To beat the best, the AirPods 4 need these five key improvements
The Apple AirPods 4 are, ahem, overdue. It’s been nearly three years since the launch of the Apple AirPods 3, yet at the time of writing, Apple hasn’t released any official details about their successors.
Fortunately, according to Bloomberg’s reliable Apple commentator, Mark Gurman, the wait might soon be over. He anticipates that the AirPods 4 will be released in September or October 2024. This prediction has sparked speculation about what the next generation of Apple’s true wireless earbuds might bring to the table.
We’ve already put together a comprehensive Apple AirPods 4 guide, covering every leak we’ve seen so far, every prediction, and everything we hope to see. In this article, we’ll dive deeper, not only outlining the features, tech specs, and design improvements we want from the AirPods 4 but also discussing the innovations Apple could « borrow » from rivals like Sony, Bose, and others to stay ahead in the competitive true wireless earbuds space.1. Noise cancellation tech from Bose and Nothing
If you want noise cancellation from a pair of Apple earbuds, you need to invest in a pair of Apple AirPods Pro (2019) or AirPods Pro 2. It might be that the regular AirPods will never get ANC, regardless of which version we’re talking about.
However, if Apple truly wants to elevate its regular AirPods, adding noise cancellation would be an excellent place to start – even the best budget earbuds from AirPods rivals are offering ANC, these days. But where should Apple draw inspiration from? When it comes to ANC, Bose is the undisputed leader. Our review of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 awarded them a perfect 5 out of 5 stars, praising their “best-in-class noise cancellation.” The newer Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Ultra buds continue this legacy, with our review stating they are “still the best ANC in the business.”
It’s important to note that these Bose earbuds come with a premium price tag, higher than what we expect for the AirPods 4. However, ANC is no longer a feature exclusive to high-end earbuds. Today, some of the best noise-cancelling earbuds are available at mid-range, and even budget, price points.
A great example is the Nothing Ear (a) buds. While they don’t match Bose’s noise-cancelling performance, they still offer an immersive experience at nearly a third of the price of the QuietComfort Ultra. This demonstrates that Apple should be able to incorporate ANC into the next generation of AirPods, even if they aren’t part of the pricier Pro lineup.
