Apple

Apple AirPods 4 with ANC

Ranked #22 in Earbuds

172 LP on the category ladder what's LP?

Announced September 2024 by Apple

The marketing-push pick: weak ANC measured by TechGearLab, a mediocre opinion score from SoundGuys, and a short battery per Tom's Guide. The AirPods Pro 3 is the Apple buy that actually holds up.

Consolidated from 6 cited sources across 5 outlets

Where the cited sources landed, as we read them

1 positive source
2 mixed sources
2 unconvinced sources

See the sources

Flagged as a product to avoid

3 of 7 research runs entered this as a product to avoid rather than a pick.

TechGearLab measures ANC reducing ambient noise by only about 10 decibels across the mid-bass to high-mid range, SoundGuys' mean opinion score of 3.6 means most people will be only slightly positive, and Tom's Guide's long-termer flags the short battery life. The AirPods Pro 3 is the Apple buy that actually holds up.
Flagged 10 September 2026

1 earlier flag predates the point where runs began recording their reasoning, so its grounds were never written down.

TechGearLab measures ANC reducing ambient noise by only about 10 decibels across the mid-bass to high-mid range, SoundGuys' mean opinion score of 3.6 means most people will be only slightly positive, and Tom's Guide's long-termer flags the short battery life. The AirPods Pro 3 is the Apple buy that actually holds up.
Flagged 10 September 2026
It is the Apple option marketing pushes at cross-shoppers who balk at the Pro 3, but its ANC is weak by in-ear standards and the fit is open-ear, which many buyers do not realize until it is too late. The Pro 3 offers up to 4x better noise cancellation for not much more money.
Flagged 10 September 2026

Why the boards include products to avoid

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Pros & cons

✓ Strong sound
✓ The best ANC in an open-ear design
✓ A legitimate alternative for buyers who cannot tolerate in-ear tips
✓ A real cross-shop, listed among PCMag's tested picks
✓ A decent product overall

✗ ANC reduces ambient noise by only about 10 decibels across the mid-bass to high-mid range
✗ Mediocre mean opinion score of 3.6 from SoundGuys
✗ Five-hour battery life is not great per Tom's Guide's long-term testing
✗ Outclassed by the AirPods Pro 3 for ANC and battery life
✗ ANC is weak by in-ear standards

The sources behind this ranking

We searched the web and YouTube for what has been published about this product, then read the articles, video transcripts and comments we found. We quote no words from these sources, so each row shows only where we placed it.

Frequently asked questions

It ranks #22 of 24 on our earbuds tier list, in F tier. That placement draws on 6 cited sources across 5 outlets.

2 of the 5 sources with a clear view are critical of it: TechGearLab and Tom's Guide. ANC reduces ambient noise by only about 10 decibels across the mid-bass to high-mid range. Mediocre mean opinion score of 3.6 from SoundGuys. Five-hour battery life is not great per Tom's Guide's long-term testing. Outclassed by the AirPods Pro 3 for ANC and battery life. ANC is weak by in-ear standards.