Apple AirPods 4 Review (2026): ANC Without a Seal

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Cancellation Without a Seal

Almost every noise cancelling earbud starts by physically blocking sound with a silicone tip, then uses electronics to remove what gets through. AirPods 4 skip the first half. They use the same open hard-shell shape as Apple's EarPods — nothing enters or seals your ear canal — and rely entirely on the H2 chip to cancel what arrives.

It works, and it is impressive that it works at all. Steady low-frequency noise — an aircraft cabin, road rumble, air conditioning — is meaningfully reduced.

It also has a ceiling that no chip can raise. Without a seal there is no passive blocking, so the electronics are doing all the work with none of the help. Against sealed cancelling earbuds the difference is audible, particularly with higher-frequency noise like voices and keyboards. If your reason for buying is to make a loud train quiet, sealed earbuds will do more.

What you get in exchange is the reason many people prefer this design: no canal pressure, no plugged-up feeling, and comfort over hours that sealed earbuds rarely match.

The Fit Is Binary

Because there are no tips, there is no adjustment. The shell either matches the shape of your ear or it does not, and nothing can be done about it either way.

If you have worn EarPods or earlier AirPods comfortably, you already know your answer. If they have always fallen out, these will too — Apple has reshaped the contour and shortened the stem, but it is still one fixed shape. Our Apple EarPods review covers the same fit question at a tenth of the price, and is a cheap way to test it before spending here.

Anyone whose earbuds routinely work loose should look at designs with tips or wings instead — see best wireless earbuds for small ears.

The Number to Check First

Four hours of listening with cancellation switched on.

That is the figure Apple publishes, and it is short. The case brings the total to 20 hours, and turning cancellation off raises it to 30, but the number that matters is what a single charge gives you while using the feature you paid for.

For a commute or a gym session, four hours is enough and the case covers the rest of the day. For a long flight — the single situation cancellation is most wanted — it means charging partway through. Budget cancelling headphones commonly manage forty hours; our Soundcore Q20i review covers one at a third of the price that does exactly that.

What Else the H2 Chip Buys

Adaptive Audio, which blends cancellation and transparency automatically rather than making you choose, and Conversation Awareness, which drops the volume when you start speaking to someone. Both are the kind of feature that sounds like marketing and turns out to be genuinely convenient.

Voice Isolation for calls, which strips background noise from your side of the line. Call quality is one of the areas where AirPods have always been ahead.

Personalised Spatial Audio with head tracking, an in-ear sensor that pauses when you remove a bud, Find My tracking, and instant pairing across an Apple account.

Almost all of that is Apple-only. On an Android phone these are competent Bluetooth earbuds and very little else — the chip is the product, and the chip talks to Apple devices.

The Practical Details

IP54, rated for dust, sweat and water. Apple states this covers rain and heavy workouts, which is a meaningful step up from earlier generations and enough for most training.

USB-C charging, plus wireless charging from a Qi pad or even an Apple Watch charger. The case is unusually small for one that charges wirelessly.

Who Should Buy Them

You own an iPhone and want comfort over isolation: yes. This is the clearest case, and the open fit is genuinely more comfortable than sealed earbuds for long wear.

You fly often: think carefully. Cancellation without a seal does less, and four hours per charge is short for exactly this use.

You want the best cancellation available: no. Sealed designs win, including cheaper ones.

You use Android: no. You would be paying for a chip that mostly talks to devices you do not own.

Earbuds always fall out of your ears: no. There are no tips to try, and no fix.

You want cancellation cheaply: no — see best wireless earbuds under $200 for how much this costs relative to the field.

FAQ

Do AirPods 4 have noise cancelling? This version does. Apple sells AirPods 4 both with and without it, at different prices, and the two look identical — check which one the listing is offering before buying.

How good is the cancellation without ear tips? Effective against steady low-frequency noise, and clearly behind sealed earbuds against voices and higher-pitched sound. There is no passive blocking, so the electronics work unaided.

How long does the battery last? Four hours with cancellation on, 20 hours including the case, and 30 hours total with cancellation off.

Are they waterproof? IP54, which Apple rates for rain and heavy workouts. Not for swimming.

Do they work with Android? As ordinary Bluetooth earbuds, yes. Adaptive Audio, Find My, spatial audio, instant pairing and most of the rest require Apple devices.

Will they stay in my ears? If EarPods or previous AirPods fit you, yes. If they did not, these will not either — the shell is one fixed shape with no tips to swap.

Verdict

Our score: 8.5/10. AirPods 4 are the most comfortable way to get active noise cancellation, and for an iPhone owner who dislikes the sealed, plugged feeling of ordinary cancelling earbuds there is very little competition. Adaptive Audio and Conversation Awareness are real conveniences, call quality is excellent, and IP54 finally makes them a reasonable gym earbud.

Two things should decide against them. Cancellation without a seal has a hard ceiling — if silence is the goal, sealed earbuds do more for less. And four hours per charge with cancellation running is short, most obviously on the flights where you would want it most.

Buy them for comfort, convenience and calls, all of which they do better than almost anything. Do not buy them expecting quiet.