Apple announced two new AirPods 4 models with a new design at its “Glowtime” event which took place on September 9. The cheaper $129 variant of the AirPods 4 offers up to 24 Hours of Battery Life with the USB-C Charging Case and is powered by the same H2 chip as the AirPods Pro 2, enabling support for 16-bit, 48kHz audio on the base variant. The more expensive $179 AirPods 4 offers even more battery life, with it being 30 Hours with the USB-C Charging Case. The premium variant boasts features like Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency Mode, Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, speakers in the USB-C case for Find My, and more. While you can only charge the $129 variant using a cable, the $179 variant can be charged in multiple ways: USB-C Charging, Wireless Charging, MagSafe Charging, or by using an Apple Watch Charger.
However, Apple has decided to not include a charging cable in the box, which is unlike what they do with all of the other AirPods models. The charging cable is not listed under “What’s in the box”, and Apple has explicitly mentioned “USB-C Charge Cable sold separately” on the comparison page. This move indicates that Apple assumes that users already have a USB-C cable, and if required, customers can buy it separately.
Do note that only the $179 AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation offers other ways of charging too, such as Qi Wireless charging or by using an Apple Watch Charger, so if you’re planning to buy the $129 base AirPods 4, you will need to buy a charging cable if you do not already have one.
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