The AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation (ANC) is a curious pair of wireless earbuds. Given that the earbuds use an open-ear design – which doesn’t form a seal that is as secure as an in-ear design – they won’t be able to block out ambient noise quite as well. So then…why did Apple decide to release an AirPods with ANC?
Well, after using the AirPods 4 with ANC for a couple of weeks, the earbuds’ noise cancellation is actually surprisingly good! Granted, there are still some aspects of the earbuds that I don’t quite like, which I’ll get to in this review of the RM829 AirPods 4.

What It Is
It’s worth noting that the RM829 price tag of the AirPods 4 is identical to that of its predecessor, though the new wireless earbuds do come with a slew of upgrades, including the aforementioned ANC. If you don’t want ANC, there’s the standard AirPods 4 for only RM599, though the more affordable model also loses out on wireless charging and Transparency mode.
Anyway, coming back to the AirPods 4, it comes with an “entirely new acoustic architecture, low-distortion driver, and high dynamic range amplifier,” as Apple puts it. The wireless earbuds are powered by Apple’s H2 chip now too, which adds Voice Isolation for clearer call quality and Siri Interactions. The latter allows me to simply nod yes or shake my head no to respond to Siri announcements.
The Good Stuff
What surprised me when I first started using the AirPods 4 is how good the ANC is despite the earbuds’ open-ear design. It can eliminate constant, low frequency sounds very well, such as the rumbling of an engine or a particularly loud fan. Of course, given that the AirPods 4 doesn’t have silicone ear tips, passive noise isolation isn’t particularly great, so higher frequency sounds like human voices are still audible with the earbuds on. Nonetheless, there’s no denying that the ANC of the AirPods 4 work wonders.


Audio quality of the AirPods 4 is excellent too. Again, even though it doesn’t form the best seal in my ears with its open-ear design, it can still produce relatively strong, impactful bass. Vocals are quite forward as well, and highs have a good amount of crispiness to them. Most of all, I like the fact that the AirPods 4 has quite a warm sound signature, though compared to the AirPods Pro with its silicone ear tips, the former has a…slightly brighter warmth, if that makes sense.
Moving on, there’s the H2 chip of the AirPods 4, and the biggest benefit of the new chip is Siri Interactions. When I get, say, a call with the earbuds on, I can simply shake my head no to decline the call or nod yes to answer it. This works with notifications that are announced by Siri as well, which can prove to be quite helpful in situations where I don’t have easy access to my phone.


In terms of battery life, Apple says that the AirPods 4 offers up to four hours of use on a single charge with ANC enabled. It’s a figure I can easily achieve, though I do wish it offers slightly better battery life. While four hours of continuous use isn’t bad per se, it would’ve been better if it could get closer to the AirPods Pro’s six-hour battery life.
But there is one aspect where the AirPods 4 trumps the AirPods Pro: the size of the charging case. Compared to the latter, the AirPods 4 has a smaller charging case that is not as wide. This makes it much more pocket-friendly, and it feels oddly satisfying to hold such a compact case in my hands.

Last but not least is the updated design of the AirPods 4. The stem is now shorter than the AirPods 3, so it looks better when worn, in my opinion. Not surprisingly, the pinch controls still work seamlessly, and I’d argue it’s even easier to use now thanks to the flat cutout on the stem.
And that is a good segue to the next section.
The Bad Stuff
Now, despite sporting the same stem cutout as the AirPods Pro, the AirPods 4…has no volume control on the earbuds. To be honest, I was wondering if my unit was broken when I couldn’t adjust the volume with a sliding motion. Only after looking up the spec sheet of the AirPods 4 that I realise it doesn’t have touch-sensitive volume controls, which is really an odd omission to me.

And then there’s the fit of the AirPods 4. The earbud feels a bit too loose for my liking in my left ear, though I don’t have the same issue with my right ear. That’s really the shortcoming of an open-ear earbud with no ear tips of different sizes, which in turn also affects the comfort of the AirPods 4.
Is It Worth It?
While the fit and lack of volume adjustment on the earbuds of the AirPods 4 ANC are not great, I still think it’s a great option to consider for those who don’t like in-ear earbuds. Its ANC performance is surprisingly good, it sounds great with a warm presentation, and I really like the compact charging case.

For me personally, I still prefer the RM1,099 AirPods Pro, though it also costs quite a bit more over the RM829 price tag of the AirPods 4 with ANC (which I think is a fair price). If you are keen to get the AirPods 4, do check if the wireless earbuds fit your ears well; you can try it out for yourself at, say, Apple The Exchange TRX.