Apple’s recent unveiling at the September Glowtime event highlighted significant updates across its AirPods lineup. CEO Tim Cook introduced the event, followed by VP of Hardware Engineering Kate Bergeron, who detailed the advancements. There were expectations that the AirPods Max, which had not seen an update in four years, would be prominently featured.
However, the primary focus was on the AirPods 4, Apple’s most affordable model priced at $129, with an option for noise cancellation at an additional cost of $50. The AirPods 4 now integrates the advanced H2 chip, first introduced in the AirPods Pro 2 in 2022.
The H2 chip brings substantial improvements, such as enhanced noise cancellation capabilities, superior sound quality, and various intelligent features. According to Apple’s press release, these enhancements include improved user interactions during calls, advanced Siri functionalities, and machine-learning capabilities. Bergeron highlighted several features during the event, such as nodding or shaking one’s head to interact with Siri, Adaptive Audio, which adjusts noise cancellation based on the environment, and Conversation Awareness, which modulates audio during conversations.
Additional features of the H2 chip in the AirPods 4 include Personalized Audio, more efficient “Siri” summoning commands, and Voice Isolation for clearer calls.
Despite these advancements, the AirPods Max, which still utilize the older H1 chip, received only minor updates. Apple added new colors and a USB-C connection but did not incorporate the H2 chip enhancements, leaving the AirPods Max as the least technically advanced in the lineup.