What to anticipate from Apple’s next generation of AirPods
The Apple AirPods 3 have been on the market for more than two years, but there has been no official word from Apple on when their replacements will be available. And, while the AirPods Pro 2 are highly rated on our list of the best earbuds, the AirPods 3 now face considerably greater in-ear competition than when they were first released in October 2021.
It’s safe to assume that the AirPods are due for an upgrade. The question is when that will happen – and, if you’re looking for a pair of AirPods, whether you should wait for the fourth generation or take advantage of one of the greatest AirPods offers available right now.
To assist you with making your decision, we’ve compiled a list of all the current AirPods 4 leaks, tips, and intel. You’ll find everything of the newest AirPods 4 news here, from release date rumors to talk of additional hardware tricks.
RELEASE DATE AND PRICE OF APPLE AIRPODS 4
The AirPods 3 were released on October 26, 2021, with a price tag of $179 / ₹15,410.51 / AU$279. It’s unusual for Apple to lower the price of a like-for-like upgrade, so we’d expect the fourth-generation AirPods to be priced similarly.
However, there is a catch. According to rumors, Apple may sell two versions of the AirPods 3: the ordinary version and a less expensive, simpler variation. Analysts Jeff Pu and Ming-Chi Kuo have both mentioned a low-cost version of the normal AirPods, maybe branded the AirPods Lite, that could be released in the United States for $99.
Bloomberg analyst Mark Gurman has backed up these allegations by claiming that the normal AirPods 4 will have noise canceling and a case with Find My iPhone notifications, which the basic model will not have.
What is unknown is when one or both models will be released. Apple’s September and October 2023 events went past with no word of the AirPods 4. The first AirPods were released in December 2016, followed by the second generation in March 2019, and the third generation in October 2021. According to their timetables, the AirPods 4 would be released after the first quarter of 2024.
DESIGN AND FEATURES OF APPLE AIRPODS 4
We found the AirPods 3’s shorter stems and curved shells to be more comfortable than prior models in our evaluation. We hope and anticipate that the design will be enhanced more for the fourth generation.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the upcoming AirPods will combine the design of the AirPods 3 and the AirPods Pro 2. The two are already fairly similar in appearance, thus the AirPods 4 will most likely enhance the existing recipe rather than doing anything groundbreaking with the style. In the same line, we believe the AirPods 4 will be limited to Apple’s signature white finish, like with prior iterations.
There’s been a lot of talk about the charging case since the changeover to USB-C. inevitability the EU’s port judgment and the fact that Apple has already begun fitting the interface to its premium smartphones, including the iPhone 15 family, this is almost an inevitability. In fact, Gurman believes that all AirPods will be USB-C by next year.
SOUND QUALITY ON THE APPLE AIRPODS 4
The AirPods 3’s sound quality was balanced and generally outstanding, although far from the finest available. Although an unsealed fit means that bass will never be spectacular, we hope to hear improvements with the AirPods 4. These could be attributed to improvements to Adaptive EQ or the existence of Apple’s H2 chip (see below).
The AirPods Pro will remain Apple’s earphones of choice for audiophiles, but Apple must at least keep up with wireless in-ears that cost less and sound better, such as the Sony WF-C700N. We’ll have to wait and see how things goes.
If you listen to music on a platform that doesn’t support Spatial Audio, like Spotify, the lack of the latter in exchange for a reduced price may make the ‘Lite’ version of the AirPods 4 the more enticing option.
SOFTWARE AND PERFORMANCE ON APPLE AIRPODS 4
While the AirPods 3’s battery life improved, these improvements were negated when Spatial Audio was engaged. We’d want to see the AirPods 4’s durability significantly improved. This might be accomplished using Apple’s H2 chip.
The H2 chip, which is already available in the AirPods Pro 2, is more efficient than the H1 equivalent found in the AirPods 3. It also has Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, which is faster and more stable than Bluetooth 5.0. The H2 chip’s computational abilities can potentially contribute to improved audio quality, however it’s unclear how much of an influence this would have in the absence of ANC.
In terms of additional features, we believe there’s a strong chance that previously Pro features, like as support for Find My Alerts via speakers in the charging case, will make their way down to the AirPods 4.
Mark Gurman has also proposed temperature sensors and support for some form of hearing data for future AirPods models. It’s unclear when or if we’ll see such features, but it seems likely that they’ll be included to an AirPods Pro upgrade before the normal model.
