Earbuds / Compare
Apple AirPods 2 vs Apple AirPods 4
Product A: Apple
76 of 166 known
Change Apple AirPods 2
Compare the Apple AirPods 4 with
Product B: Apple
76 of 166 known
Change Apple AirPods 4
58 of 157 fields differ
- 27 different values
- 31 known for one only
- 26 the same
- 73 missing for both
Biggest differences
Each bar uses the scale of all 138 earbuds.
- Quick chargeA: 3hB: 1hAirPods 2 is 3 times higher.
- With caseA: 24hB: 30hAirPods 4 is 6 h higher.
Size, drawn to scale
Front and side.
- AAirPods 2: 16.5 × 40.5 mm
- BAirPods 4: 18.3 × 30.2 mm
Weight
0 to 80 g
Weight per bud
A4g
B4.3g
Case weight
A40g
B32.3g
All 166 fields
Every value links to where we found it.


General
5 of 8 differ
Series
Model numbers
A2031, A2032, A1938, MRXJ2AM/A2Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/109525Read 5 October 2026Identify your AirPods: A2031/A2032 are second-generation earbuds introduced in 2019. A1938 is the 2019 Qi-compatible Wireless Charging Case. A1602 and later case generations are not represented.20Retailer pagenissei.com/br/fone-de-ouvido-apple-airpods-com-estojo-de-recarga-sem-fio-mrxj2am-aRead 7 October 2026Retailer title and Part Number row: MRXJ2AM/A wireless-case package. Physical earbud A2031/A2032 and A1938 case identifiers retained.
A3053, A3050, A3054, A3058, MXP63LL/A4Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/109525Read 5 October 2026Exact generation heading names the earbuds. Charging case heading gives A3058. No sibling generation or case revision is included.16Maker spec sheet (PDF)apple.com/education/purchase/contracts/docs/NASPO_PSS_Apple_Branded.pdfRead 7 October 2026Apple US NASPO price catalogue, Accessories row MXP63LL/A names AirPods 4. Separate MXP93LL/A row explicitly names AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation. Only standard USB-C case hardware is retained.
GTIN / EAN
Announced
Predecessor
Apple AirPods 13Press releaseapple.com/newsroom/2019/03/airpods-the-worlds-most-popular-wireless-headphones-are-getting-even-betterRead 5 October 2026Apple's March 2019 release announces the second generation of AirPods and compares it with first generation AirPods.
Apple AirPods 333Reviewrtings.com/headphones/reviews/apple/airpods-4-truly-wirelessRead 23 October 2026RTINGS calls the AirPods 4 without noise cancelling the successor to the AirPods 3rd generation.34Reviewrtings.com/headphones/reviews/apple/airpods-3rd-generation-truly-wirelessRead 23 October 2026RTINGS says the AirPods 3 were replaced by the AirPods 4.
Successor
Apple AirPods 331Reviewrtings.com/headphones/reviews/apple/airpods-3rd-generation-truly-wirelessRead 23 October 2026RTINGS says the AirPods 3 follow the AirPods 2nd generation.32Press releaseapple.com/newsroom/2021/10/introducing-the-next-generation-of-airpodsRead 23 October 2026Apple's October 2021 release announces the third generation of AirPods and cuts the price of AirPods 2nd generation.
Apple AirPods 5 (USB-C Charging Case)33Reviewrtings.com/headphones/reviews/apple/airpods-4-truly-wirelessRead 23 October 2026RTINGS marks the AirPods 4 as replaced by the AirPods 5.35Reviewsoundguys.com/apple-airpods-5-review-163483Read 23 October 2026SoundGuys says the AirPods 5 replace the AirPods 4 as the entry point into Apple's lineup.
Launch price (US)
Launch price (EU)
Not available
Markets
Colours
Design
0 of 4 differ
Form factor
Bud shape
Use one bud alone
RGB lighting
Not available
Not available
Drivers and sound
7 of 17 differ
Drivers per bud
AApple AirPods 2
Not availableDriver type
Not available
Not available
Driver size
Not available
Not available
Drivers per bud
Not available
1
Diaphragm material
Not available
Not available
Frequency response
Not available
Not available
Sensitivity
Not available
Not available
Sensitivity reference
Not available
Not available
Max sample rate
Not available
Not available
Max bit depth
Not available
Not available
Adaptive EQ
Personalised sound
Not available
Not available
Onboard EQ
Not available
Yes8Owner's manualsupport.apple.com/en-euro/guide/airpods/te819024i19r/webRead 5 October 2026Custom EQ settings are stored on the AirPods and carry across paired devices. Model eligibility is confirmed by the linked supported-model list.9Owner's manualsupport.apple.com/en-euro/guide/airpods/aside/glosrqz3g8xj/27/web/27Read 5 October 2026
Custom EQ bands
Not available
38Owner's manualsupport.apple.com/en-euro/guide/airpods/te819024i19r/webRead 5 October 2026Current guide is for iOS 27, iPadOS 27 and macOS 27. Three adjustable bands on eligible AirPods 4 and Pro 2.9Owner's manualsupport.apple.com/en-euro/guide/airpods/aside/glosrqz3g8xj/27/web/27Read 5 October 2026Supported list explicitly includes AirPods 4 both models and AirPods Pro 2. Requires current compatible Apple software.
EQ presets
Not available
Volume limit
Not available
Not available
Spatial audio
2 of 2 differ
Spatial audio
Not available
Personalized Spatial Audio1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/121203Read 5 October 2026
Head tracking
Noise cancelling
0 of 11 differ
Active noise cancelling
ANC type
Not available
Not available
ANC microphones in both earbuds
Not available
Not available
Adaptive ANC
Not available
Not available
ANC levels
Not available
Not available
ANC attenuation (claimed)
Not available
Not available
Transparency mode
Adjustable transparency
Not available
Not available
Automatic ANC and transparency blend
Conversation detection
Wind noise reduction
Not available
Not available
Measured
8 of 23 differ
Frequency response notes (measured)
Measured response has reduced sub-bass and emphasized midrange. The unsealed fit limits low-frequency reproduction.14Reviewsoundguys.com/apple-airpods-review-11072Read 5 October 2026Exact model lab curve and discussion. Fixture, target revision, firmware and frequency-test codec unstated. No graph points or rating converted into numerical dB.
Not available
Bass amount (measured)
Not available
Not available
Treble amount (measured)
Not available
Not available
Deviation from target (measured)
Not available
Not available
Consistency between fittings (measured)
Not available
Not available
Harmonic distortion (measured)
Not available
Not available
Sound leakage (measured)
Not available
Not available
Noise isolation (measured)
Not available
Not available
Noise isolation, best (measured)
Not available
Not available
Passive isolation (measured)
Not available
Not available
Call quality notes (measured)
Recorded speech samples cover quiet, street and windy conditions. The review finds voice pickup usable for conference calls.14Reviewsoundguys.com/apple-airpods-review-11072Read 5 October 2026Published ideal/street/windy demos. Recording firmware and codec unstated.
iPhone Voice Memos recordings reject background noise but sometimes also cut out the voice.30Measurementsoundguys.com/apple-airpods-4-review-124236Read 7 October 2026Standard non-ANC sample. Review recordings use an iPhone Voice Memos app and ideal, office, street, windy and reverberant scenes. Text states background rejection is fairly good but occasionally the algorithm cuts the voice. iPhone model, codec and firmware are not specified. This is the tested host-side Voice Isolation path, not universal Android behavior.
Mic low-frequency extension (measured)
Not available
Not available
Mic high-frequency extension (measured)
Not available
Not available
Mic speech-to-noise ratio (measured)
Not available
Not available
Latency (measured)
AApple AirPods 2
| Connection | Platform | Latency (ms) |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | iOS | 178 |
BApple AirPods 4
Not availableBluetooth latency, worst (measured)
178ms
Not available
2.4 GHz latency, worst (measured)
Not available
Not available
Latency in game mode (measured)
Not available
Not available
Battery life (measured)
AApple AirPods 2
| ANC | Codec | Hours (h) |
|---|---|---|
| No | AAC | 4.12 |
Longest tested use per charge
4.12h
6.35h
Battery life with case (measured)
Not available
Not available
Full charge time (measured)
30min23Measurementrtings.com/headphones/reviews/apple/airpods-2nd-generation-truly-wirelessRead 7 October 2026Public Commute/Travel verdict says earbuds take 30 minutes to fully charge. RTINGS tested Qi-case variant, Methodology 1.5, review updated 2021. Charge method defines 0 to 100 using LED time-lapse with no playback load. Firmware, case initial charge, adapter and ambient temperature unstated. This is earbuds charge, not empty-case charge.24Measurementrtings.com/headphones/tests/active-features/battery-lifeRead 7 October 2026Charge Time method: empty to full, time-lapse LED monitoring, no load while charging. Method documented separately from the model's publicly stated 30 minute result. Full lab result blocks were not accessed.
Not available
Weight per bud (measured)
Not available
Microphones and calls
3 of 7 differ
Voice microphones in both earbuds
Not available
Not available
All microphones in both earbuds
Not available
Bone conduction voice sensor
Not available
Not available
Mic noise reduction
Not available
Call audio bandwidth
Not available
Not available
Mic mute control
Not available
Sidetone
Not available
Not available
Connectivity
6 of 18 differ
Chip
Connections
Bluetooth
Bluetooth codecs
Bluetooth profiles
Not available
LE Audio
Not available
Not available
Auracast
Not available
Not available
Multipoint
Not available
Multipoint devices
Not available
Not available
Multipoint with LDAC
Not available
Not available
Paired devices remembered
Not available
Not available
Automatic switching between own devices
Fast pairing
Audio sharing
Wireless range (claimed)
Not available
Not available
Wireless receiver
Not available
Receiver connector
Not available
Not available
Simultaneous 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth audio
Not available
Latency
None of 3 known
Low latency mode
Not available
Not available
Claimed latency
Not available
Not available
Lowest claimed latency
Not available
Not available
Compatibility
2 of 4 differ
Platforms
iOS, macOS, Android8Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/108786Read 5 October 2026
iOS, macOS, Android1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/121203Read 5 October 202614Owner's manualsupport.apple.com/en-euro/guide/airpods/dev499c9718b/webRead 5 October 2026Android setup explicitly covers AirPods 3, AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2. Audio and calls supported, Siri unavailable on non-Apple devices.
Connection per platform
AApple AirPods 2
| Platform | Connection | Microphone works |
|---|---|---|
| iOS | Bluetooth | Not available |
| macOS | Bluetooth | Not available |
| Android | Bluetooth | Yes |
BApple AirPods 4
| Platform | Connection | Microphone works |
|---|---|---|
| iOS | Bluetooth | Yes |
| macOS | Bluetooth | Yes |
Features that need a specific device
AApple AirPods 2
| Feature | Needs |
|---|---|
| Headphone Accommodations and Custom Audio Setup | Supported iPhone or iPad with iOS or iPadOS 14 or later. Settings > Accessibility > Audio & Visual > Headphone Accommodations. |
BApple AirPods 4
| Feature | Needs |
|---|---|
| Personalized Spatial Audio profile | iPhone with TrueDepth camera. Compatible content, hardware and software. |
| Custom three-band EQ | Compatible iPhone or iPad with iOS 27 or iPadOS 27, or Mac with macOS 27. Current AirPods firmware. |
| Audio Sharing | Supported iPhone or iPad and a compatible second pair of AirPods or Beats. |
| Headphone Accommodations presets and preference-based setup | Compatible Apple host software. These are host accessibility audio settings. |
| Lossless Audio with ultra-low latency | Apple Vision Pro and current supported software. Uses a proprietary wireless audio protocol. Availability varies by region. |
Source1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/121203Read 5 October 20268Owner's manualsupport.apple.com/en-euro/guide/airpods/te819024i19r/webRead 5 October 202632Owner's manualsupport.apple.com/guide/airpods/pair-airpods-with-an-apple-device-dev7c85810f2/webRead 7 October 2026Existing requirements retained. Current maker guide explicitly includes AirPods 4 for Vision Pro Lossless Audio with ultra-low latency using a proprietary wireless protocol. No unreported sample rate, bit depth or latency number is added. Other appended requirements follow the directly cited sharing and accommodations guides.
Official licence
Not available
Not available
Battery and charging
5 of 13 differ
Battery per bud
Not available
Not available
User-replaceable earbud battery
Not available
Not available
Claimed battery life
AApple AirPods 2
| Mode | Includes case recharges | Hours (h) |
|---|---|---|
| ANC off | No | 5 |
| ANC off | Yes | 24 |
| Call | No | 3 |
Source1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/111856Read 5 October 2026Up to 5 h earbuds-only. More than 24 h including case, stored as a lower bound of 24. Maker February 2019 preproduction test paired iPhone Xs Max, 50% volume, 358 iTunes tracks encoded at 256 kbps AAC. File encoding does not establish transmitted Bluetooth codec, so codec omitted. Playback ends when the first earbud stops. Case-inclusive test repeats recharge and playback to empty.28Maker product pageapple.com/eg/airpods-2nd-generation/specsRead 7 October 2026AirPods battery row explicitly up to 3 hours talk time from one earbud charge. Only earbuds-only call row used. This is same A2031/A2032 hardware as the wireless-case package. Page case-inclusive 18 h is labeled Lightning case and is not borrowed for A1938. Test call conditions not exposed in this readable page. No codec, volume, host or firmware inferred.
BApple AirPods 4
| Mode | Includes case recharges | Hours (h) |
|---|---|---|
| ANC off | No | 5 |
| ANC off | Yes | 30 |
| Call | No | 4.5 |
| Call | Yes | 20 |
Source1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/121203Read 5 October 2026Battery and footnotes 10 and 11. AAC playlist, 50% volume, Spatial Audio off, iPhone 16 Pro Max. Five hours earbuds only and 30 hours including case.31Maker product pageapple.com/bh/airpods-4/specsRead 7 October 2026Standard AirPods 4 section gives up to 4.5 h talk per earbud charge and up to 20 h including USB-C case. July/August 2024 preproduction standard A4 with preproduction iPhone 16 Pro Max, prerelease software, 50% volume, Spatial Audio off, cellular phone call until first bud stops. Case-inclusive test repeats charge cycles until both case and earbuds empty. Call codec not specified. Existing music rows retained. ANC edition rows excluded.
Longest claimed use per charge
5h
5h
Playback per charge with ANC (claimed)
Not available
Not available
Playback per charge without ANC (claimed)
5h
5h
Total with case (claimed)
24h
30h
Total with case and ANC (claimed)
Not available
Not available
Talk time (claimed)
3h
4.5h
Full charge time, buds
Not available
Not available
Charging guidance
Not available
Not available
Quick charge time
Earbud playback after quick charge
Charging case
5 of 10 differ
Case battery
345mAh11Press articlemacrumors.com/2024/10/02/airpods-4-teardown-ifixitRead 5 October 2026Exact non-ANC teardown paragraph reports 345 mAh case cell. Not an earbud capacity.19Review52audio.com/archives/214334.htmlRead 7 October 2026Exact A3058 case and PWGL4 battery label: rated 345 mAh, nominal 3.852 V, rated energy 1.329 Wh. Existing value is unchanged and now has directly identified label evidence. Earbud A3087 cell is 32.1 mAh and is not rounded into the integer field.
User-replaceable case battery
Not available
Not available
Case charging port
Case full charge time
Not available
Not available
Wireless charging
Wireless standards
Not available
Wireless charging power
Not available
Not available
Screen on case
Not available
Not available
Case works as audio transmitter
Not available
Not available
Controls
2 of 5 differ
Controls
Pressure, Head gestures, Voice commands6Owner's manualsupport.apple.com/en-euro/guide/airpods/devb2c431317/webRead 5 October 2026Model-specific controls section. Force sensor on stem. Pro 2 adds volume swipe. AirPods 4 and Pro 2 support head gestures with Announce Calls and Announce Notifications enabled.
Earbud volume control
Voice6Owner's manualsupport.apple.com/en-euro/guide/airpods/devb2c431317/webRead 5 October 202615Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/102628Read 5 October 2026Control audio with AirPods Pro 1, AirPods 3, AirPods 4 (both models), or AirPods 5. Explicit Siri volume commands. Requires compatible Apple device and Siri availability.
Gestures
Single press, Double press, Triple press, Press and hold, Nod or shake head6Owner's manualsupport.apple.com/en-euro/guide/airpods/devb2c431317/webRead 5 October 2026
Remappable controls
Sensors and health
3 of 9 differ
In-ear detection
Sensors
Dual optical sensors, Motion-detecting accelerometer, Speech-detecting accelerometer1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/111856Read 5 October 2026Published sensor types. Dual beamforming microphones lack an explicit per-earbud count scope, so no physical microphone count is inferred. A speech-detecting accelerometer is not proof of a bone-conduction sensor.
Optical in-ear sensor, Motion-detecting accelerometer, Speech-detecting accelerometer, Force sensor1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/121203Read 5 October 2026
Heart rate sensor
Not available
Not available
Skin temperature sensing
Not available
Not available
Medical clearances
Not available
Not available
Hearing test
Not available
Not available
Hearing protection
Not available
Health features
Not available
Not available
Fit and durability
3 of 7 differ
Ear tips included
Not available
Not available
Ear tip materials
Not available
Not available
Ear tip fit test
Not available
Not available
Dust and water rating, buds
Not available
Dust and water rating, case
Not available
Water resistance depth
Not available
Not available
Software
1 of 6 differ
Companion app
Not available
Not available
App platforms
Not available
Not available
User firmware updates
Finding network
Precision finding
Dimensions and weight
4 of 4 differ
Weight per bud
Bud dimensions
Width16.5Height40.5Depth18mm(0.6 × 1.6 × 0.7 in)1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/111856Read 5 October 2026Size and Weight explicitly labels width, height and depth for each earbud. These are not dimensions of the pair.
Width18.3Height30.2Depth18.1mm(0.7 × 1.2 × 0.7 in)1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/121203Read 5 October 2026Size and Weight. Dimensions of one earbud in published metric units.
Case weight
Case dimensions
Width44.3Height53.5Depth21.3mm(1.7 × 2.1 × 0.8 in)1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/111856Read 5 October 2026Exact published case axis labels. The same body dimensions are listed for both case versions.
Width50.1Height46.2Depth21.2mm(2 × 1.8 × 0.8 in)1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/121203Read 5 October 2026
Certifications
0 of 3 differ
Hi-Res Audio
Not available
Not available
Communication certifications
Not available
Not available
FCC IDs
Not available
Other certifications
Not available
Not available
In the box
2 of 2 differ
In the box
AirPods 2, Wireless Charging Case, Lightning to USB-A cable, Documentation1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/111856Read 5 October 2026Wireless A1938 package only. Cable length unstated. No adapter supplied in the published complete list.
AirPods 4, Charging Case (USB-C), Documentation1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/121203Read 5 October 2026USB-C charging cable is sold separately.
Cables included
AApple AirPods 2
| Type | Count |
|---|---|
| Lightning to USB-A cable | 1 |
BApple AirPods 4
Not availableLinks
Not compared
Product page
Spec sheet
support.apple.com/en-us/1118561Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/111856Read 5 October 2026Exact 2019 AirPods 2. Reference package uses Wireless Charging Case A1938. The standard wired-only A1602 package is excluded from this file. Current shared case weight 38.2 g conflicts with the contemporary A1938 teardown specification of 40 g. Case weight now uses 40 g from the exact standalone Wireless Charging Case maker sheet 111860, which is more specific than this mixed-case row. Contradiction remains source-qualified. No standalone maker PDF datasheet found.
Manual
cdsassets.apple.com/live/6GJYWVAV/start/ma1852_airpods-2gen-qsg.pdf5Owner's manualcdsassets.apple.com/live/6GJYWVAV/start/ma1852_airpods-2gen-qsg.pdfRead 5 October 2026Original 2019 two-page Quick Start Guide for the Wireless Charging Case package, linked by Apple document identity 300122. Both sides read. Current complete user-guide chapters separately establish remapping and wear detection.
EPREL registration number
Not available
Not available
Warranty
0 of 1 differ
Manufacturer warranty (source market)
Both are also in the API. Back to all earbuds.

















