AirPods 4 and AirPods Max Get Exciting Upgrades: What’s New and Improved?

Apple kicked off its Glowtime event today by saying goodbye to the 2nd and 3rd gen AirPods and introducing not one, but two new AirPods 4 models. Both of these new earbuds sport an open-ear design, ditching the in-ear design found on the Pro 2s. The reason behind this change is to align with the EU’s new laws on a universal charging standard. That’s why the new cases come equipped with a Type-C port instead of the previously used Lightning port.

The high-end AirPods 4 retail for $180, while the base model goes for $130. Both models are available for pre-order today and will hit shelves on September 20.

The $180 high-end AirPods 4 stand out from the lower-end model thanks to their active noise cancelation and premium charging case. Apple’s first open-ear buds to feature ANC, these earbuds also come with a transparency mode, adaptive audio, and conversation awareness. The adaptive audio automatically adjusts the volume based on your surroundings, while the conversation awareness feature lowers the music volume when it senses you’re talking to someone.

The charging case for this model supports Find My and features a speaker that plays alerts when you’ve misplaced it. It also comes with wireless charging, allowing you to recharge it using any Apple Watch or Qi-certified charger.

The lower-end AirPods 4, on the other hand, also have an open-ear design, but without ANC. They’re powered by the same H2 chip that’s found in the premium model, although Apple claims significantly upgraded audio quality across the new AirPods series. These earbuds also ditch the Lightning port for Type-C charging.

The four-year-old over-ear headphones AirPods Max didn’t receive any major upgrades. We got new color options (Midnight, Blue, Purple, Orange, and Starlight) and a switch to Type-C charging. They still retail for a pricey $550 and are available for pre-order today, with an availability date of September 20.

Renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo was also speculating the release of a budget AirPods Lite priced at $100. Jeff Pu at 9to5Mac confirmed Kuo’s claim, but Apple didn’t mention a budget version at its event today. If the speculation was accurate, it’s possible we might see them towards the end of the year.

Apple insider Mark Gurman claims that Apple is working on a new iteration of the two-year-old 2nd gen AirPods Pro, featuring improved ANC and an upgraded design. Gurman predicts these will likely be launched “as early as next year.”