121204-airpods-4-anc

AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation - Tech Specs

Year introduced: 2024

Audio Technology1

  • Custom high‑excursion Apple driver

  • Custom high dynamic range amplifier

  • Active Noise Cancellation

  • Adaptive Audio4

  • Transparency mode

  • Conversation Awareness4

  • Voice Isolation2

  • Personalised Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking3

  • Adaptive EQ

  • Vent system for pressure equalisation

Sensors

  • Dual beamforming microphones

  • Inward‑facing microphone

  • Optical in‑ear sensor

  • Motion‑detecting accelerometer

  • Speech‑detecting accelerometer

  • Force sensor

Chip

H2 headphone chip

Controls

  • Press once to play or pause media

  • Press once to answer a call or mute or unmute

  • Press twice to end a call

  • Press twice to skip forward

  • Press three times to skip back

  • Press and hold for Siri

  • Say “Hey Siri” or just “Siri”5 to do things like play a song, make a call or get directions

  • With Siri Interactions, nod your head yes or gently shake your head no when Siri asks if you want to answer an incoming call, hear a text message, manage notifications, and more2

Dust, Sweat and Water Resistant6

Dust, sweat and water resistant (IP54)

Size and Weight7

AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation (Each)

  • Height: 30.2 mm (1.19 inches)

  • Width: 18.3 mm (0.72 inches)

  • Depth: 18.1 mm (0.71 inches)

  • Weight: 4.3 grams (0.15 ounces)

Charging Case (USB-C) with speaker

  • Height: 46.2 mm (1.82 inches)

  • Width: 50.1 mm (1.97 inches)

  • Depth: 21.2 mm (0.83 inches)

  • Weight: 34.7 grams (1.22 ounces)

Charging Case

  • Works with USB‑C connector, Apple Watch charger or Qi‑certified chargers

  • Includes a speaker for use with Find My proximity view8

Battery

AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation

  • Up to 4 hours of listening time on a single charge with Active Noise Cancellation enabled15

  • Up to 5 hours of listening time on a single charge with noise control off15

  • Up to 4.5 hours of talk time on a single charge16

AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation and Charging Case (USB‑C)

  • Up to 20 hours of listening time with Active Noise Cancellation enabled17

  • Up to 30 hours of listening time with noise control off17

  • Up to 20 hours of talk time18

  • 5 minutes in the case provides around 1 hour of listening time19 or around 45 minutes of talk time20

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.3 wireless technology

In the Box

  • AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation

  • Charging Case (USB-C) with speaker

  • USB-C Charge Cable sold separately

Accessibility

Accessibility features help people with disabilities get the most out of their new AirPods.

Features include:

  • Live Listen audio21

  • Headphone levels

  • Headphone Accommodations

System Requirements

  • iPhone models with the latest version of iOS

  • iPad models with the latest version of iPadOS

  • Apple Watch models with the latest version of watchOS

  • Mac models with the latest version of macOS

  • Apple TV models with the latest version of tvOS

  • Apple Vision Pro with the latest version of visionOS

  • AirPods can be used as wireless Bluetooth headphones with Apple devices using earlier software and with non‑Apple devices, but functionality may be limited.

AirPods and the Environment

AirPods are designed to reduce environmental impact:22

Materials

  • 100% recycled tin in the solder of multiple printed circuit boards

  • 100% recycled gold in the plating of multiple printed circuit boards

  • 100% recycled copper plating salts on multiple printed circuit boards

  • 100% recycled rare earth elements in all magnets

  • 50% recycled plastic in three parts

  • 100% fibre-based packaging23

Energy

  • Meets US Department of Energy requirements for battery charger systems24

Waste

  • No established final assembly sites generate waste sent to landfill as part of Apple’s Zero Waste Programme

Smarter chemistry25

  • Mercury-, BFR- and PVC-free

  1. Device performance and noise control features like Active Noise Cancellation, Adaptive Audio and Transparency can be affected by debris or earwax build‑up. Clean the device regularly to maintain performance and full feature functionality. Refer to support.apple.com/en-gb/102672 for AirPods 4 cleaning instructions. Refer to support.apple.com/en-gb/120409 for AirPods Pro 2 cleaning instructions.

  2. Available on compatible devices running iOS 18, iPadOS 18 or macOS Sequoia and later when paired with AirPods 4 or AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation with the latest firmware.

  3. Compatible hardware and software required. Works with compatible content in supported apps. Not all content available in Dolby Atmos. iPhone with TrueDepth camera required to create a personal profile for Spatial Audio, which will sync across Apple devices with the latest operating system software, including iOS, iPadOS, macOS and tvOS.

  4. Available on compatible devices running iOS 18, iPadOS 18, or macOS Sequoia and later when paired with AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation or AirPods Pro 2 with the latest firmware.

  5. Siri and activating with just “Siri” may not be available in all languages or in all areas, and features may vary by area. Compatible device and internet access required. Mobile data charges may apply. Activating with just “Siri” is not available on AirPods with the H1 headphone chip and Intel‑based Mac computers. Devices must support and have the latest operating system software.

  6. AirPods 4, AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation and AirPods Pro 2 are dust, sweat and water resistant for non-water sports and exercise. Products and charging case were tested under controlled laboratory conditions and have a rating of IP54 under IEC standard 60529. Dust, sweat and water resistance are not permanent conditions and resistance might decrease as a result of normal wear. Do not attempt to charge when wet; refer to support.apple.com/en-gb/HT210711 for cleaning and drying instructions.

  7. Size and weight vary by configuration and manufacturing process.

  8. AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation support wireless charging, which requires a Qi‑certified wireless charger. AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation charging case also works with the Apple Watch charger or USB‑C connector. Find My functionality requires iOS 18 or later.

  9. Testing conducted by Apple in July and August 2024 using pre‑production AirPods 4 with Charging Case paired with pre‑production iPhone 16 Pro Max units, all with pre‑release software. The playlist consisted of 358 unique audio tracks purchased from the iTunes Store (256‑Kbps AAC encoding). Volume was set to 50% and Spatial Audio was off. Testing consisted of full AirPods battery discharge while playing audio until the first AirPod stopped playback. Battery life depends on device settings, environment, usage and many other factors.

  10. Testing conducted by Apple in July and August 2024 using pre‑production AirPods 4 with Charging Case paired with pre‑production iPhone 16 Pro Max units, all with pre‑release software. Volume was set to 50% and Spatial Audio was off. Testing consisted of full AirPods battery discharge with a mobile phone call until the first AirPod stopped playing call audio. Battery life depends on device settings, environment, usage and many other factors.

  11. Testing conducted by Apple in July and August 2024 using pre‑production AirPods 4 with Charging Case paired with pre‑production iPhone 16 Pro Max units, all with pre‑release software. The playlist consisted of 358 unique audio tracks purchased from the iTunes Store (256‑Kbps AAC encoding). Volume was set to 50% and Spatial Audio was off. Testing consisted of full AirPods battery discharge while playing audio until the first AirPod stopped playback. The drained AirPods were charged to 100%, then audio playback was resumed until the first AirPod stopped playback. This cycle was repeated until both the AirPods and charging case were fully discharged. Battery life depends on device settings, environment, usage and many other factors.

  12. Testing conducted by Apple in July and August 2024 using pre‑production AirPods 4 with Charging Case paired with pre‑production iPhone 16 Pro Max units, all with pre‑release software. Volume was set to 50% and Spatial Audio was off. Testing consisted of full AirPods battery discharge with a mobile phone call until the first AirPod stopped playing call audio. The drained AirPods were charged to 100%, then the mobile phone call was restarted until the first AirPod stopped playing call audio. This cycle was repeated until both the AirPods and charging case were fully discharged. Battery life depends on device settings, environment, usage and many other factors.

  13. Testing conducted by Apple in July and August 2024 using pre‑production AirPods 4 with Charging Case paired with pre‑production iPhone 16 Pro Max units, all with pre‑release software. The playlist consisted of 358 unique audio tracks purchased from the iTunes Store (256‑Kbps AAC encoding). Volume was set to 50% and Spatial Audio was off. 5‑minute charge testing conducted with drained AirPods that were charged for 5 minutes, then audio playback was started until the first AirPod stopped playback. Battery life depends on device settings, environment, usage and many other factors.

  14. Testing conducted by Apple in July and August 2024 using pre‑production AirPods 4 with Charging Case paired with pre‑production iPhone 16 Pro Max units, all with pre‑release software. Volume was set to 50% and Spatial Audio was off. 5‑minute charge testing conducted with drained AirPods that were charged for 5 minutes, then a mobile phone call was started until the first AirPod stopped playing call audio. Battery life depends on device settings, environment, usage and many other factors.

  15. Testing conducted by Apple in July and August 2024 using pre‑production AirPods 4 (Active Noise Cancellation) with Wireless Charging Case paired with pre‑production iPhone 16 Pro Max units, all with pre‑release software. The playlist consisted of 358 unique audio tracks purchased from the iTunes Store (256‑Kbps AAC encoding). Volume was set to 50%; Spatial Audio, Conversation Awareness and Noise Control were all off. With Noise Control set to Active Noise Cancellation, listening time was up to 4 hours. Testing consisted of full AirPods battery discharge while playing audio until the first AirPod stopped playback. Battery life depends on device settings, environment, usage and many other factors.

  16. Testing conducted by Apple in July and August 2024 using pre‑production AirPods 4 (Active Noise Cancellation) with Wireless Charging Case paired with pre‑production iPhone 16 Pro Max units, all with pre‑release software. Volume was set to 50%; Spatial Audio, Conversation Awareness and Noise Control were all off. Testing consisted of full AirPods battery discharge with a mobile phone call until the first AirPod stopped playing call audio. Battery life depends on device settings, environment, usage and many other factors.

  17. Testing conducted by Apple in July and August 2024 using pre‑production AirPods 4 (Active Noise Cancellation) with Wireless Charging Case paired with pre‑production iPhone 16 Pro Max units, all with pre‑release software. The playlist consisted of 358 unique audio tracks purchased from the iTunes Store (256‑Kbps AAC encoding). Volume was set to 50%; Spatial Audio, Conversation Awareness and Noise Control were all off. With Noise Control set to Active Noise Cancellation, listening time was up to 20 hours. Testing consisted of full AirPods battery discharge while playing audio until the first AirPod stopped playback. The drained AirPods were charged to 100%, then audio playback was resumed until the first AirPod stopped playback. This cycle was repeated until both the AirPods and charging case were fully discharged. Battery life depends on device settings, environment, usage and many other factors.

  18. Testing conducted by Apple in July and August 2024 using pre‑production AirPods 4 (Active Noise Cancellation) with Wireless Charging Case paired with pre‑production iPhone 16 Pro Max units, all with pre‑release software. Volume was set to 50%; Spatial Audio, Conversation Awareness and Noise Control were all off. Testing consisted of full AirPods battery discharge with a mobile phone call until the first AirPod stopped playing call audio. The drained AirPods were charged to 100%, then the mobile phone call was restarted until the first AirPod stopped playing call audio. This cycle was repeated until both the AirPods and charging case were fully discharged. Battery life depends on device settings, environment, usage and many other factors.

  19. Testing conducted by Apple in July and August 2024 using pre‑production AirPods 4 (Active Noise Cancellation) with Wireless Charging Case paired with pre‑production iPhone 16 Pro Max units, all with pre‑release software. The playlist consisted of 358 unique audio tracks purchased from the iTunes Store (256‑Kbps AAC encoding). Volume was set to 50%; Spatial Audio, Conversation Awareness and Noise Control were all off. 5‑minute charge testing conducted with drained AirPods that were charged for 5 minutes, then audio playback was started until the first AirPod stopped playback. Battery life depends on device settings, environment, usage and many other factors.

  20. Testing conducted by Apple in July and August 2024 using pre‑production AirPods 4 (Active Noise Cancellation) with Wireless Charging Case paired with pre‑production iPhone 16 Pro Max units, all with pre‑release software. Volume was set to 50%; Spatial Audio, Conversation Awareness and Noise Control were all off. 5‑minute charge testing conducted with drained AirPods that were charged for 5 minutes, then a mobile phone call was started until the first AirPod stopped playing call audio. Battery life depends on device settings, environment, usage and many other factors.

  21. Requires the latest version of iOS or iPadOS.

  22. Data accurate as of product launch.

  23. Based on retail packaging as shipped by Apple. Breakdown of US retail packaging by weight. Adhesives, inks and coatings are excluded from our calculations of plastic content and packaging weight.

  24. Efficiency performance is based on the US Department of Energy Federal Energy Conservation Standards for Battery Chargers.

  25. Apple’s Regulated Substances Specification describes Apple’s restrictions on the use of certain chemical substances in materials in Apple products, accessories, manufacturing processes, and packaging used for shipping products to Apple’s end customers. Restrictions are derived from international laws or directives, regulatory agencies, eco-label requirements, environmental standards and Apple policies. Every Apple product is free of PVC and phthalates except for AC power leads in India, Thailand (for two-pin AC power leads) and the Republic of Korea, where we continue to seek government approval for our PVC and phthalates replacement. Apple products comply with the European Union Directive 2011/65/EU and its amendments, including exemptions for the use of lead such as high-temperature solder. Apple is working to phase out the use of these exempted substances for new products where technically possible.