{"slug":"airpods-4-vs-airpods-3","title":"AirPods 4 vs AirPods 3","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/airpods-4-vs-airpods-3","faqCount":5,"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)."},{"question":"Which model has better microphone quality for calls?","answer":"AirPods 4 has superior call quality thanks to dual-mic noise cancellation that suppresses background noise during calls. Testing shows 30-40% better voice clarity in noisy environments. AirPods 3 uses single-mic design with standard filtering, adequate for quiet settings but noticeably weaker in traffic/cafes."},{"question":"Should I buy AirPods 4 or wait for a price drop on AirPods 3?","answer":"Buy AirPods 4 now. At $129, they offer better value than AirPods 3 at $169—you get active noise cancellation, personalized volume, and a lighter design. AirPods 3 typically discount only $10-15 during sales (to ~$155), still more expensive for fewer features. AirPods 3 only make sense if 6-hour battery (vs 4-hour with ANC) is critical for your use case."}],"faqPageSchema":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/airpods-4-vs-airpods-3#faq","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/airpods-4-vs-airpods-3","name":"AirPods 4 vs AirPods 3 — FAQ","description":"Frequently asked questions about AirPods 4 vs AirPods 3","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#organization","name":"A Versus B"},"isPartOf":{"@type":"Article","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/airpods-4-vs-airpods-3#article"},"mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Is AirPods 4's noise cancellation as good as AirPods Pro?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"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.","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/airpods-4-vs-airpods-3"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Will AirPods 3 battery get worse over time?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"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.","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/airpods-4-vs-airpods-3"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Can I use AirPods 4 with Android?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"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).","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/airpods-4-vs-airpods-3"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Which model has better microphone quality for calls?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"AirPods 4 has superior call quality thanks to dual-mic noise cancellation that suppresses background noise during calls. Testing shows 30-40% better voice clarity in noisy environments. AirPods 3 uses single-mic design with standard filtering, adequate for quiet settings but noticeably weaker in traffic/cafes.","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/airpods-4-vs-airpods-3"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Should I buy AirPods 4 or wait for a price drop on AirPods 3?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Buy AirPods 4 now. At $129, they offer better value than AirPods 3 at $169—you get active noise cancellation, personalized volume, and a lighter design. AirPods 3 typically discount only $10-15 during sales (to ~$155), still more expensive for fewer features. AirPods 3 only make sense if 6-hour battery (vs 4-hour with ANC) is critical for your use case.","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/airpods-4-vs-airpods-3"}}]}}