It’s been more than two years since the Apple AirPods 3 hit shelves, but there’s still no official word from Apple on when we can expect their successors. And while the AirPods Pro 2 are high on our list of the best earbuds, the AirPods 3 now face much tougher in-ear competition than when they launched in October 2021.
So it’s fair to say that the AirPods need an update. The question is when that will arrive – and, if you’re in the market for a pair of AirPods, whether you should wait for the fourth generation, or grab one of the best AirPods deals currently available.
To help you decide, we’ve rounded up all the leaks, tips and information currently circulating about the AirPods 4. From release date rumors to rumors of new hardware tricks, you’ll find all the latest AirPods 4 news below.
We’ve also given our thoughts on which upgrades we think are most likely to happen in reality, and which features we’d like to see.
Apple AirPods 4 rumored release date and price
The AirPods 3 launched on October 26, 2021, priced at $179 / £169 / AU$279. It’s rare for Apple to drop the price of a comparable upgrade, so we’d expect the fourth-generation AirPods to retail for a similar price will come on the market.
However, there is a caveat. Rumors indicate that Apple may release two versions of the AirPods 3: the regular version and a cheaper, simpler variant. Analysts Jeff Pu and Ming-Chi Kuo have both hinted at a low-cost version of the standard AirPods, possibly called the AirPods Lite, which could hit the US market for a more accessible price of $99.
Respected Bloomberg analyst Mark Gurman has backed up these claims by suggesting that the regular AirPods 4 will benefit from noise cancellation and a case equipped for Find My alerts, features that the basic option apparently doesn’t offer.
What’s not clear is when either or both models will be launched. Apple’s September and October 2023 events passed without any mention of the AirPods 4. The original AirPods launched in December 2016, followed by the second generation in March 2019 and then the AirPods 3 in October 2021. Based on those date windows the AirPods 4 would be late after the first quarter of 2024.
We certainly expect the AirPods 4 to arrive next year, a timeline supported by Gurman. However, Kuo has suggested that the AirPods may not ship until later in the year or even early 2025 – a delay attributed to a change in manufacturing partners. We still think an Apple Event in March is the most likely date, but nothing close to an official release date has surfaced yet.
Apple AirPods 4: design and features
In our review of the AirPods 3, we found their shorter stems and contoured shells more comfortable than previous editions. We hope and expect that the design will be further refined for the fourth generation.
Mark Gurman of Bloomberg predicts that the next AirPods will combine the design of the AirPods 3 with the AirPods Pro 2. The two are already very similar visually, so it’s likely that the AirPods 4 will refine the existing formula rather than something revolutionary to do with the styling. In the same vein, we think the AirPods 4 will follow all previous editions and only come in Apple’s signature white finish.
A welcome update would be the addition of interchangeable eartips to the AirPods 4, a feature currently reserved for the Pro series. Unfortunately, Gurman thinks this is unlikely to happen, and instead suggests that the AirPods 4 will stick with the unsealed configuration of previous editions. This points to the presence of active noise cancellation on the AirPods 4, but does not rule it out.
Likewise, we’d be happy to see touch controls used to provide volume control on the earbuds, like on the AirPods Pro 2. We commented on this omission in our review of the AirPods 3, and it feels like a feature that should be offered by default, rather than relying on Siri or your smartphone. Only time will tell if Apple agrees and adds it to the AirPods 4.
As for the charging case, there has been a lot of discussion about the move to USB-C. This is almost a certainty, given the EU’s ruling on ports and the fact that Apple has already started tweaking the interface on its flagship devices, including the iPhone 15 family. In fact, Gurman expects all AirPods to switch to USB-C next year.
Apple AirPods 4: sound quality
Sound quality on the AirPods 3 was balanced and generally impressive, but far from the best out there. An unsealed fit means the bass will never be brilliant, but we’re still hoping to hear improvements in the AirPods 4. These could be down to refinements to Adaptive EQ, or to the presence of Apple’s H2 chip (see below).
The AirPods Pro will still be promoted as Apple’s earbuds of choice for audiophiles, but Apple should at least keep up with wireless in-ears that cost less and sound better – like the Sony WF-C700N. We’ll have to wait and see how this goes.
If Apple goes down the route of releasing a cheaper version of the AirPods 4, we don’t expect the core audio quality to suffer, but it’s likely that Apple would cut some premium listening features from the cheaper option. These may include ear detection and spatial audio support.
If you listen to music on a platform that doesn’t support Spatial Audio, such as Spotify, omitting the latter in exchange for a lower price could make the ‘Lite’ version of the AirPods 4 the more attractive choice.
Apple AirPods 4: Software and performance
Although battery life improved with the AirPods 3, these gains were negated when Spatial Audio was enabled. We hope that the lifespan of the AirPods 4 will be significantly improved. One way to achieve this could be with Apple’s H2 chip.
The H2 chip, already present on the AirPods Pro 2, is more efficient than the H1 equivalent in the AirPods 3. It also supports Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, which itself is more efficient and stable than Bluetooth 5.0. The H2 chip’s computational smarts can also contribute to improved audio quality, although it’s not clear how much of an impact this would have without ANC.
Adding the H2 chip to the AirPods 4 would mirror the trickle-down approach Apple takes for its smartphone processors. Assuming the AirPods Pro 3 are also on the way, possibly equipped with a new H3 chip, then the H2 makes sense as an incremental performance upgrade for the AirPods 4 – at least for the full-price version.
As for other features, we think there’s a good chance that other previously Pro features will make their way to the AirPods 4 – most notably support for Find My alerts, via speakers in the charging case.
Other improvements suggested by Mark Gurman because future AirPods models will include temperature sensors and support for some sort of hearing data. Whether and when we’ll see such features remains to be seen, and it seems likely that they would be introduced in an AirPods Pro update before the standard model.