Earbuds / Compare
Apple AirPods 2 vs Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
Product A: Apple
76 of 166 known
Change Apple AirPods 2
Compare the Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation with
Product B: Apple
AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
86 of 166 known
Change Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
73 of 157 fields differ
- 33 different values
- 40 known for one only
- 21 the same
- 63 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 with Active Noise Cancellation is 6 h higher.
Size, drawn to scale
Front and side.
- AAirPods 2: 16.5 × 40.5 mm
- BAirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation: 18.3 × 30.2 mm
Weight
0 to 80 g
Weight per bud
A4g
B4.3g
Case weight
A40g
B34.7g
All 166 fields
Every value links to where we found it.


General
6 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.
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.
Not available
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.
Not available
Launch price (US)
Launch price (EU)
Not available
Markets
US, DE, CN30Press releaseapple.com/newsroom/2024/09/apple-introduces-airpods-4-and-a-hearing-health-experience-with-airpods-pro-2Read 7 October 2026Exact launch pricing and availability explicitly U.S. orders with USD 179 ANC edition.31Press releaseapple.com/de/newsroom/2024/09/apple-introduces-airpods-4-and-a-hearing-health-experience-with-airpods-pro-2Read 7 October 2026Exact Germany maker launch price EUR 199 incl VAT, exact ANC edition.32Review52audio.com/archives/214147.htmlRead 7 October 2026Exact China-market retail A3057/A3059 ANC package label identifies Apple authorized China distributor. No cross-model features borrowed.
Colours
Design
0 of 4 differ
Form factor
Bud shape
Use one bud alone
RGB lighting
Not available
Not available
Drivers and sound
8 of 17 differ
Drivers per bud
AApple AirPods 2
Not availableBApple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
| Type | Count per earbud |
|---|---|
| Dynamic | 1 |
Source1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/121204Read 30 September 2026One "custom high-excursion Apple driver" per bud. Role and type are not stated on this page. The type comes from the TechRadar spec table.18Reviewtechradar.com/audio/headphones/earbuds-airpods/airpods-4-with-active-noise-cancellation-reviewRead 7 October 2026Exact ANC edition review explicitly high-excursion dynamic driver. Existing one-per-bud count retained. No full-range role, size or diaphragm material guessed.
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
Onboard EQ
Not available
Custom EQ bands
Not available
38Owner's manualsupport.apple.com/guide/airpods/customize-eq-te819024i19r/webRead 30 September 2026Customize EQ: Low, Mid and High controls. Supported-models appendix explicitly includes this model. Current feature, requires compatible Apple software and firmware.9Owner's manualsupport.apple.com/en-nz/guide/airpods/aside/glosrqz3g8xj/27/web/27Read 30 September 2026Custom EQ supported models: AirPods 4 and AirPods 5 both editions, AirPods Pro 2/3 and AirPods Max 2.
EQ presets
Not available
Not available
Volume limit
Not available
Not available
Spatial audio
2 of 2 differ
Spatial audio
Not available
Head tracking
Noise cancelling
7 of 11 differ
Active noise cancelling
ANC type
Not available
ANC microphones in both earbuds
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
Measured
11 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.
Warm sound signature. Bass slightly underemphasized, treble very underemphasized.5Measurementrtings.com/headphones/reviews/apple/airpods-4-with-active-noise-cancellation-truly-wirelessRead 30 September 2026Sound signature: Warm. Detailed results are members only and were not read
Bass amount (measured)
Not available
Treble amount (measured)
Not available
Deviation from target (measured)
Not available
Not available
Consistency between fittings (measured)
Not available
Not available
Harmonic distortion (measured)
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.
Background noise is filtered by processing on the iPhone, so the microphones perform better with an iPhone than with other devices.6Reviewsoundguys.com/apple-airpods-4-with-active-noise-cancellation-review-124137Read 30 September 2026Microphone test paragraph: iPhone processing filters background noise. Paired iPhone microphone demos underpin comparison.
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 with Active Noise Cancellation
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 |
BApple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
| ANC | Codec | Hours (h) |
|---|---|---|
| No | Not available | 6.35 |
| No | AAC | 6.9 |
Source6Reviewsoundguys.com/apple-airpods-4-with-active-noise-cancellation-review-124137Read 30 September 20266 h 21 min on one charge, without noise canceling or transparency mode21Reviewnotebookcheck.net/Apple-AirPods-4-ANC-review-Compact-design-colossal-sound.952120.0.htmlRead 7 October 2026Exact ANC model Spotify loop at 65 dB(A), AAC with ANC off, 6.9 h. Review explicitly says wear detection prevented ANC during fixture test despite generic chart heading incl ANC. Test endpoint full discharge implied runtime procedure, precise first/last-bud cutoff, firmware and host model unstated. Existing SoundGuys 6 h 21 min ANC-off test is separate at 75 dB SPL standardized peaks, not replaced.
Longest tested use per charge
4.12h
6.9h
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
7 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
Yes6Reviewsoundguys.com/apple-airpods-4-with-active-noise-cancellation-review-124137Read 30 September 202612Owner's manualsupport.apple.com/guide/airpods/share-audio-on-iphone-or-ipad-dev3786f35c8/webRead 30 September 2026Share Audio instructions and Change the volume/listening mode paragraph explicitly cover AirPods 4 ANC, AirPods 5 and AirPods Pro. Both headphone sets pair to a supported iPhone/iPad.
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/121204Read 30 September 2026Apple lists iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Vision Pro, and says AirPods work as Bluetooth headphones with non-Apple devices6Reviewsoundguys.com/apple-airpods-4-with-active-noise-cancellation-review-124137Read 30 September 2026Android pairing described in the review
Connection per platform
AApple AirPods 2
| Platform | Connection | Microphone works |
|---|---|---|
| iOS | Bluetooth | Not available |
| macOS | Bluetooth | Not available |
| Android | Bluetooth | Yes |
BApple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
Not availableFeatures 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 with Active Noise Cancellation
| Feature | Needs |
|---|---|
| Live Translation | Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone running iOS 26 and later |
| Personalized Spatial Audio profile | iPhone with TrueDepth camera |
| Find My | iOS 26 or later |
| Lossless audio with Apple Vision Pro | Compatible Apple Vision Pro and software. The maker names AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation. Ultra-low latency is unavailable in Japan. Ordinary Bluetooth playback uses AAC. |
Source1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/121204Read 30 September 2026Exact technical requirements cover compatible Apple devices and firmware, TrueDepth camera for the Spatial Audio profile and Apple Intelligence iPhone with iOS 26 for Live Translation. The Vision Pro lossless route is supported separately by the current maker 118522 article.33Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/118522Read 7 October 2026Independently read during verification. Apple names AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation for lossless audio with Apple Vision Pro. Ultra-low latency is unavailable in Japan. This proves the route, without a device-wide maximum bit depth or sample rate.
Official licence
Not available
Not available
Battery and charging
7 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 with Active Noise Cancellation
| Mode | Includes case recharges | Hours (h) |
|---|---|---|
| ANC on | No | 4 |
| ANC off | No | 5 |
| ANC on | Yes | 20 |
| ANC off | Yes | 30 |
Longest claimed use per charge
5h
5h
Playback per charge with ANC (claimed)
Not available
4h
Playback per charge without ANC (claimed)
5h
5h
Total with case (claimed)
24h
30h
Total with case and ANC (claimed)
Not available
20h
Talk time (claimed)
3h
Not available
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
User-replaceable case battery
Not available
Not available
Case charging port
Case full charge time
Not available
Not available
Wireless charging
Wireless standards
Wireless charging power
Not available
Not available
Speaker in case
Not available
Screen on case
Not available
Not available
Case works as audio transmitter
Not available
Controls
2 of 5 differ
Controls
Pressure, Head gestures, Voice commands1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/121204Read 30 September 2026Force sensor on the stem, "Hey Siri", and Siri Interactions head nods
Earbud volume control
Gestures
Press once, Press twice, Press three times, Press and hold, Nod or shake head (Siri Interactions)1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/121204Read 30 September 2026Controls enumerates one/two/three press, press-and-hold and Siri nod/shake interactions.
Remappable controls
Sensors and health
2 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/121204Read 30 September 2026Sensors explicitly list optical in-ear, motion-detecting and speech-detecting accelerometers and force sensor.
Heart rate sensor
Not available
Not available
Skin temperature sensing
Not available
Not available
Hearing aid feature
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
Stabilisers
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
2 of 6 differ
Companion app
Not available
Not available
App platforms
Not available
Not available
User firmware updates
Finding network
Precision finding
No24Reviewengadget.com/audio/headphones/apple-airpods-4-review-pro-features-for-everyone-120032046.htmlRead 7 October 2026Exact AirPods 4 ANC case offers proximity view, without Precision Finding.28Owner's manualsupport.apple.com/guide/airpods/find-your-airpods-dev8e8b93d71/webRead 7 October 2026Exact current maker guide distinguishes general nearby finding from precise case arrows/distance limited to Pro 2 and Pro 3. Notebookcheck exact ANC model independently says no UWB. Audible case speaker and proximity view are separate.
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/121204Read 30 September 2026Size/Weight: each bud H30.2/W18.3/D18.1 mm, 4.3 g.
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/121204Read 30 September 2026Size and Weight named per-bud grams and case height, width, depth rows.
Certifications
0 of 3 differ
Hi-Res Audio
Not available
Not available
Communication certifications
Not available
Not available
FCC IDs
BCG-A3055, BCG-A3056, BCG-A305925Regulatory filingfccid.io/BCGA3055Read 7 October 2026Public FCC grant mirrors identify BCG-A3055 and BCG-A3056 wireless earbuds, BCG-A3059 wireless charging case, Apple Inc., 9 September 2024 grants. Exact Apple model identification maps these to ANC edition. China A3057 not automatically assigned same FCC code. Proprietary 5/6 GHz authorization is not standard Wi-Fi/Auracast capability. Confidential descriptions not read.26Regulatory filingfccid.io/BCGA3056Read 7 October 2026Public exact Apple grant table identifies BCG-A3056. This is the listed earbud/case authorization, not an invented combined identifier.27Regulatory filingfccid.io/BCGA3059Read 7 October 2026Public exact Apple grant table identifies BCG-A3059. This is the listed earbud/case authorization, not an invented combined identifier.
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 with Active Noise Cancellation, Charging Case (USB-C) with speaker, Documentation1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/121204Read 30 September 2026USB-C charge cable sold separately
Cables included
AApple AirPods 2
| Type | Count |
|---|---|
| Lightning to USB-A cable | 1 |
BApple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
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.

















