The AirPods 4 are on sale for the first time
The noise-canceling AirPods 4 offer a few premium features the standard model lacks, including a case with a built-in speaker. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge
It’s turning out to be a good week for Apple fans. First, the new black Apple Watch Ultra 2 received a $50 discount, and now both versions of the new AirPods 4 are on sale for the first time. The AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation are down to $169 ($10 off) at Amazon, while the standard AirPods 4 are on sale at Amazon for $119 ($10 off). Neither is an enormous discount, but if you’re an early adopter, it beats the prices you’d be paying at Best Buy, Apple, and other retailers.
Regardless of which model you choose, the AirPods 4 represent a substantial upgrade over their predecessor. Both pairs of earbuds deliver better sound than the second-gen AirPods, with more bass than the third-gen AirPods. They also sport the Voice Isolation feature found in the latest AirPods Pro, which uses a series of machine learning algorithms to isolate your voice in noisy environments, resulting in clearer voice call quality.
The main difference between the two is that the pricer AirPods include active noise cancellation and a transparency mode. Granted, they’re not going to completely tune out noise the way Pro models can, but they still do a good job of reducing sound. They also inherit a few other Pro features, including wireless charging and a case with a built-in speaker that can emit a sound for easy tracking via Apple’s Find My app.
Of course, the AirPods Pro ultimately sound better and offer a few extra capabilities, like easier-to-use volume controls and (soon) the ability to double as hearing aids. But if you don’t mind making some trade-offs, Apple’s new entry-level earbuds are a cheaper option that still integrate well with other Apple devices and services.
Read our AirPods 4 review.
A few more ways to save today
Now through 1AM ET on September 29th, Woot is selling Super Mario Bros. Wonder for $44.99 ($15 off). That’s nearly the best price we’ve seen on the award-winning Nintendo Switch game, which my colleague Andrew Webster described as a “blast” and one of the best Super Mario titles to date when he reviewed the game last year. The 2D side-scroller pulls notes from classics like Super Mario World but with some truly weird mechanics, including a power-up that let you transform into a brick-smashing elephant.
If you’re in the market for a good Android phone, the Samsung Galaxy A35 5G is one of our favorite budget-friendly options on the market — one that’s available for $324.99 ($75 off) at Amazon and Best Buy. Its camera is a bit lackluster and its onboard processor isn’t particularly powerful, but the phone does offer a nice 6.6-inch, 120Hz OLED display and an IP67 dust and water resistance rating. Most impressively, Samsung promises four years of OS updates and five years of security updates, rendering it a better long-term investment than many other sub-$500 smartphones.
If you’re in the market for a reliable travel adapter, Epicka’s Universal Travel Adapter is on sale at Amazon in multiple colors for $19.99 ($5 off), which is one of its better prices to date. In addition to sporting a single USB-C port, the adapter also offers four USB-A ports so you can charge your phone, camera, laptop, tablet, and other electronics in more than 150 countries.
The noise-canceling AirPods 4 offer a few premium features the standard model lacks, including a case with a built-in speaker. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge
It’s turning out to be a good week for Apple fans. First, the new black Apple Watch Ultra 2 received a $50 discount, and now both versions of the new AirPods 4 are on sale for the first time. The AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation are down to $169 ($10 off) at Amazon, while the standard AirPods 4 are on sale at Amazon for $119 ($10 off). Neither is an enormous discount, but if you’re an early adopter, it beats the prices you’d be paying at Best Buy, Apple, and other retailers.
Regardless of which model you choose, the AirPods 4 represent a substantial upgrade over their predecessor. Both pairs of earbuds deliver better sound than the second-gen AirPods, with more bass than the third-gen AirPods. They also sport the Voice Isolation feature found in the latest AirPods Pro, which uses a series of machine learning algorithms to isolate your voice in noisy environments, resulting in clearer voice call quality.
The main difference between the two is that the pricer AirPods include active noise cancellation and a transparency mode. Granted, they’re not going to completely tune out noise the way Pro models can, but they still do a good job of reducing sound. They also inherit a few other Pro features, including wireless charging and a case with a built-in speaker that can emit a sound for easy tracking via Apple’s Find My app.
Of course, the AirPods Pro ultimately sound better and offer a few extra capabilities, like easier-to-use volume controls and (soon) the ability to double as hearing aids. But if you don’t mind making some trade-offs, Apple’s new entry-level earbuds are a cheaper option that still integrate well with other Apple devices and services.
Read our AirPods 4 review.
A few more ways to save today
Now through 1AM ET on September 29th, Woot is selling Super Mario Bros. Wonder for $44.99 ($15 off). That’s nearly the best price we’ve seen on the award-winning Nintendo Switch game, which my colleague Andrew Webster described as a “blast” and one of the best Super Mario titles to date when he reviewed the game last year. The 2D side-scroller pulls notes from classics like Super Mario World but with some truly weird mechanics, including a power-up that let you transform into a brick-smashing elephant.
If you’re in the market for a good Android phone, the Samsung Galaxy A35 5G is one of our favorite budget-friendly options on the market — one that’s available for $324.99 ($75 off) at Amazon and Best Buy. Its camera is a bit lackluster and its onboard processor isn’t particularly powerful, but the phone does offer a nice 6.6-inch, 120Hz OLED display and an IP67 dust and water resistance rating. Most impressively, Samsung promises four years of OS updates and five years of security updates, rendering it a better long-term investment than many other sub-$500 smartphones.
If you’re in the market for a reliable travel adapter, Epicka’s Universal Travel Adapter is on sale at Amazon in multiple colors for $19.99 ($5 off), which is one of its better prices to date. In addition to sporting a single USB-C port, the adapter also offers four USB-A ports so you can charge your phone, camera, laptop, tablet, and other electronics in more than 150 countries.