Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation hit new low at $135 as comfort and affordability take centre stage

Apple’s AirPods 4 with ANC are now available for a record-low price of $135 at Amazon, offering a comfortable and affordable alternative to the AirPods Pro, with notable improvements in design and comfort but some trade-offs in battery life.

Apple’s AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation are being sold for $135 at Amazon, a sharp discount on the usual $179 price and the lowest level Macworld says it has seen in months. The promotion puts Apple’s noise-cancelling open-ear earbuds well below the AirPods Pro line, while keeping the focus on comfort and convenience rather than the deeper seal of silicone ear tips.

The appeal is in the design as much as the price. Reviewers at Wareable, SoundGuys and RTINGS have all said the AirPods 4 with ANC are notably comfortable, with Apple’s revised shape and shorter stem helping them sit more securely in the ear. MacRumors also noted that they are the first open-ear AirPods to bring ANC to a sub-$200 tier, which makes them unusual even by Apple’s standards.

Performance is solid, if not class-leading. The H2 chip supports the core audio features, while Adaptive Audio blends noise cancellation and Transparency mode, and Conversation Awareness lowers volume when speech is detected. Independent reviews agree that the ANC is effective for commutes, cafés and other moderate background noise, but it does not match the isolation of in-ear models such as the AirPods Pro 2.

Battery life is the main trade-off. MacWorld says the earbuds last up to four hours with ANC switched on, compared with five hours with it off, and the total rises to as much as 20 hours with the charging case, rather than 30 hours without noise cancellation. For buyers who want Apple integration, a comfortable fit and meaningful noise reduction without paying Pro prices, the current offer is a strong one.