AirPods 4: No MagSafe magnet, but compatible with Apple Watch puck
Fresh information about the new AirPods 4 is online. There are some strengths, but also weaknesses – for example in the power supply.
AirPods 4 with charging via Apple Watch charging puck.
(Image: Apple)
In addition to the iPhone 16 and Apple Watch Series 10, new AirPods models are also available from Friday. Generation 4 brings improved sound, Apple's latest H2 chip and, if desired, Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), although this costs extra. Apple charges 149 and 199 euros respectively. Shortly before availability, fresh details have now emerged –, including the charging behavior and operation, which has changed slightly.
Reaching for the charging puck
In contrast to the predecessor AirPods 3, the AirPods 4 apparently lack the integrated magnetic ring. In practice, this means that although the earbuds can be charged using MagSafe, they regularly slip off the charger if it is set up at an angle and not flat on the table. What does work, however, is the charging puck of the Apple Watch: its integrated magnet fits exactly on the narrower housing of the AirPods 4.
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However, it is reported that the holding pressure only works with the ANC version of the AirPods 4; the version without noise suppression apparently does not have enough metal on the back. Here too, the solution is to place the respective charger flat on the table and position the AirPods 4 precisely so that they cannot slip away too easily. Apple does not specify whether the AirPods 4 support Qi charging, but this seems to be the case.
Well-hidden operation
Apple has also made some changes to the controls. For example, the setup button is now well hidden and no longer physical. Instead, it is a capacitive area that is located below the (also normally hidden) LED. This triggers the pairing process as well as a reset of the AirPods 4 if this becomes necessary.
Apple's latest H2 audio chip is installed in both AirPods 4 models. However, this only enables adaptive audio and conversation detection in the ANC model –, which are missing in the standard earbuds. However, voice isolation and personalized 3D audio with dynamic head tracking support these. As with the AirPods Pro, the AirPods 4 with ANC also have a transparency mode to perceive the environment.
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