Amazon has dropped the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation to $134.99, down from $179. That’s a $44 discount and one of the best prices on these earbuds all year, which matters because AirPods 4 mark the first time Apple put functional noise cancellation into its standard line instead of locking it behind the Pro tier.
The $44 premium over the non-ANC model (which costs $99) buys you the H2 chip’s computational audio, technology that actually reduces environmental noise like airplane engines and city traffic before it reaches your ears. Adaptive Audio intelligently blends ANC and Transparency mode depending on your surroundings. Conversation Awareness automatically lowers playback when someone speaks to you. Voice Isolation cleans up your side of calls in loud conditions by isolating your voice and cutting background noise.
All of this was previously exclusive to AirPods Pro. Now it’s available at a midrange price. The redesigned form factor brings a refined contour and shorter stem paired with force sensors for quick control. Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking is standard, along with Adaptive EQ that adjusts sound to your ear shape. Battery life reaches 5 hours per charge with ANC on, or 30 hours total with the case; without ANC, you get 6 hours and 30 hours respectively.
The charging case is the industry’s smallest and supports wireless charging via any Qi-certified charger, an Apple Watch charger, or USB-C. The earbuds are IP54-rated for dust, sweat, and water resistance, so they handle workouts and light rain without issue. If you’re running iOS 27, Apple has finally added custom equalizer controls in Settings, you can now adjust lows, mids, and highs directly instead of being locked into Apple’s presets. Battery time does drop with ANC enabled (4 hours per charge instead of 5, 20 hours with the case instead of 30), which is expected but worth noting if you’re unplugging for a full day without charger access.
At $134.99, you’re paying $44 more than the standard model for noise cancellation that reviewers say brings AirPods 4 genuinely closer to AirPods Pro without the in-ear tip design. If you’ve avoided AirPods because silicone tips don’t fit your ears, this open design with functional ANC is the first real alternative Apple has made. The gap between mid-range and premium has narrowed.
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