semi in-ear
Connector	Wired USB-C Wireless Bluetooth 5.3
Chip	Apple H2 headphone chip
Noise-cancelling	No
Battery	Earphones 5 hours Charging Case 30 hours
Dimensions	Earphones 30.2 x 18.3 x 18.1 mm, 4.3g x 2 Charging Case 46.2 x 50.1 x 21.2mm, 32.3g
Colour	White
Ingress Protection	IP54

Mic Test

The microphone on the Apple AirPods 4 a little better than your typical phone call quality. There’s a bit more vocal depth to the sound but it’s still far from what one would consider professional audio. When there’s music playing in the background via speakers, I’m surprised the microphone didn’t capture it even a little bit, though my voice ended up sounding more processed as a result. If the point here is to be heard in a call, be it locally or online, as clearly as possible, then this should work perfectly fine.

The Good

There are a number of good reasons to consider getting the Apple AirPods 4. For starters, comfort is a major attraction factor in this. To me, this is by far the most comfortable pair of buds I’ve ever used, more so than the AirPods Pro 2, thanks to its shape, lightweight, and open ear design. Apple said that they improved the ergonomics in this iteration, allowing a good fit for more people but since I had no issues with its predecessor, I can’t say for sure if this is true. They did improve its durability as it’s IP54 water, sweat, and dust resistant, with the latter being the new addition.

What I can say is that despite its comfort points, it does stay securely in my ears unless I fall asleep on the bed with it. It’s also worth noting that the charging case is a little smaller, by roughly 10%. Furthermore, the AirPods themselves have a slightly shorter, flatter stem compared to its predecessor, making it more portable than ever before. That statement sounds grander than it actually is since all AirPods (aside from the Max) are easily pocketable anyway but if you want to maximize space, it would be an added benefit.

Since the Apple AirPods 4 now has the same H2 chip that powers the Pro 2 model, it means you have access to a number of interesting features. This includes head gestures with Siri, such as nodding to accept a call, Personalized Volume which intelligently adapts the volume based on your surroundings, and Voice Isolation so the microphone can capture your voice in a clearer manner, which is especially useful if you’re in a noisy, crowded environment. As for how well it works, you can view back our mic test section and hear it for yourself.

While the Apple AirPods 4 isn’t too different from its predecessor with good audio balance and tone separation, the bass has improved noticeably. This gives a richer, more detailed sound across all audio, be it songs or videos. The bass is also far from overpowered so it doesn’t drown out the mids and highs, which is great. Most people might not have much to complain with the AirPods 3 but after giving this a try, I found the preceding model to sound more hollow and lacking soul.

Lastly, the battery life you get with the Apple AirPods 4 is pretty decent. It lasts very slightly over 5 hours while the charging case itself gives about 5 to 6 additional charges. 5 minutes of charging with the case gives you almost an hour worth of listening time, which is pretty good. It’s nothing mindblowing but it’s certainly more than enough for a simple walk outdoors, though consumers may want something a bit more for longer travel like on a bus, plane, or train.

If you want to compare it to the AirPods Pro 2, check out our review of it by clicking right here.

The Bad

Of course, it has its share of drawbacks as well. For starters, the Apple AirPods 4 (along with the ANC variant) does not have multipoint support. This means that you can only connect it to one device at a time, and switching between devices would require more effort. If you’re looking for an audio solution that lets you move between your iPhone, Mac, iPad, Apple TV and more seamlessly, this is not it.

Next up, while I do love having stems on earbuds for easier control, there is no gesture or option to adjust volume. This means that if you want audio to be softer / louder, you will need to adjust it on the device that it’s connected to. This is rather unfortunate since the AirPods Pro 2 has this feature but I suppose they’re keeping it for the higher end models. It’s not a dealbreaker but it can be annoying, at least until Personalized Volume learns enough about your preferences and environments to automatically adjust it well.

Unsurprisingly, this model has no ANC and it’s the one thing I feel could help it take your listening experience to the next level. Sure, the open ear design would naturally allow some form of ambient noise to seep in but it would help reduce distractions and let you get immersed in the audio better. With that being said however, there is an ANC-supported model.

Speaking of which, the price isn’t too bad at RM599 given what you’re getting but if you want the ANC model, that one is priced at RM829 instead. For the additional amount, you get ANC, Adaptive Audio, Transparency Mode, Conversation Awareness, wireless charging (not MagSafe), and a built-in speaker for Find My on the charging case. I personally believe that the AirPods 4 should be roughly RM100 to RM150 cheaper as the current price is a bit too close to the AirPods Pro 2.

Apple AirPods 4 Verdict

The Apple AirPods 4 is a great pair of TWS earbuds given its immense comfort and improved sound quality. While I believe the ANC variant would be the better buy, the price difference makes me feel like you should top up a bit more and get the AirPods Pro 2 instead. If you do end up getting this, it does have most of the features of the Pro model anyway, so it’s a matter of how important some of the convenience-based features are to you in order to decide the right pair.

At the end of our Apple AirPods 4 review, I award this pair of TWS earbuds with our Silver Pokdeward.