Apple introduces AirPods 4 and the world’s first all-in-one hearing health experience with AirPods Pro 2

Rhea-AI Summary

Apple has announced a new lineup of AirPods, introducing AirPods 4 with an open-ear design and AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). The AirPods Max come in new colors and offer USB-C charging. Most notably, AirPods Pro 2 will feature an all-in-one hearing health experience, including Active Hearing Protection, a Hearing Test, and a clinical-grade Hearing Aid function. AirPods 4 and AirPods Max are available for pre-order, with in-store availability starting September 20. The hearing health features will be available for AirPods Pro 2 users this fall in over 100 countries.

Positive

• Launch of AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with ANC.
• New colors for AirPods Max and USB-C charging.
• AirPods Pro 2 introduce revolutionary hearing health features.
• International availability across 100+ countries.

Negative

• None.

Insights

Tech Expert

Apple's latest AirPods lineup represents a significant leap in audio technology and hearing health. The new AirPods 4 with its open-ear design and optional ANC is a game-changer in the wireless earbud market. The use of advanced modeling tools and a massive dataset for design refinement shows Apple's commitment to ergonomics and user comfort.

The integration of the H2 chip in AirPods 4 enables features like Voice Isolation and Siri Interactions, demonstrating Apple's prowess in combining hardware and software for enhanced user experience. The addition of ANC to an open-ear design is particularly innovative, potentially attracting users who prefer awareness of their surroundings while enjoying noise reduction.

The transformation of AirPods Pro 2 into a hearing health device is a bold move, potentially disrupting the traditional hearing aid market. This could open up a new revenue stream for Apple in the healthcare sector, while also addressing a significant global health issue.

Medical Research Analyst

Apple's entry into hearing health with AirPods Pro 2 is a significant development in accessible healthcare technology. The integration of Hearing Protection, Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features in a consumer device could revolutionize hearing health awareness and treatment.

The scientifically validated Hearing Test using pure-tone audiometry is particularly noteworthy. It brings clinical-grade testing to users' homes, potentially increasing early detection of hearing issues. The ability to store results securely in the Health app and share with healthcare providers facilitates continuity of care.

The Hearing Aid feature, pending marketing authorization, could be a game-changer for those with mild to moderate hearing loss. By offering a more accessible and potentially less stigmatizing option, Apple might increase adoption rates for hearing assistance devices, addressing a significant unmet medical need.

Financial Analyst

Apple's new AirPods lineup presents significant revenue potential. The diversification of the AirPods range, with new models and features, could drive increased sales and potentially higher average selling prices. The AirPods 4 with ANC, priced at $179 and the AirPods Max at $549, target premium segments of the market.

The entry into hearing health with AirPods Pro 2 is particularly intriguing from a financial perspective. This move could open up a new market segment for Apple, tapping into the multi-billion dollar hearing aid industry. By offering a more accessible and potentially less expensive alternative to traditional hearing aids, Apple could capture a significant portion of the 1.5 billion people globally affected by hearing loss.

Moreover, these health features could increase customer loyalty and ecosystem lock-in, potentially driving sales of other Apple devices and services. This aligns with Apple's strategy of expanding its health-related offerings, which could become a major growth driver in the coming years.

The new AirPods lineup includes a brand-new design for AirPods 4, a new array of colors for AirPods Max, and revolutionary Hearing Protection, Hearing Test, and Hearing Aid features for AirPods Pro 2

CUPERTINO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Apple® today announced a groundbreaking new lineup of AirPods® models and features. The new AirPods 4 are the most advanced and comfortable headphones Apple has ever created with an open-ear design, and today, customers can choose between two distinct models: AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). AirPods Max® now come in midnight, starlight, blue, purple, and orange, and offer USB-C charging for more convenience. This fall, AirPods Pro® 2 will introduce the world’s first end-to-end hearing health experience, delivering active Hearing Protection,¹ a scientifically validated Hearing Test, and a clinical-grade Hearing Aid feature.²

The new AirPods lineup features an industry-defining design for AirPods 4, new AirPods Max colors, and the world’s first all-in-one hearing health experience with AirPods Pro 2. (Photo: Business Wire)

AirPods 4 and AirPods Max will be available to pre-order starting today, with availability in stores beginning Friday, September 20. New hearing health features will be available this fall for AirPods Pro 2 users in more than 100 countries and regions.

“With AirPods 4, customers can enjoy Active Noise Cancellation and the most advanced audio experience ever in an open-ear design,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. “And with a revolutionary update to the world’s best-selling headphones, AirPods Pro will deliver groundbreaking new capabilities — including Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features — to help more than a billion people affected by hearing loss.”

AirPods 4 Unveil an Industry-Defining Design

With incredible sound quality, up to 24-hour battery life with the charging case, and an iconic design, the original AirPods offered wireless convenience and seamless pairing with the Apple ecosystem of products. That experience gets even better with AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with ANC, offering a brand-new fit and an array of powerful features and capabilities.

AirPods 4 are the best headphones Apple has ever created with an open-ear design, setting an entirely new benchmark for fit and comfort. The new design is built with an unparalleled data set that uses advanced modeling tools, like 3D photogrammetry and laser topography, to precisely map and analyze thousands of ear shapes and over 50 million individual data points in total. This process helped refine the design to deliver the most comfortable AirPods ever with one shape that naturally fits even more users around the world.

Delivering a massive improvement in sound quality, AirPods 4 feature an entirely new acoustic architecture, low-distortion driver, and high dynamic range amplifier, and add Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking for the most immersive media experience. With the H2 chip, AirPods 4 unlock intelligent audio experiences only Apple silicon can deliver, such as Voice Isolation, enabling clearer call quality no matter the environmental conditions, and Siri® Interactions, allowing users to simply nod their head yes or gently shake their head no to respond to Siri announcements. For even more control, AirPods 4 also feature a new force sensor on the stem to play or pause media and mute or end calls with a quick press. Thanks to the H2 chip, AirPods 4 are also great for gaming, delivering low wireless audio latency and excellent voice quality when chatting with teammates and other players, including support for 16-bit, 48kHz audio.

For additional convenience, the charging case now offers USB-C charging and is more than 10 percent smaller in volume than its predecessor — all while still delivering up to 30 hours of battery life.³ In addition to a USB-C charging cable, customers that choose AirPods 4 with ANC can charge using an Apple Watch® charger or Qi-certified charger, and at just 50mm wide, the charging case is the smallest in the industry with wireless charging capabilities.

AirPods 4 Bring ANC to an Open-Ear Fit

For the first time, AirPods 4 bring ANC to an open-ear design with an additional model. With upgraded microphones, the power of the H2 chip, and advanced computational audio, AirPods 4 with ANC help to reduce environmental noise like airplane engines, city traffic, and more. Working across hardware and software to deliver the most natural listening experience, AirPods 4 with ANC also introduce intelligent features like Transparency mode to keep users aware of their environment; Adaptive Audio, which dynamically blends Transparency mode and ANC based on the conditions of a user’s environment; and Conversation Awareness, which lowers the user’s media volume when they start speaking to someone nearby.

AirPods Max Get Five New Colors

AirPods Max are available in five beautiful new colors, including midnight, starlight, blue, orange, and purple, and offer complementary finishes alongside other Apple products like Mac® and iPad®. Additionally, AirPods Max now feature USB-C charging capabilities, making them more convenient than ever to charge at home or on the go.

AirPods Pro 2 Introduce the World’s First All-in-One Hearing Health Experience

Approximately 1.5 billion people around the world are living with hearing loss, according to the World Health Organization. Building on years of work in hearing health — including the Noise app on Apple Watch, headphone audio levels with iPhone®, hearing accessibility features, and the Apple Hearing Study — Apple is introducing an end-to-end experience focused on prevention, awareness, and assistance.

Prevention

According to the Apple Hearing Study, one in three people are regularly exposed to loud environmental noise levels that can impact their hearing. That can include common scenarios like taking the subway while commuting, mowing the lawn at home, attending a sporting event, and many more. In order to help users prevent exposure to loud environmental noise while preserving the sound signature of what they’re listening to, Hearing Protection comes to AirPods Pro. The ear tips help to provide passive noise reduction, while the H2 chip helps to actively reduce louder, more intermittent noise at 48,000 times per second. On by default across all listening modes, Hearing Protection is helpful in a variety of loud settings. Plus, with an all-new multiband high dynamic range algorithm, sounds at live events like concerts remain natural and vibrant so users don’t miss a beat.

Awareness

Apple is also introducing a scientifically validated Hearing Test feature with AirPods Pro and a compatible iPhone or iPad, expanding the ability for users to quickly check their hearing from the comfort of their home in minutes. The test is simple to take, utilizes a standard clinical approach called pure-tone audiometry, leverages advanced acoustic science, and provides users with an interactive experience. When a user completes the test, they will see an easy-to-understand summary of their results in a personalized hearing profile for AirPods Pro, which is stored privately and securely in their Health app. Users can also share these results with their healthcare providers for more informed conversations.

Assistance

“Hearing health is an essential part of our overall wellbeing, yet it can often be overlooked — in fact, according to the Apple Hearing Study, a staggering 75 percent of people diagnosed with hearing loss go untreated,” said Sumbul Desai, M.D., Apple’s vice president of Health. “We’re thrilled to provide breakthrough software features with AirPods Pro that put users’ hearing health front and center, bringing new ways to help test for and receive assistance for hearing loss.”

AirPods Pro also add an innovative, over-the-counter Hearing Aid capability for users with mild to moderate hearing loss. Using the personalized hearing profile from the Hearing Test, this new feature seamlessly transforms AirPods Pro into a clinical-grade hearing aid. After setup, the feature enables personalized dynamic adjustments so users have the sounds around them boosted in real time. This helps users better engage in conversation and keeps them connected to the people and environment around them. With the incredible audio quality of AirPods Pro, the user’s personalized hearing profile is automatically applied to music, movies, games, and phone calls across their devices without needing to adjust any settings. This first-of-its-kind software-based Hearing Aid feature brings users the ability to fine-tune their experience at any time, making access to hearing assistance easier than ever at an approachable price point. Users can also set up the Hearing Aid feature with an audiogram created by a hearing health professional. Both the Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features are grounded in science and were validated through rigorous scientific studies. The Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features are expected to receive marketing authorization from global health authorities soon, and will be available this fall in more than 100 countries and regions, including the United States, Germany, and Japan.

After taking the Hearing Test, users can also use their hearing profile to personalize the AirPods Pro listening experience. This benefits even more people, including those with little to no hearing loss, who can take advantage of specific adjustments at individual frequencies. To help provide the best listening experience, Media Assist is an all-new feature that helps boost certain parts of speech on a phone call or instruments within a soundtrack to help an even broader population.

Better for the Environment

AirPods are designed to minimize their impact on the environment. The new AirPods 4 design includes the use of 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets and 100 percent recycled gold in the plating of multiple printed circuit boards. The case also uses 100 percent recycled tin in the solder of the main logic board and 100 percent recycled aluminum in the hinge. AirPods 4 are free of potentially harmful substances such as mercury, BFRs, and PVC. In a first for AirPods, 100 percent of the packaging is made using fiber-based materials, bringing Apple closer to its goal of completely removing plastic from all packaging by 2025. Additionally, Apple reduced the packaging volume by more than 30 percent compared to the previous generation, which helps decrease emissions from shipping and move closer to Apple’s commitment of becoming carbon neutral by 2030.

Pricing and Availability

• Customers can now pre-order AirPods 4 for $129 (U.S.) from apple.com/store and in the Apple Store® app in the U.S. and more than 58 other countries and regions, with availability beginning Friday, September 20.
• Customers can now pre-order AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation for $179 (U.S.) from apple.com/store and in the Apple Store app in the U.S. and more than 58 other countries and regions, with availability beginning Friday, September 20.
• New hearing health features will be available this fall for AirPods Pro 2 customers in a free software update when paired with iPhone or iPad running iOS 18 or iPadOS® 18.¹
• AirPods Pro 2 are available for $249 (U.S.) from apple.com/store and in the Apple Store app today.
• Customers can now pre-order AirPods Max with USB-C charging for $549 (U.S.) from apple.com/store and in the Apple Store app in the U.S. and more than 60 other countries and regions, with availability beginning Friday, September 20.
• New subscribers can get Apple Music® free for three months with the purchase of any AirPods, AirPods Pro, or AirPods Max. See apple.com/promo for details.
• For full feature functionality, use AirPods 4, AirPods Pro 2, and AirPods Max paired with an Apple device running the latest operating system software.
• AppleCare+® for Headphones provides unparalleled service and support. This includes unlimited incidents of accidental damage, battery service coverage, and priority support from the people who know AirPods best.

Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV+. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.

1. The Hearing Protection feature works with AirPods Pro 2 with the latest firmware when paired with a compatible iPhone, iPad, or Mac running the latest operating system software. The feature will be available in the U.S. and Canada. See support.apple.com/120850 for total attenuation and more information.
2. The Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features are expected to be available fall 2024. The Hearing Aid feature is pending marketing authorization from global health authorities. The Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features will be supported on AirPods Pro 2 with the latest firmware paired with a compatible iPhone or iPad with iOS 18 or iPadOS 18 and later, and are intended for people 18 years or older. The Hearing Aid feature is intended for people with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss.
3. Battery life varies by use. See apple.com/batteries for details.

NOTE TO EDITORS: For additional information visit Apple Newsroom (www.apple.com/newsroom), or email Apple’s Media Helpline at media.help@apple.com.

© 2024 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, AirPods, AirPods Max, AirPods Pro, Siri, Apple Watch, Mac, iPad, iPhone, Apple Store, iPadOS, and Apple Music, are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240909695544/en/

Emily Ewing

Apple

e_ewing@apple.com

Lance Lin

Apple

lance_lin@apple.com

Source: Apple Inc.

FAQ

What are the new features of AirPods Pro 2?

AirPods Pro 2 introduce Active Hearing Protection, a Hearing Test, and a clinical-grade Hearing Aid function.

When can I pre-order AirPods 4?

AirPods 4 are available for pre-order now, with in-store availability starting September 20.

What new colors are available for AirPods Max?

AirPods Max are available in midnight, starlight, blue, orange, and purple.

How much do AirPods Pro 2 cost?

AirPods Pro 2 are available for $249.

When will the hearing health features for AirPods Pro 2 be available?

The hearing health features will be available this fall in over 100 countries.