Apple has announced two new fourth-generation AirPods, along with the new AirPods Pro 2 and updated AirPods Max with USB-C charging and new colors.
Apple announced the fourth-generation iteration to the regular AirPods that includes two versions, with and without active noise cancellation. The company also unveiled the next AirPods Pro and updated AirPods Max during a pre-taped keynote at the “It’s Glowtime” event on Monday, September 9. All new and updated AirPods are powered by the Apple H2 chip, and you can pre-order them today.
AirPods 4, with or without active notice cancellation
There are two models of the fourth-generation AirPods, one with and the other without active noise cancellation, but they look the same. They have a new open-ear design that resembles the AirPods Pro with their shorter stem. To refine their design for improved fit, Apple used 3D photogrammetry and laser topography to analyze thousands of ear shapes and over 50 million individual data points in total.
Appel claims it’s boosted sound quality significantly with a new acoustic architecture, low-distortion driver and high dynamic range amplifier. However, only the pricier AirPods 4 support Apple’s latest computational audio enhancements in iOS 18, including head shakes and voice isolation that improves sound quality for the caller by removing background noise around you, as well as conversation awareness, adaptive audio and Transparency mode.
They also support head-tracked personalized spatial audio ,and have force sensors to control media playback with various presses and swiping for volume changes. The improved H2 chip from the second-generation AirPods Pro also lowers Bluetooth latency and lets you record 16-bit, 48kHz audio, and both of those features are great for gaming.
These new AirPods have USB-C charging, and deliver five hours of listening time on a single charge, which drops by an hour when active noise cancellation is on. The charging case is more than ten percent smaller in volume, and delivers up to 30 hours of listening time (20 hours with active noise cancellation turned on).
Only the charging case that ships with the more expensive AirPods 4 supports wireless charging (Apple Watch charger and Qi‑certified chargers) and has built-in speakers for Find My beeping. Both AirPods 4 use Bluetooth 5.3, and are an IP54-rated for dust, sweat and water resistance. Regular AirPods 4 are $129; AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation are $179.
AirPods Pro 2 bring hearing health features
AirPods Pro 2 are the only new AirPods with health-related features, including Hearing Test and Hearing Aid (available this fall) and Hearing Protection (only US and Canada). The Hearing Aid feature that boosts specific sounds in real-time will also be supported on compatible Macs with macOS Sequoia and later. You can even set up this feature by imposing an audiogram created by a hearing health professional. Apple will seek an FDA approval for over-the-counter Hearing Aid capability.
You take a hearing test, which creates an audio profile that syncs across devices tailored to your hearing. A new feature called Media Assist boosts certain parts of speech on or instruments within a soundtrack.
“The test is simple to take, utilizes a standard clinical approach called pure-tone audiometry, leverages advanced acoustic science, and provides users with an interactive experience,” Apple explains. “When a user completes the test, they will see an easy-to-understand summary of their results in a personalized hearing profile for AirPods Pro, which is stored privately and securely in their Health app.”
And the Hearing Protection feature reduces louder more intermittent noise at 48,000 times per second. Apple also developed a multiband high dynamic range algorithm that ensures sounds at concerts and live events remain natural and vibrant.
Other AirPods Pro 2 improvements include 2x more active noise cancellation compared with the new AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation (2024) and the first-generation AirPods Pro (2019).
The H2 chip also enables features like adaptive audio, conversation awareness, Transparency mode and personalized spatial audio with dynamic head tracking. Battery life is six hours, or 30 hours with the caring case. They have touch-sensitive control, like before.
Like the second-generation USB-C model, AirPods Pro 2 also have a charging case with Apple’s U1 chip that enables Precision Finding in the Find My app when within Bluetooth range.
AirPods Max: New colors and USB-C charging
AirPods Max arrived in 2020 and haven’t been refreshed since. These over-ear headphones are so outdated they don’t support any of the modern audio features in iOS 17 and iOS 18. Unfortunately, that hasn’t changed. The updated AirPods Max still rin Apple’s H1 chip that doesn’t support adaptive audio, voice isolation, conversation awareness and personalized volume.
So, what’s changed then? Wekk, the Lightning port at the bottom has been swapped for a USB-C port, and there are also some new color finishes (Midnight, Starlight, Blue, Purple and Orange).
Apple said it’s removed an outer plastic wrap from the packaging of all AirPods models (like it did earlier with the iPhone), helping reduce the total packaging footprint for AirPods by more than thirty percent.
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Pricing and availability
AirPods 4 cost $129 in the United States and AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation are $179. AirPods Pro 2 are available for $249, and AirPods Max with USB-C charging for $549. You can pre-order your AirPods from Apple’s website and in the Apple Store app in more than 60 countries and regions. All new AirPods will start shipping on Friday, September 20, when Apple’s physical stores and authorized resellers will have them.
The new hearing health features on the AirPods Pro 2 will be available “this fall.” If you’re not already subscribed to Apple Music, buying any new AirPods will give you three free months of Apple Music.