Apple announces $179 AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation

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  The AirPods 4. [credit: Apple ]

Apple announced the fourth-generation AirPods today during its It's Glowtime event. As you can tell from the gallery above, the AirPods 4 look different from their predecessor. They also have Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) if you're willing to pay extra.

Apple said that it mapped and analyzed "thousands" of ear shapes with 3D photogrammetry, laser topography, and other modeling tools to design the AirPods 4's new form. Apple claims the new shape will make for a better fit. The new earbuds appear to have shorter stems. They look more similar to the AirPods Pro now but without the silicone tips. The stems also allow users to play/pause media and end or mute calls with a "quick press," Apple claims, noting a new force sensor.

The new AirPods move from Apple's H1 chip to the H2, which the current AirPods Pro use. Compared to the H1, Apple has said that the H2 is supposed to be up to twice as good at noise cancellation. The fourth-gen AirPods also have a new acoustic architecture that Apple claimed, without getting into much detail, delivers "richer" bass and "clearer" highs.