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PRESS RELEASE 10 September 2024

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

The new AirPods line-up includes a brand-new design for AirPods 4, a new array of colours for AirPods Max, and Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features for AirPods Pro 2

AirPods 4, AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, AirPods Pro 2, and AirPods Max in starlight are shown.

CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today announced a groundbreaking new line-up 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 spring, AirPods Pro 2 will introduce the world’s first end-to-end hearing health experience, delivering Loud Sound Reduction,¹ a scientifically validated Hearing Test, and a clinical-grade Hearing Aid feature.²

AirPods 4 and AirPods Max will be available to pre-order starting today, with availability beginning Friday, 20 September. New hearing health features will be available this spring 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.

A close-up of AirPods 4.

A silhouette of a user with AirPods 4 is shown against a blue background.

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 modelling tools, like 3D photogrammetry and laser topography, to precisely map and analyse 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 Personalised 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.

With the H2 chip, AirPods 4 unlock intelligent audio experiences like Voice Isolation and Siri Interactions.

For additional convenience, the charging case now offers USB-C charging and is more than 10 per cent 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 are shown with an Apple Watch charger.

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 4 bring Active Noise Cancellation to an open-ear design and introduce Transparency mode, Adaptive Audio, and Conversation Awareness.

AirPods Max Get Five New Colours

AirPods Max are available in five beautiful new colours, 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 Max devices are shown starlight, orange, purple, blue, and midnight.

A close-up of AirPods Max in purple.

From left to right: (1) AirPods Max feature a breathable knit mesh canopy, distributing weight to reduce on-head pressure. (2) The noise control button easily switches between Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode.

From top to bottom: (1) AirPods Max feature a breathable knit mesh canopy, distributing weight to reduce on-head pressure. (2) The noise control button easily switches between Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode.

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.

iPhone 16 Pro shows a screen from the Noise app, and Apple Watch Series 10 shows decibel levels with AirPods.

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 train 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, Loud Sound Reduction is available on 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 in Transparency and Adaptive Audio listening modes, Loud Sound Reduction 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, utilises 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 personalised 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.

The Hearing Test feature is simple to take and enables users to check their hearing from the comfort of their home in minutes.

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 per cent 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 centre, bringing new ways to help test for and receive assistance for hearing loss.”

A lifestyle shot shows a person wearing AirPods Pro 2 while listening to other people.

AirPods Pro also add an innovative, over-the-counter Hearing Aid capability for users with mild to moderate hearing loss. Using the personalised hearing profile from the Hearing Test, this new feature seamlessly transforms AirPods Pro into a clinical-grade hearing aid. After set-up, the feature enables personalised 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 personalised 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 authorisation from global health authorities soon, and will be available this spring in more than 100 countries and regions, including the United States, Germany, and Japan.

iPhone 16 Pro, which shows a Hearing Aid screen, is next to AirPods Pro 2.

After taking the Hearing Test, users can also use their hearing profile to personalise 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 minimise their impact on the environment. The new AirPods 4 design includes the use of 100 per cent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets and 100 per cent recycled gold in the plating of multiple printed circuit boards. The case also uses 100 per cent recycled tin in the solder of the main logic board and 100 per cent recycled aluminium in the hinge. AirPods 4 are free of potentially harmful substances such as mercury, BFRs, and PVC. In a first for AirPods, 100 per cent of the packaging is made using fibre-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 per cent 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 RRP NZ$249 inc. GST from apple.com/nz/store and in the Apple Store app in New Zealand and more than 58 other countries and regions, with availability beginning Friday, 20 September.

Customers can now pre-order AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation for RRP NZ$349 inc. GST from apple.com/nz/store and in the Apple Store app in New Zealand and more than 58 other countries and regions, with availability beginning Friday, 20 September.

New hearing health features will be available this spring for AirPods Pro 2 customers in a free software update when paired with iPhone or iPad running iOS 18 or iPadOS 18. Some features are not available in all regions. For more information about availability, visit apple.com/nz/airpods-pro/feature-availability.

AirPods Pro 2 are available for RRP NZ$479 inc. GST from apple.com/nz/store and in the Apple Store app today.

Customers can now pre-order AirPods Max with USB-C charging for RRP NZ$999 inc. GST from apple.com/nz/store and in the Apple Store app in New Zealand and more than 60 other countries and regions, with availability beginning Friday, 20 September.

New subscribers could get three months of Apple Music free with the purchase of eligible new AirPods, AirPods Pro, or AirPods Max. See apple.com/nz/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.

Media

Text of this article
10 September 2024

PRESS RELEASE

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

The new AirPods line-up includes a brand-new design for AirPods 4, a new array of colours for AirPods Max, and Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features for AirPods Pro 2

CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today announced a groundbreaking new line-up 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 spring, AirPods Pro 2 will introduce the world’s first end-to-end hearing health experience, delivering Loud Sound Reduction,¹ a scientifically validated Hearing Test, and a clinical-grade Hearing Aid feature.²

AirPods 4 and AirPods Max will be available to pre-order starting today, with availability beginning Friday, 20 September. New hearing health features will be available this spring 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 modelling tools, like 3D photogrammetry and laser topography, to precisely map and analyse 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 Personalised 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 per cent 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 Colours

AirPods Max are available in five beautiful new colours, 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 train 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, Loud Sound Reduction is available on 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 in Transparency and Adaptive Audio listening modes, Loud Sound Reduction 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, utilises 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 personalised 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 per cent 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 centre, 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 personalised hearing profile from the Hearing Test, this new feature seamlessly transforms AirPods Pro into a clinical-grade hearing aid. After set-up, the feature enables personalised 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 personalised 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 authorisation from global health authorities soon, and will be available this spring 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 personalise 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 minimise their impact on the environment. The new AirPods 4 design includes the use of 100 per cent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets and 100 per cent recycled gold in the plating of multiple printed circuit boards. The case also uses 100 per cent recycled tin in the solder of the main logic board and 100 per cent recycled aluminium in the hinge. AirPods 4 are free of potentially harmful substances such as mercury, BFRs, and PVC. In a first for AirPods, 100 per cent of the packaging is made using fibre-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 per cent 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 RRP NZ$249 inc. GST from apple.com/nz/store and in the Apple Store app in New Zealand and more than 58 other countries and regions, with availability beginning Friday, 20 September.
- Customers can now pre-order AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation for RRP NZ$349 inc. GST from apple.com/nz/store and in the Apple Store app in New Zealand and more than 58 other countries and regions, with availability beginning Friday, 20 September.
- New hearing health features will be available this spring for AirPods Pro 2 customers in a free software update when paired with iPhone or iPad running iOS 18 or iPadOS 18. Some features are not available in all regions. For more information about availability, visit apple.com/nz/airpods-pro/feature-availability.
- AirPods Pro 2 are available for RRP NZ$479 inc. GST from apple.com/nz/store and in the Apple Store app today.
- Customers can now pre-order AirPods Max with USB-C charging for RRP NZ$999 inc. GST from apple.com/nz/store and in the Apple Store app in New Zealand and more than 60 other countries and regions, with availability beginning Friday, 20 September.
- New subscribers could get three months of Apple Music free with the purchase of eligible new AirPods, AirPods Pro, or AirPods Max. See apple.com/nz/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.
About Apple Apple revolutionised 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. Loud Sound Reduction works with AirPods Pro 2 with the latest firmware when paired with a compatible iPhone, iPad, or Mac running the latest operating system software.
2. The Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features are expected to be available spring 2024. The Hearing Aid feature is pending marketing authorisation 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/nz/batteries for details.
4. Offer available to new subscribers who purchase an eligible device. Only one offer per Apple ID and only one offer per family if you’re part of a Family Sharing group, regardless of the number of devices you or your family purchases. This offer is not available if you or your Family have previously subscribed. Offer good for three months after eligible device activation. Plan automatically renews until cancelled. Apple Music is NZ$16.99 per month after free trial. See apple.com/nz/promo for details.
5. AppleCare+ benefits are separate from and in addition to the Apple Limited Warranty and any legal rights provided by New Zealand consumer law; for details, click here.
Press Contacts

Loren Helmrich

Apple

lhelmrich@apple.com

Nelly Assayag

Apple

nassayag@apple.com
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Loud Sound Reduction 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 Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features are expected to be available spring 2024. The Hearing Aid feature is pending marketing authorisation 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.
Battery life varies by use. See apple.com/nz/batteries for details.
Offer available to new subscribers who purchase an eligible device. Only one offer per Apple ID and only one offer per family if you’re part of a Family Sharing group, regardless of the number of devices you or your family purchases. This offer is not available if you or your Family have previously subscribed. Offer good for three months after eligible device activation. Plan automatically renews until cancelled. Apple Music is NZ$16.99 per month after free trial. See apple.com/nz/promo for details.
AppleCare+ benefits are separate from and in addition to the Apple Limited Warranty and any legal rights provided by New Zealand consumer law; for details, click here.

Press Contacts

Loren Helmrich

Apple

lhelmrich@apple.com

Nelly Assayag

Apple

nassayag@apple.com