AirPods 4 Rumors: Everything We Know So Far

Apple introduced the third-generation AirPods nearly three years ago, raising questions about what the company may have in store for the fourth version of the device.

AirPods Fourth Generation Feature Red
The design of the original AirPods persisted through two generations, so the redesign introduced with the third-generation in 2021 may be likely to stick around with the fourth version of the device. There are still at least seven plausible new features that seem likely to come to the next-generation AirPods

Many of the changes and improvements introduced with the third-generation AirPods originated on the first-generation AirPods Pro. As such, it seems likely that many of the upgrades coming to the fourth-generation AirPods will be shaped by the second-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌.

H2 Chip

One of the key aspects the next-generation AirPods are likely to bring over from the second-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌ is the H2 chip. Both the second- and third-generation AirPods currently feature the H1 chip.

Apple says the H2 chip provides an "exceptional acoustic experience" when paired with a new low-distortion audio driver and custom amplifier in the ‌AirPods Pro‌. The ‌‌AirPods Pro‌‌ offer richer bass and clearer sound across a wider range of frequencies partly due to the computational audio improvements facilitated by the H2 chip, so similar enhancements seem highly likely to come to the fourth-generation AirPods.

There could also be improvements to Personalized Spatial Audio, faster pairing and device switching, and persistent battery information thanks to the H2 chip.

Bluetooth 5.3

In the ‌AirPods Pro‌, the H2 chip is accompanied by Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity. Many of Apple's products now feature Bluetooth 5.3, so the fourth-generation AirPods are highly likely to receive this upgrade. Bluetooth 5.3 offers faster and more reliable connectivity with Bluetooth accessories, as well as improved power efficiency, which can contribute to longer battery life.

Longer Battery Life

The H2 chip is more power efficient than the H1 chip in the second- and third-generation AirPods. In the ‌AirPods Pro‌, the H2 chip and Bluetooth 5.3 provide an additional hour and a half of listening time with Active Noise Cancellation enabled compared to the previous generation. Applied to the standard AirPods, this could translate to a battery life increase from five hours to around six and a half hours.

Volume Controls

It is also possible that the AirPods could gain touch-based volume controls like the ‌AirPods Pro‌. To turn the volume up or down, users simply place their thumb on the stem of either AirPod and use their index finger to swipe up or down on the small touch control area.

That being said, Apple could regard on-device volume controls as a high-end feature reserved for the ‌AirPods Pro‌ and AirPods Max, meaning that the fourth-generation AirPods could still miss out on this feature.

Find My Improvements

The MagSafe Charging Case is also likely to get several improvements to integrate more deeply with Find My. The second-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌ introduced two key features in this area: The U1 chip for Precision Tracking and a built-in speaker.

Currently, your iPhone or iPad can help guide you to their location in the ‌Find My‌ app, but this is a limited experience on the current model, simply indicating whether or not they are nearby. The U1 chip would allow your ‌iPhone‌ to show an arrow pointing in the specific direction of your AirPods, an approximate distance telling you how far away they are, and even a message saying if they are located on a different floor.

Similarly, you can currently play a sound on your AirPods to help you find them, but this is played through the earbuds. If the earbuds are inside the charging case, it is likely the sound will be quite muffled. With the latest ‌AirPods Pro‌, Apple added a speaker to the charging case itself, allowing users to more clearly hear a location alert from their AirPods, and even locate the case when it is separate from the earbuds. An identical speaker could come to the standard AirPods in their next iteration.

It is also worth noting that the lanyard loop on the ‌AirPods Pro‌ doubles as an antenna for the U1 chip, so this small feature could also be coming to the next-generation AirPods if they do offer Precision Tracking.

Apple Watch Charger Compatibility

The third-generation AirPods can charge via ‌MagSafe‌, a Qi wireless charger, or a Lightning cable. With its latest ‌AirPods Pro‌ model, Apple added the ability to use an Apple Watch charger as an additional charging method.

Apple does not seem to regard charging technologies as "Pro"-exclusive features, so, as a basic utility, it seems likely that this added charging method will come to the fourth-generation AirPods to provide even more versatility.