{"slug":"airpods-4-vs-airpods-3","question":"AirPods 4 vs AirPods 3","answer":"AirPods 4 introduce active noise cancellation and improved audio processing for $129, while AirPods 3 remain at $169 without ANC but offer solid sound quality. AirPods 4 represent better value for most users seeking noise cancellation at a lower price point.","answer_curated":true,"verdict":"Choose AirPods 4 if you prioritize active noise cancellation, want better value for money, and appreciate personalized volume features—the $40 price advantage and ANC capability make them the smarter choice for most users. Choose AirPods 3 if you prefer longer single-charge battery life (6 hours vs 4), already own AirPods 2/Pro, or don't need noise cancellation and can justify the higher price for marginal comfort improvements.","keyDifferences":[{"label":"Active Noise Cancellation","winner":"a","entityAValue":"Yes (with ANC mode)","entityBValue":"No (Adaptive Audio only)"},{"label":"Launch Price","winner":"a","entityAValue":"$129 USD","entityBValue":"$169 USD"},{"label":"Battery Life (Single Charge)","winner":"b","entityAValue":"4 hours (ANC on), 6 hours (ANC off)","entityBValue":"6 hours (consistent)"},{"label":"Adaptive Audio Feature","winner":"tie","entityAValue":"Yes (Conversation Awareness, Automatic Switching)","entityBValue":"Yes (Conversation Awareness, Automatic Switching)"},{"label":"Audio Codec","winner":"tie","entityAValue":"AAC, SBC (Bluetooth 5.3)","entityBValue":"AAC, SBC (Bluetooth 5.3)"}],"winner":null,"confidence":"high","entities":[{"name":"AirPods 4","slug":"airpods-4","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/entity/airpods-4","alternativesUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/alternatives/airpods-4"},{"name":"AirPods 3","slug":"airpods-3","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/entity/airpods-3","alternativesUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/alternatives/airpods-3"}],"faqs":[{"question":"Is AirPods 4's noise cancellation as good as AirPods Pro?","answer":"No. AirPods 4 uses single-mic ANC that reduces ambient noise by approximately 50-60%, while AirPods Pro (dual-mic, H2 chip) achieve 70-75% noise reduction with superior passive isolation. AirPods 4 is better than AirPods 3's zero ANC, but doesn't match Pro-level performance."},{"question":"Will AirPods 3 battery get worse over time?","answer":"Yes, like all lithium-ion batteries. After 500 charge cycles, expect 20% battery degradation (approximately 5 hours per charge instead of 6). AirPods 4 may degrade to 3.2 hours with ANC after 500 cycles based on similar battery chemistry."},{"question":"Can I use AirPods 4 with Android?","answer":"Yes, but with limitations. Basic audio playback works via Bluetooth 5.3, but Personalized Volume, Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, and firmware updates require iOS 18.1+. AirPods 3 have identical Android constraints minus Personalized Volume (which didn't exist on AirPods 3)."}],"attribution":{"source":"A Versus B","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/airpods-4-vs-airpods-3","license":"CC BY 4.0","citationFormat":"According to A Versus B (https://www.aversusb.net/compare/airpods-4-vs-airpods-3), AirPods 4 introduce active noise cancellation and improved audio processing for $129, while AirPods 3 remain at $169 without ANC but offer solid sound quality. AirPods 4 represent better value for mos","dateModified":"2026-07-02T16:08:16.206Z"},"relatedQuestionsUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/faq/airpods-4-vs-airpods-3","relatedComparisonsUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/related/airpods-4-vs-airpods-3","knowledgeGraphUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/knowledge-graph/airpods-4-vs-airpods-3","claimReviewSchema":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ClaimReview","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/airpods-4-vs-airpods-3#claimreview","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/airpods-4-vs-airpods-3","claimReviewed":"AirPods 4 vs AirPods 3","reviewBody":"AirPods 4 introduce active noise cancellation and improved audio processing for $129, while AirPods 3 remain at $169 without ANC but offer solid sound quality. AirPods 4 represent better value for most users seeking noise cancellation at a lower price point.","datePublished":"2026-07-02T16:08:15.480Z","dateModified":"2026-07-02T16:08:16.206Z","reviewRating":{"@type":"Rating","ratingValue":5,"worstRating":1,"bestRating":5,"alternateName":"High Confidence"},"author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#organization","name":"A Versus B","url":"https://www.aversusb.net"},"itemReviewed":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/airpods-4-vs-airpods-3","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/airpods-4-vs-airpods-3","name":"AirPods 4 vs AirPods 3"}}}