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Apple·earbuds

AirPods 4

Marketing claims55
Community reality78

Based on 29 credible posts from Hacker News, Bluesky & YouTube. 19 filtered out as bot-like or off-topic.

Medium confidenceA solid sample; expect small shifts as more owners post. How we score

Scored September 27, 2026

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Owner reviews

Overall owner mood

62% positive (18)21% mixed (6)17% negative (5)

Most owners are happy with it: 62% of 29 reviews are positive and 17% negative. Praise centers on noise cancelling and sound. The most common complaint is battery & charging (4 owners).

What owners like

  • Noise cancelling praised by 7 owners

    “i bought the product with anc and it was my best decision for portable music listening ever”

  • Sound praised by 5 owners

    “the product with noise-cancelling, I’m in love with these things 🥰 the sound is incredible!”

What owners complain about

  • Battery & charging raised by 4 owners

    “idk why i got the the product when i should’ve gotten the airpods pro… the battery life sucks 😭”

  • Sound raised by 3 owners

    “I got the 3 a while ago and while I enjoyed the better sound quality, the buds' shape got bulkier and therefore just didn't me fit well anymore.”

  • Noise cancelling raised by 2 owners

    “This high pitched noise issue happened to me last week using noise cancellation on a flight, but I was using the product (not Pro).”

What owners talk about

  • Noise cancelling7 praise · 2 complain
  • Sound5 praise · 3 complain
  • Battery & charging2 praise · 4 complain
  • Comfort & size1 praise · 1 complain

Built from the reviews themselves — every quote links to the owner who wrote it.

The claims, and the evidence

Owners push back on 3 of 9 marketing claims.

What the brand claims

  • Redesigned for comfortFew owner reports
  • H2 chipFew owner reports
  • Available with Active Noise CancellationOwners agreeNoise cancelling: 7 of 9 positive
  • Personalized Spatial AudioMixedSound: 5 of 8 positive
  • Voice Isolation for clearer calls
  • Up to 5 hours of listening timeOwners disagreeBattery & charging: 2 of 6 positive
  • Up to 30 hours total with the charging caseOwners disagreeBattery & charging: 2 of 6 positive
  • IP54 dust, sweat, and water resistanceFew owner reports
  • USB-C charging caseOwners disagreeBattery & charging: 2 of 6 positive

What owners report

  • “I bought the AirPods 4 with ANC in large part due to the Wireless Charging Case.”

  • “I’m glad the Anker’s worked out for you, but the Soundcore brand almost completely turned me off from Anker. After two weeks the Soundcore buds I had stopped charging. I have limited experience with noise canceling headphones (some circa 2008 active Sony earbuds, and some not-that-great Beats Studio Buds+. On a whim I bought AirPods 4 ANC and I’ve found them way better than I expected. Good enough for airplane noise canceling without the seal of most ear buds. [...] They seamlessly switch from my phone to iPad to Mac. [...] Nothing comes close to matching the convenience and the sound isn’t so bad that I each for something else. [...] Maybe it’s hype, maybe I don’t know what better noise canceling sounds like. [...]”

  • “They fit me perfectly and stay securely and comfortably in my ears no matter what. However, the Airpods 4 battery life is abysmal. [...]”

    after 11 monthsView on YouTube
  • “Owned the Airpods 4 for months now. [...] But I bought some anti slip covers online for them and they don’t fall off as much. The sound itself is great. Nothing ground breaking, but I was happy to get good sound once more. [...] The ANC is decent, but worth having than having NO ANC feature. I only use the Airpods 4 for walking or chilling, but not for running or going to the gym.”

    after 3 monthsView on YouTube
Read all 29 owner reviews

Common AirPods 4 problems

Issues at least two owners independently report.

  • Battery & charging4 mentions

    “They fit me perfectly and stay securely and comfortably in my ears no matter what. However, the Airpods 4 battery life is abysmal. [...]”

    View on YouTube
  • Sound3 mentions

    “I’m glad the Anker’s worked out for you, but the Soundcore brand almost completely turned me off from Anker. After two weeks the Soundcore buds I had stopped charging. I have limited experience with noise canceling headphones (some circa 2008 active Sony earbuds, and some not-that-great Beats Studio Buds+. On a whim I bought AirPods 4 ANC and I’ve found them way better than I expected. Good enough for airplane noise canceling without the seal of most ear buds. [...] They seamlessly switch from my phone to iPad to Mac. [...] Nothing comes close to matching the convenience and the sound isn’t so bad that I each for something else. [...] Maybe it’s hype, maybe I don’t know what better noise canceling sounds like. [...]”

    View on Hacker News
  • Noise cancelling2 mentions

    “This high pitched noise issue happened to me last week using noise cancellation on a flight, but I was using Airpods 4 (not Pro). I think this problem isn't only limited to the Pro models”

    View on Hacker News

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