AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation have dropped back to their Black Friday low of just $99. Amazon’s stock of entry-level AirPods 4 (without ANC) seems depleted, because those earbuds shot up to cost more than their more sophisticated siblings!
With the “regular” AirPods 4 AWOL from holiday sales, you should jump on this deal on AirPods 4 with ANC if you want to gift a pair of Apple’s affordable earbuds.
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AirPods 4 with ANC deal: Way better wireless earbuds than before
Best if you don’t like silicone eartips
AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation
4.0
Apple’s entry-level earbuds add noise cancellation to the mix. They don’t use silicone tips, so some noise seeps in, but features like Adaptive Audio, Transparency Mode and Personalized Spatial Audio make them a winner.
- Excellent sound quality
- Apple’s H2 chip enables advanced features
- USB-C wireless charging case
- Noise cancellation isn’t as good as AirPods Pro 3
AirPods have become practically ubiquitous. Anytime I’m out in public, I see people wearing them. I’m not surprised — there are no better earbuds for iPhone. Audio quality is excellent.
The price used to be high, but the most affordable version of AirPods 4 cost just $129, and the version with ANC in this deal lists for $189.
Why go for Apple’s latest models? Both versions of AirPods 4 received a minor redesign that makes them more comfortable, with a more secure fit. They also offer personalized Spatial Audio. Plus, the charging case moved to USB-C for easier charging. (No more Lightning.)
AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation include many professional-grade features, like Transparency mode, Adaptive Audio and Conversational Awareness. That puts them in close competition with AirPods Pro models than their predecessor was, although the active noise cancellation isn’t as effective without silicone eartips. (Read our review: AirPods 4 deliver better sound and ‘ANC Lite.’)
The extra features bump up the list price … but this steep discount drops the earbuds lower than the regular version without ANC.
The AirPods advantage
Apple’s earbuds aren’t the cheapest wireless earbuds, but they offer a premium experience with iPhone, Mac and iPad. For instance, they seamlessly switch their connection to whatever device you’re currently using, an advantage of the Apple ecosystem.
Buyers should be careful of budget earbuds. Cheap ones sound, well, cheap. High-quality speakers tiny enough to fit inside an ear aren’t a dime a dozen. And long battery life is rare in discount products.
AirPods 4 with ANC deal means you don’t pay full price
As mentioned, the usual price for AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation is $179, but Amazon currently knocks $80 off the cost, making them just $99. That matches their Black Friday/Cyber Monday low. (The Best Buy sale isn’t even close.)
Best if you don’t like silicone eartips
AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation
4.0
Apple’s entry-level earbuds add noise cancellation to the mix. They don’t use silicone tips, so some noise seeps in, but features like Adaptive Audio, Transparency Mode and Personalized Spatial Audio make them a winner.
- Excellent sound quality
- Apple’s H2 chip enables advanced features
- USB-C wireless charging case
- Noise cancellation isn’t as good as AirPods Pro 3
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh Classic II (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer. He’s written for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview, and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
