AirPods compared: AirPods 4, AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods Max 2

Ask three people why they returned a pair of earphones and you will get three different answers. One could not stand the feeling of silicone tips in her ears. One could still hear the generator next door. One found that the buds kept falling out on the treadmill.

Apple's AirPods range is really an answer to those three complaints. There are three shapes, and the right one depends less on sound quality, which is good across the board, than on your ears and your day.

The three shapes

• AirPods 4 (September 2024) sit in the outer ear with no tips. Nothing is pushed into the ear canal.
• AirPods Pro 3 (September 2025) seal the ear canal with silicone tips.
• AirPods Max 2 (announced March 2026, on sale in early April) are over-ear headphones that cover the whole ear.

AirPods 4: comfort first

The open design is why people stay loyal to plain AirPods. If tips make your ears ache or itch, especially in heat and humidity, this is the pair you will actually wear all day.

There are two versions. The standard AirPods 4 are for music, podcasts and calls. AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation add noise cancellation, Transparency mode, Adaptive Audio and Conversation Awareness, and their case adds wireless charging and a speaker for Find My.

Be honest about the limits. Noise cancellation on an open design takes the edge off a fan or an office hum, but without a seal it cannot match the Pro. Battery life is rated at up to 5 hours of listening for the standard model, and up to 4 hours with noise cancellation switched on. The case takes the total to about 30 and 20 hours respectively.

Suits: people who dislike tips, office workers who need to hear colleagues, and anyone who takes a lot of calls. AirPods 4

AirPods Pro 3: the all-rounder

If you want quiet, you want a seal, and the Pro 3 have the best noise cancellation Apple has put in earbuds. Five sizes of tip come in the box, so a proper fit is likely. A good fit is also what keeps them in during a run.

Three things set them apart:

1. Hearing health. Pro 3 offer a clinically validated Hearing Test you take with your iPhone, a Hearing Aid feature for mild to moderate hearing loss, and Hearing Protection, which reduces loud sounds around you. Some of these features depend on your region and iPhone software, so check availability on your device.
2. Heart rate during workouts. A sensor in each bud tracks your heart rate in the Fitness app, which is handy if you do not wear a watch.
3. Battery and toughness. Up to 8 hours of listening with noise cancellation on, longer than any earlier AirPods Pro, and an IP57 rating for dust, sweat and water. The case has a speaker and a lanyard loop, which makes it much harder to lose in a car seat.

Suits: commuters, frequent flyers, anyone who works somewhere loud, and people who exercise with music. AirPods Pro 3

AirPods Max 2: for long, quiet listening

AirPods Max 2 keep the aluminium ear cups and mesh canopy of the original, but they now run Apple's H2 chip. That brings features the first Max never had: Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, Voice Isolation for clearer calls, and Live Translation. They charge over USB-C, which also carries lossless audio with a cable.

Battery is rated at up to 20 hours with noise cancellation on, and five minutes of charging gives about an hour and a half. They come in Midnight, Starlight, Blue, Purple and Orange.

The trade-offs are real. They are heavy compared with earbuds, they do not fold up small, and on a hot afternoon in Accra over-ear cushions get warm. They are headphones for a desk, a study or a long flight, not for the gym or the trotro.

Suits: people who listen for hours at a time, work from home, or fly long distances and want the most immersive sound Apple makes. AirPods Max 2

Side by side

• Fit: open (AirPods 4), sealed in-ear (Pro 3), over-ear (Max 2)
• Noise cancellation: optional and modest (AirPods 4 with ANC), strongest in earbuds (Pro 3), strong and immersive (Max 2)
• Hearing Test, Hearing Aid, Hearing Protection: Pro 3 only in this line-up
• Workout heart rate: Pro 3 only
• Listening time per charge: up to 5 hours, or 4 with ANC (AirPods 4); up to 8 hours with ANC (Pro 3); up to 20 hours with ANC (Max 2)
• Best for exercise: Pro 3

How to choose

If you have tried tips before and hated them, buy AirPods 4, with noise cancellation if you commute. If you are not sure, buy AirPods Pro 3; they do the most things well, and the hearing features are worth having even if you never think about them until one day you do. Buy AirPods Max 2 only if you know you want over-ear headphones and will mostly use them sitting down.

One last point about hearing. Whatever you choose, keep the volume where you can still hear someone speak to you from across the room. Your iPhone will warn you when your listening has been loud for too long; it is worth paying attention.