Which one should you buy?

Now that it’s out, is it better to save money and go for the new AirPods 4 or is it still worth it to shell out some extra cash for the AirPods Pro 2?

During their “It’s Glowtime” keynote back in September, Apple revealed a major upgrade for their base AirPods. The brand new AirPods 4 would come in two versions: a cheaper version and a more expensive one that brings active noise cancellation (ANC) and transparency mode to the base AirPods model.

Both versions of the AirPods 4 are finally out in Thailand. But with the AirPods 4 now having ANC, is it still worth it to buy the more expensive AirPods Pro 2, which also has ANC? Do the AirPods 4 actually have good noise cancellation or are the AirPods Pro 2 still better? Read on to find out the difference between the Pro and the brand new AirPods 4.

(Hero image: Apple)

AirPods 4 vs AirPods Pro 2: Which one do you buy?

The AirPods Pro 2: A features breakdown

The AirPods Pro 2, released back in 2022, doesn’t look that different physically from its predecessor. There are some small differences: the case can emit sounds to signal a low charge or to make it easy to find in the depths of your purse or in between your couch cushions, and it also has a place to put in a lanyard loop. Apple also released an updated version—the AirPods Pro 2.5, if you will—which now has a USB-C.

Internally, the AirPods Pro 2 has the H2 chip, has up to six hours of listening time per charge as per the Apple website, and of course, has ANC. It also comes with adaptive audio, which adjusts the level of noise that comes through the headphones, and conversation awareness, which turns the volume down when it senses you talking.

The new AirPods 4: What’s new and what’s different

What exactly is different with the new AirPods 4? The most obvious would be that it’s almost THB 3,000 cheaper than the AirPods Pro 2 but comes with most of the features the Pro model has. The AirPods 4 also runs on the H2 chip and has ANC, adaptive audio, and conversation awareness. On the battery side of things, the AirPods 4 has five hours of listening per charge compared to the Pro’s six, and it also doesn’t have the capability of controlling the volume by swiping up or down on the stem unlike the Pro.

Physically though, the AirPods 4 may perhaps be more advanced than the Pro. The case is significantly smaller and it also doesn’t have that small button on the back. Instead, you now just tap on the case to put into pairing mode or to do a restart.

So which one do you buy?

It all comes down to ANC. When it all comes down to it, the ANC of the AirPods Pro 2 are still the best but that might just be because it has earbuds, which contribute a lot to the noise canceling. Surprisingly, the AirPods 4 manages to achieve about 80% of the noise cancellation the Pro does without the earbuds.

Granted, the AirPods 4 won’t have the new Hearing Aid features coming to the Pro soon on top of all the other features mentioned previously. But if you’re in the market for new AirPods solely for listening to music, the best purchase right now is to go for the AirPods 4. If you’re adamant about earbuds, controlling volume with a swipe, and also want the new Hearing Aid features, then you can shell out the extra THB 3,000 for the Pro.

But that also begs the question: what is Apple going to do with the next generation of AirPods Pro? With the base AirPods having done a huge step up, the new AirPods Pro will need a significant upgrade to justify its “Pro” tag and price. We’ll have to wait and see.

The new AirPods 4 with ANC costs THB 6,490 while the AirPods Pro 2 costs THB 8,990. You can buy both from Apple’s website.