The 2024 Apple fall hardware event has actually brought a lot of AirPods news, including a new base model pair, USB-C to AirPods Max and a surprisingly robust and official hearing aid mode to AirPods Pros (2nd generation).
While the hearing aid feature isn’t coming to Canada right now, Apple is working to bring it to more countries, but restrictions on over-the-counter hearing aids in markets like ours have delayed the launch of the feature since stringent regulations surround both the new hearing test and the actual hearing aid feature. That said, I’ll unpack a few other helpful audio features later in the article that we can use while we wait for the entire hearing aid suite of features.
Two new AirPods 4?
Apple has been selling the AirPods 2 from 2019 for years as its entry-level wireless earbuds (not counting Beats products), and I still see people wearing and buying them all the time, even though the AirPods 3 from 2021 have been out for years and were a substantial improvement. The two new pairs of AirPods 4 are meant to replace both of these models.
There’s a new entry-level option that is more simplistic and costs only $179, while the more expensive version costs $249 and includes active noise-cancelling (ANC) and some other features.
This $179 model still has the Apple H2 chip, allowing for personalized spatial audio, “Hey Siri” interactions, automatic device switching, voice isolation for calls, and the ability to nod your head yes or no to respond to notifications.
This model also has five hours of listening time and a total of 30 hours, including the charging case, but most of the cool side features are cut here to help keep the price down.
AirPods 4 with ANC exclusive features
If you want to step it up, the more expensive AirPods 4 have ANC, which, in my testing, has worked better than expected even though there are no silicon tips.
In my hands-on time on the chaotic post-keynote show floor, they did a great job blocking out the crowd and the Apple employee helping me with my demo. You could still hear a bit of the crowd noise, but for earbuds without silicon tips sealing shut my ear canals, I was impressed.
In my second demo, I could wear them in a quiet room, and it was structured to play loud airplane sounds via a set of HomePods Max units, and again, the AirPods 4 impressed. They weren’t as good as AirPods Pros, but they worked wonders to help tune out the low frequency of the airplane rumble. I have yet to test them with any higher frequencies, but so far, they work well.
Beyond the software magic, Apple is working with the H2 chip and the external microphones on the earbuds; the new design helps reduce in-ear motion, which benefits the new ANC features. Looking at them, you can see the tip of the bud extends a bit further than the old model, and the angle between the bud and the stem is sharper, which really helps it lock into your ear. During the keynote, Apple said it scanned thousands of ears to refine the shape this year, so ideally, it should be more comfortable for most people.
These buds also have the adaptive audio mode that came to AirPods Pro last year, and the charging case these buds pack into has Find My support so you can find the case and the buds if you lose them separately. The case also has a speaker, so you can ring it if it’s lost in the couch cushions or something.
That said, the battery life on these models is reduced to four hours with ANC enabled or five without it. The case can add an extra 20-30 hours of listening, depending on how much ANC you use. The case on this model can be wirelessly charged with any Qi charging pad or Apple Watch charging puck.
What similarities do they share beyond the design?
The best thing about the new AirPods 4 is that they have a super tiny charging case. I know we’ve all made jokes for years that AirPods cases kind of look like dental floss, and this year, that rings more true than ever.
Beyond getting smaller, the case has also lost the pairing button and instead has an accelerometer, so when you tap on the front of the case twice, it enters pairing mode without the need for a button. It’s a cool feature with a little bit of that classic Apple magic. The light on the front of the case is also hidden behind the plastic shell, so you’ll only see it when the light is on. On the old AirPods models, you’d see a little grey dot where the light is whenever it isn’t on. Both cases also charge via USB-C, but only the ANC version works on wireless chargers or the Apple Watch charger.
Both sets of buds are also IP54 water and dust-resistant, so they should be able to withstand a light bit of sweat or rain, making them easy to use on the go without worrying about damaging them.
On the software side, both earbuds also support voice isolation, which should improve calls made via the headphones. They also support Apple features like Personalized volume, Adaptive EQ, and Spatial Audio with head tracking.
AirPods Pros features to help with hearing
While Canada is on the waiting list for the actual approved hearing aid features coming to AirPods Pros (Gen 2) there are a few things you can do today if you want to use your existing AirPods to help with hearing.
If you dive into the Control Centre settings on your iPhone, you can add a ‘Hearing’ shortcut to this menu. This will allow you to use a feature called ‘Live Listen,’ which will use your iPhone or iPad microphone to send clean audio to your AirPods. Another feature under this menu is called ‘Conversation Boost,’ which will then use the AirPods mics to focus the audio from the person you’re talking with to make it easier to hear them in face-to-face conversation.
While these features aren’t as robust as the new hearing aid feature, which can build a personal sound profile, they can help people with less critical hearing impairments
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