AirPods are the most popular headphones, and Apple knows it. Users and industry enthusiasts are clamoring to see How will the AirPods 4 of the Cupertino boys be?.
All signs point to a more affordable price point for the next headset, although I personally doubt it, hopefully it’s true.
What will Apple’s new AirPods 4 be like?
Over the past few weeks, we’ve had a few tweets from Ming-Chi Kuo about the AirPods Max 2 and the future AirPods 4, which looks like they’ll be more affordable.
Apple has poured a lot of energy into its AirPods, and the efforts have paid off. The category of “Apple Home and Accessories” it outsold its Mac and iPad categories in the second quarter of 2023.
In addition, Ming-Chi Kuo shared that Hong Teng can take over the assembly of the AirPods. Regardless of who rides Apple’s headphones, it seems guaranteed that Apple will release the AirPods 4. Analyst Jeff Pu shared that next-generation AirPods will be called AirPods Lite. Both analysts report that the AirPods 4 will be more affordable than previous generations.
What is the release date of Apple’s 4th generation AirPods?
Apple usually reserves its headphone announcements for the fall.
- AirPods 1 generation: December 13, 2016
- AirPods 2 generation: March 20, 2019
- AirPods 3 generation: October 26, 2021
- AirPods Pro 1 generation: October 30, 2019
- AirPods Pro 2 Generation: September 23, 202
Due to changes in manufacturing partners, Kuo believes that AirPods 4 may not ship until the second half of 2024. we may even have to wait until the first half of 2025a little strange the truth, but who knows.
Because two years and three months passed between the release dates of AirPods 1 and AirPods 2, and two years and seven months passed between AirPods 2 and AirPods 3. So if Apple follows this schedule, announce AirPods 4 in late spring 2024 it would make sense.
That being said, my optimistic opinion is that Apple could announce AirPods 4 at its September 2023 Apple event. After all, Apple routinely releases its headphones in the fall.
What features and specifications will the AirPods 4 have?
AirPods 3 require you to say “Hey Siri” or reaching for your phone to change the volume. We hope that will change with the AirPods 4.
A lower price for the AirPods 4 could translate into headphones that are a little less premium than what Apple has us used to.
Design and sound quality
Like other AirPods, the AirPods 4 will come in white and have a similar design to AirPods 3. We should see the pressure sensor controls to adjust playback and calls. Also, Apple may not include wireless charging on AirPods Lite.
If Apple goes the affordable route, could forgo other premium options like automatic ear detection and head tracking for spatial audio. Automatic ear detection pauses content when AirPods are removed and resumes when they are inserted.
Head Tracking enhances Apple’s spatial audio, adjusting the surround sound effect as you move your head. This can make movies sound more immersive, but I’ve never considered it a core selling point of any AirPod.
It could also happen that Apple abandoned the wireless charging of the AirPods 4 to get a lower price. In any case, the company should replace the Lightning port on the case with a USB-C charging port. The EU declared that all electronic devices must have a USB-C charging port by December 28, 2024. https://thesanddollarlv.com/ As I already mentioned in this article.
The earbuds will retain the same IPX4 water resistance rating as previous AirPods. This rating is essential for athletes and everyday use. Ideally, the AirPods 4 case should also maintain its IPX4 rating, but if the price is reduced…
Software Features
How could it be otherwise, they will maintain automatic switching between devices with the same iCloud account. Battery optimization and access to «Look for» should also appear.
There is a possibility that the AirPods 4 house the new H2 chip instead of the old H1 chip. If so, we could see improvements like increased power efficiency and processing power for some of the features Apple unveiled during WWDC 2023.
The H2 chip could power custom volume in the AirPods 4. Custom volume will learn our listening habits based on volume levels you manually enable in specific environmental settings. Once it knows your preferences, the headphones will make the appropriate adjustments on the fly.
Apple also mentioned conversational awareness and adaptive audio at WWDC. You don’t expect to see them on the AirPods 4 because they’re features that boost noise cancellation, which standard AirPods don’t have, at least to date.
Sound and call quality
AirPods have never been the best headphones when it comes to sound quality. However, Apple’s adaptive equalizer should reappear on AirPods 4, which adjusts the low and midrange frequencies in real time for a better experience. Adaptive equalization works at all times, regardless of the operating system.
If Apple wants to stay cheap, it’s unlikely the AirPods 4’s mic quality will be any better than the AirPods 3’s. Admittedly, Apple’s headphone mics have always been its Achilles heel.
How much will Apple’s AirPods 4 cost?
According to Ming-Chi Kuo, the AirPods 4 might be the most affordable AirPods to date, costing around $99. Jeff Pu agrees that the AirPods 4 aka AirPods Lite could compete with more affordable headphones on the market.
This would be a big change for Apple, as its cheapest AirPods debuted at $159.
Conclusion
Here’s what we expect to see in Apple’s next headphones. A longer battery life, taking AirPods 3 as a reference, these future headphones could reach reach 7 hours of autonomy.
Apple could opt for a Lightning charging port in the AirPods 4 box if the earphones hit shelves before December 28, 2024.
And perhaps greater durability, if they give residence to dust, surpassing other headphones on the market, with which it would compete on price.
