Apple today unveiled a new lineup of AirPods models and features. AirPods Max now come in midnight, starlight, blue, purple, and orange, and offer USB-C charging for more convenience.
Unlike in previous years, there are two different models of the Apple AirPods 4; one with active noise cancellation and the other without.
This fall, AirPods Pro 2 will introduce the world’s first end-to-end hearing health experience, delivering active Loud Sound Reduction, a scientifically validated Hearing Test, and a clinical-grade Hearing Aid feature.
AirPods 4 and AirPods Max will be available to pre-order starting today, with availability in stores beginning Friday, September 20. New hearing health features will be available this fall for AirPods Pro 2 users in more than 100 countries and regions.
“With AirPods 4, customers can enjoy Active Noise Cancellation and the most advanced audio experience ever in an open-ear design,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering.
“And with a revolutionary update to the world’s best-selling headphones, AirPods Pro will deliver groundbreaking new capabilities — including Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features — to help more than a billion people affected by hearing loss.”
AirPods 4
AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with ANC, offering a brand-new fit and an array of powerful features and capabilities.
Delivering a massive improvement in sound quality, AirPods 4 feature an entirely new acoustic architecture, low-distortion driver, and high dynamic range amplifier, and add Personalised Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking for the most immersive media experience.
With the H2 chip, AirPods 4 unlock intelligent audio experiences only Apple silicon can deliver, such as Voice Isolation, enabling clearer call quality no matter the environmental conditions, and Siri Interactions, allowing users to simply nod their head yes or gently shake their head no to respond to Siri announcements.
For even more control, AirPods 4 also feature a new force sensor on the stem to play or pause media and mute or end calls with a quick press. Thanks to the H2 chip, AirPods 4 are also great for gaming, delivering low wireless audio latency and excellent voice quality when chatting with teammates and other players, including support for 16-bit, 48kHz audio.
For additional convenience, the charging case now offers USB-C charging and is more than 10 percent smaller in volume than its predecessor — all while still delivering up to 30 hours of battery life.
In addition to a USB-C charging cable, customers that choose AirPods 4 with ANC can charge using an Apple Watch charger or Qi-certified charger, and at just 50mm wide, the charging case is the smallest in the industry with wireless charging capabilities.
AirPods 4 Bring ANC to an Open-Ear Fit
For the first time, AirPods 4 bring ANC to an open-ear design with an additional model. With upgraded microphones, the power of the H2 chip, and advanced computational audio, AirPods 4 with ANC help to reduce environmental noise like airplane engines, city traffic, and more.
Working across hardware and software to deliver the most natural listening experience, AirPods 4 with ANC also introduce intelligent features like Transparency mode to keep users aware of their environment; Adaptive Audio, which dynamically blends Transparency mode and ANC based on the conditions of a user’s environment; and Conversation Awareness, which lowers the user’s media volume when they start speaking to someone nearby.
AirPods Max Get Five New Colours
AirPods Max are available in five new colours, including midnight, starlight, blue, orange, and purple, and offer complementary finishes alongside other Apple products like Mac and iPad.
Additionally, AirPods Max now feature USB-C charging capabilities, making them more convenient than ever to charge at home or on the go.
AirPods Pro 2
Approximately 1.5 billion people around the world are living with hearing loss, according to the World Health Organization. Building on years of work in hearing health — including the Noise app on Apple Watch, headphone audio levels with iPhone, hearing accessibility features, and the Apple Hearing Study — Apple is introducing an end-to-end experience focused on prevention, awareness, and assistance.
Prevention
According to the Apple Hearing Study, one in three people are regularly exposed to loud environmental noise levels that can impact their hearing. That can include common scenarios like taking the subway while commuting, mowing the lawn at home, attending a sporting event, and many more.
In order to help users prevent exposure to loud environmental noise while preserving the sound signature of what they’re listening to, Loud Sound Reduction comes to AirPods Pro. The ear tips help to provide passive noise reduction, while the H2 chip helps to actively reduce louder, more intermittent noise at 48,000 times per second.
On by default across all listening modes, Loud Sound Reduction is helpful in a variety of loud settings. Plus, with an all-new multiband high dynamic range algorithm, sounds at live events like concerts remain natural and vibrant so users don’t miss a beat.
Awareness
Apple is also introducing a scientifically validated Hearing Test feature with AirPods Pro and a compatible iPhone or iPad, expanding the ability for users to quickly check their hearing from the comfort of their home in minutes.
The test is simple to take, utilizes a standard clinical approach called pure-tone audiometry, leverages advanced acoustic science, and provides users with an interactive experience. When a user completes the test, they will see an easy-to-understand summary of their results in a personalised hearing profile for AirPods Pro, which is stored privately and securely in their Health app.
Users can also share these results with their healthcare providers for more informed conversations.
Assistance
“Hearing health is an essential part of our overall wellbeing, yet it can often be overlooked — in fact, according to the Apple Hearing Study, a staggering 75 percent of people diagnosed with hearing loss go untreated,” said Sumbul Desai, M.D., Apple’s vice president of Health.
“We’re thrilled to provide breakthrough software features with AirPods Pro that put users’ hearing health front and center, bringing new ways to help test for and receive assistance for hearing loss.”
AirPods Pro also add an innovative, over-the-counter Hearing Aid capability for users with mild to moderate hearing loss. Using the personalised hearing profile from the Hearing Test, this new feature seamlessly transforms AirPods Pro into a clinical-grade hearing aid.
After setup, the feature enables personalised dynamic adjustments so users have the sounds around them boosted in real time. This helps users better engage in conversation and keeps them connected to the people and environment around them. With the incredible audio quality of AirPods Pro, the user’s personalised hearing profile is automatically applied to music, movies, games, and phone calls across their devices without needing to adjust any settings.
This first-of-its-kind software-based Hearing Aid feature brings users the ability to fine-tune their experience at any time, making access to hearing assistance easier than ever at an approachable price point. Users can also set up the Hearing Aid feature with an audiogram created by a hearing health professional.
Both the Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features are grounded in science and were validated through rigorous scientific studies. The Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features are expected to receive marketing authorisation from global health authorities soon, and will be available this fall in more than 100 countries and regions, including the United States, Germany, and Japan.
After taking the Hearing Test, users can also use their hearing profile to personalise the AirPods Pro listening experience. This benefits even more people, including those with little to no hearing loss, who can take advantage of specific adjustments at individual frequencies.
To help provide the best listening experience, Media Assist is an all-new feature that helps boost certain parts of speech on a phone call or instruments within a soundtrack to help an even broader population.
Pricing and Availability
Customers can now pre-order AirPods 4 for £129 from apple.com/uk/store and in the Apple Store app in the and more than 58 other countries and regions, with availability beginning Friday, September 20.
Customers can now pre-order AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation for £179 from apple.com/uk/store and in the Apple Store app in the UK and more than 58 other countries and regions, with availability beginning Friday, September 20.
New hearing health features will be available this fall for AirPods Pro 2 customers in a free software update when paired with iPhone or iPad running iOS 18 or iPadOS 18.
AirPods Pro 2 are available for £229 from apple.com/uk/store and in the Apple Store app today.
Customers can now pre-order AirPods Max with USB-C charging for £499 from apple.com/uk/store and in the Apple Store app in the UK and more than 60 other countries and regions, with availability beginning Friday, September 20.
New subscribers can get Apple Music free for three months with the purchase of any AirPods, AirPods Pro, or AirPods Max.
