AirPods 4 Come With or Without ANC

Apple has announced the 4th-generation AirPods, which come in two versions that look identical but have very different features. As with the AirPods 3, they come with or without a wireless charging case. Both charging case options are now standardized on USB-C, but only the wireless charging version adds a speaker for use with Find My when lost. The pricier model is known as "AirPods 4 with ANC", which — as the name implies — come with Active Noise Cancellation. This includes advanced ANC features like Transparency mode (for hearing a blend of outside noise), Adaptive Audio (intelligent Transparency mode that adapts to a the noise environment), and Conversation Awareness, which lowers media volume when you start speaking to someone. AirPods 4 with ANC will sell for $179. The non-ANC AirPods 4 do not have these features, but sell for just $129. They do still have many new features, including Apple's new H2 chip, a "new acoustic architecture" for better sound, and Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking. They also have AI-powered background noise removal, and the ability to answer yes/no questions from Siri with a head nod. The USB-C case is also now smaller, while maintaining 30 hours of total battery life.