Any time that the best Apple AirPods are discounted is cause for celebration. Price drops are so rare that customers almost always end up having to pay full price for them. One such product that is bucking the trend, though, is the AirPods 4 with ANC. We saw them drop to £164 during Black Friday and now, for only £2 more, you can get them for £166 at Amazon.
These 4th-generation AirPods retail at £179 and offer a beautiful blend of standard 'open' design with surprisingly effective noise-cancelling technology. Alongside heaps of iOS features and improved sound, this is one hot deal.
The latest Apple wireless earbuds sound clearer and more detailed, powerful and rhythmically capable than all previous versions. If we're being critical then we'd like to hear a bit more expressive dynamics and solidity, but its sonic profile hews pretty close to our favourite Apple earbuds.
Even more impressive is that Apple has successfully implemented noise-cancelling in an eartip-less design. These 'Pods won't completely cocoon you in silence; but they specifically target low-level noise – traffic and engine rumbles, kitchen exhaust fans and the like – and these noises melt away effectively.
You'll still hear high-pitched noises and office chatter come through, but the noise-blocking level is ideal for "those who love a tip-less earbuds design, and want to hear music clearly just enough to enjoy but still be aware of their surroundings", as we said in our full review.
These earbuds have a comfortable, lightweight design with the only downside being the comparatively poor battery life. You get four to five hours on a single charge, but the charging case (now equipped with USB-C) will give you 30 hours in total.
Features such as personalised spatial audio, adaptive audio, conversation mode and many more features are now available to the AirPods 4 (for iOS users only, naturally) and overall the buds are easy to use and easy to recommend for those wanting new AirPods.
MORE:
Read our fullAirPods with ANC review
Shop thebest wireless earbuds
Set on Apple tech? Browse ourbest AirPods guide