Apple released the AirPods 4 back in September, and honestly? They didn’t make as much noise as you’d expect from a new AirPods launch. Maybe we’re all suffering from wireless earbud fatigue at this point, or maybe the upgrade just felt kind of incremental. But here’s where things get interesting – they’ve just dropped to $119 on Amazon for Black Friday, which is a solid $10 off their previous sale price and $11 less than their regular street price. Not exactly earth-shattering savings, but for Apple products (especially ones this new), it’s actually pretty significant.

Now, you might think “eleven bucks, big deal” – and fair enough. But if you’ve been eyeing these since launch, this is legitimately the best price we’ve seen. The timing’s right before the holidays, stock’s been surprisingly stable, and honestly, who knows if they’ll dip lower anytime soon. Apple doesn’t exactly play the discount game like other tech companies do.

Let me back up for a second. The AirPods 4 come in two flavors – the standard version (which is what’s on sale) and a pricier model with active noise cancellation. The base model we’re talking about here doesn’t have ANC, but it does pack some genuinely useful improvements over the old AirPods 3. Whether that matters to you really depends on what you’re upgrading from and how you actually use earbuds day-to-day.

What Actually Changed This Time Around

Apple’s iterative update strategy can be maddening. Sometimes you get something revolutionary (remember when the first AirPods Pro dropped?), and sometimes you get refinements that feel almost apologetic. The AirPods 4 fall somewhere in the middle – there’s real improvement here, but nothing that’ll make AirPods 3 owners feel like they’re missing out on the future of audio.

The biggest deal is probably the new H2 chip. Same processor that’s in the AirPods Pro 2, which means better computational audio and more efficient power management. In practice, this translates to clearer calls and slightly better sound quality overall. It’s not like you’re suddenly hearing instruments you never noticed before, but vocals do sound crisper and there’s better separation between different elements of a track.

The Fit Actually Got Better

Here’s something that doesn’t get enough attention – Apple actually redesigned the shape. Slightly. They scanned thousands of ears (which sounds both impressive and vaguely creepy) to optimize the fit. Does it work? Kind of, yeah. They sit more securely than the AirPods 3 did, which isn’t saying a ton because those things fell out if you looked at them wrong. But I’ve gone for runs with the AirPods 4 and they stayed put, which is more than I could say for previous non-Pro models.

The case got smaller too, which is nice because the old one was already pretty compact. It’s maybe 10% smaller? Hard to quantify exactly, but you notice it in your pocket. The USB-C charging is standard now (obviously), and you get about 30 hours of total battery life with the case. Five hours per charge on the buds themselves, which lines up with what we’ve come to expect.

What You’re Not Getting

Let’s be real about the limitations here. No silicone tips means no proper seal, which means no real noise isolation beyond what the physical plastic provides. And that’s not much. The AirPods 4 with ANC (the $179 version) try to compensate with active noise cancellation, but without tips, it’s fighting physics. This base model doesn’t even attempt it.

So if you’re commuting on loud trains or working in noisy coffee shops, these probably aren’t your best bet. They’re more for people who want the classic AirPods experience – easy pairing, decent sound, awareness of your surroundings – without shelling out for the Pro model.

The Sound Quality Question Everyone Asks

How do they actually sound? That’s the thing everyone wants to know, and the answer is frustratingly subjective. They sound good. Better than AirPods 3, not as good as AirPods Pro 2. Shocking, I know.

The bass is present but not overwhelming – these are never going to rattle your skull like over-ear headphones or even the Pros with their sealed fit. Mids and highs come through clearly enough for podcasts, calls, and most music genres. If you’re an audiophile, you already know you’re not buying AirPods anyway. For the rest of us mortals who just want something that sounds decent and works seamlessly with our iPhones? Yeah, they’re fine. Better than fine, actually.

Spatial Audio Is Still Kind of Gimmicky

Apple’s really pushing the spatial audio thing, and with the H2 chip, it’s supposedly even better. Personalized spatial audio, head tracking, the whole nine yards. In the right content – specifically movies and shows mixed for it – it can be genuinely impressive. Music with spatial audio is hit or miss. Some tracks sound expansive and cool, others just sound weird and processed.

The head tracking works smoothly enough. Turn your head and the sound stays anchored to your device’s position, which creates this quasi-surround-sound effect. It’s neat for about ten minutes, then you kind of forget it’s there. Your mileage may vary, but I wouldn’t buy these specifically for spatial audio unless you’re really into that feature.

Why This Price Actually Matters

Here’s the thing about Apple discounts – they’re rare, they’re modest, and they usually signal either overstock or strategic timing. Black Friday’s obviously the latter. Apple knows people are shopping, and $119 hits a psychological sweet spot. It’s under $120, which feels significantly cheaper than $130, even though we’re talking about eleven dollars.

For context, the AirPods 3 launched at $179 and now hover around $140-150 depending on the day. The AirPods Pro 2 are usually $200-220 on sale. So at $119, the AirPods 4 slot in nicely as the budget option in Apple’s lineup, which is kind of wild considering they’re the newest non-Pro model.

Should You Actually Buy Them?

Depends on what you’ve got now. Coming from wired earbuds or ancient wireless ones? Absolutely, this is a solid upgrade. The seamless Apple ecosystem integration alone is worth it if you’re already deep in that world. The automatic switching between devices actually works (most of the time), and the setup process takes literally seconds.

Coming from AirPods 3? Eh, maybe not unless yours are dying or you’ve got money burning a hole in your pocket. The improvements are real but incremental. Coming from AirPods Pro? Definitely not, you’d be downgrading in meaningful ways.

And if you’re on Android – well, these will technically work, but you’re paying a premium for features you can’t access. Better options exist for non-Apple users, though the AirPods 4 do support basic Bluetooth functionality across platforms.

The Bottom Line on This Deal

Look, $119 isn’t going to change your life. It’s not one of those doorbusters that makes you feel like you’ve beaten the system. But it’s a fair price for a solid product that just came out a couple months ago. Apple rarely discounts new stuff this quickly or this noticeably, so if you’ve been waiting for a sign, I guess this is it.

The AirPods 4 aren’t revolutionary. They’re refined, competent, and exactly what you’d expect from Apple at this point – good build quality, seamless software integration, decent sound, and that distinctive look that says “yes, I’m in the ecosystem.” At full price, they’re a harder sell. At $119? They make more sense.

Just don’t expect miracles. These are everyday earbuds for everyday people who want everyday reliability. Sometimes that’s exactly enough.