Beats Studio Buds + vs Apple AirPods 4
Quick take: The Apple AirPods 4 costs $1 less; the Beats Studio Buds + has active noise cancelling while the Apple AirPods 4 doesn't; the Beats Studio Buds + lasts longer per charge (6 hrs).
| Spec | Beats Studio Buds + | Apple AirPods 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$100 | ~$99 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Type | Wireless Earbuds | Wireless Earbuds |
| Noise Cancelling | ANC | None |
| Battery (single charge) | 6 hrs | 5 hrs |
| Battery (with case) | 36 hrs | 30 hrs |
| Quick Charge | Fast Fuel: 5 min = 1 hr | 5 min = 1 hr |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC, AAC |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| Multipoint | No | No |
| Driver Size | — | — |
| Weight | 5 g | 4.3 g |
| Water Resistance | IPX4 | IP54 |
| Wireless Charging | No | No |
| Transparency Mode | Yes | No |
| Spatial Audio | Yes | Yes |
| App EQ | No | No |
Pros & cons
Beats Studio Buds +
- ✓Native one-touch pairing on both iPhone and Android
- ✓Find My on iOS, Find My Device on Android
- ✓Genuinely natural transparency mode
- ✓Fast Fuel adds an hour in five minutes
- ✓Spatial audio works with Apple Music
- ✓Frequent $100 sales far below the $170 list
- ✗ANC weaker than a Space A40 at half the price
- ✗No multipoint, wireless charging, wear detection, or EQ
- ✗36-hour case total assumes ANC off
- ✗Intermittent dropout complaints drag the 4.1-star average
- ✗Early units hit by a left-bud drain issue
Apple AirPods 4
- ✓Same H2 chip and call quality as the ANC version
- ✓Featherweight 4.3g open fit stays comfortable for hours
- ✓30-hour total battery with the case
- ✓Personalized Spatial Audio with head tracking
- ✓IP54 dust and splash resistance
- ✓5-minute charge buys an hour
- ✗No ANC or Transparency — the ANC version costs little more
- ✗Case is USB-C only; no wireless charging or Find My speaker
- ✗Measurably leaner sub-bass than the ANC version
- ✗Fit lottery — hard plastic shape either fits you or it doesn't
- ✗AAC only, no EQ, feature-poor on Android