Standard or Pro AirPods

In the AirPods 4 vs AirPods Pro 3 choice, the AirPods Pro 3 are the better buy for commuters, flyers and gym users, and the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation are the cheaper pick for casual listeners. At the time of writing (October 2026) Amazon UK lists the AirPods Pro 3 at £200, the AirPods 4 with ANC at £120.43 and the AirPods 4 without ANC at £99.00. For rivals at every price, see our best wireless earbuds in the UK guide.

Android owners lose most of the difference between these models; see are AirPods worth it with Android.

AirPods Pro 3 vs AirPods 4: which is better value for money?

The AirPods 4 with ANC are cheaper per hour with the case, and the AirPods Pro 3 are cheaper per hour of noise cancelling on a single charge. Compare Electronic divided each Amazon UK price at the time of writing (October 2026) by Apple's rated hours, with ANC on where the model has it.

The AirPods Pro 3 cost £79.57 more than the AirPods 4 with ANC. Each extra hour of noise cancelling per charge costs £19.89 of that premium, and spread over a three-year life the gap is £2.21 a month. The AirPods 5, Apple's 2026 model with ANC as standard, cost £119.00, which is £1.43 less than the AirPods 4 with ANC; the AirPods 5 with the Wireless Charging Case cost £139.00.

Is the AirPods Pro 3 noise cancelling better than the AirPods 4?

Yes, by a wide margin. SoundGuys measured an average 90 percent reduction in ambient sound for the AirPods Pro 3 and scored their noise cancelling 9.0 out of 10. SoundGuys scored the AirPods 4 with ANC 5.3 out of 10, with about 20 dB of reduction in mids and highs and little against low-frequency rumble.

Design explains the gap. The AirPods Pro 3 seal the ear canal with foam-infused silicone tips in five sizes, from XXS to L. The AirPods 4 use an open, unsealed stem design with no tips, so noise cancelling has to work around a leaky fit. The AirPods 4 without ANC offer no cancelling. Apple says the newer AirPods 5 deliver up to 1.5x the noise cancelling of the AirPods 4 with ANC; our guide to whether noise-cancelling earbuds are worth it covers what ANC adds to the price.

Which AirPods fit and sound better?

The AirPods Pro 3 sound fuller, and the AirPods 4 fit more lightly. SoundGuys gave the AirPods Pro 3 an MDAQS sound score of 3.8 and the AirPods 4 with ANC 3.6, and noted stronger bass and a sealed design on the Pro model against sub-bass roll-off on the AirPods 4.

Apple lists the AirPods 4 at 4.3 g per earbud and the AirPods Pro 3 at 5.55 g. Buyers who find silicone tips uncomfortable prefer the AirPods 4; the AirPods Pro 3 also carry IP57 dust, sweat and water protection against IP54 on the AirPods 4, which matters for running. Both use Apple's H2 chip and Bluetooth 5.3, and both support Personalised Spatial Audio with head tracking. Neither offers a user-adjustable equaliser.

Which has the better battery life?

The AirPods Pro 3 last twice as long per charge. Apple rates them at 8 hours with ANC on and 24 hours with the case, against 4 hours and 20 hours for the AirPods 4 with ANC. SoundGuys measured 8 hours 42 minutes from the AirPods Pro 3 with ANC on, and 6 hours 21 minutes from the AirPods 4 with ANC with noise cancelling and Transparency off, adding that the figure falls to nearly 5 hours with them on.

How long the batteries last over the years matters too; our guide to how long AirPods last covers wear and the cost of battery service.

Which AirPods are better for calls, charging and finding a lost case?

The AirPods Pro 3 are better for calls in noise and for tracking the case; the AirPods 4 with ANC are easier to live with day to day. SoundGuys rated the AirPods Pro 3 microphone as clearer, though it noted background chatter can cut through in loud places, and rated the AirPods 4 microphone as solid, with Apple's processing cleaning up speech.

• Charging: the AirPods Pro 3 case charges over MagSafe, Qi, an Apple Watch charger and USB-C. The AirPods 4 with ANC case charges over Qi, an Apple Watch charger and USB-C, and the AirPods 4 case over USB-C only.
• Finding the case: the cases of the AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods 4 with ANC include a speaker for Find My. SoundGuys adds that the AirPods Pro 3 case has a U2 chip for precise tracking. The AirPods 4 case has no speaker.
• Controls: the AirPods Pro 3 use squeeze gestures on the stem. The AirPods 4 use taps and can answer Siri with a nod of the head.

Should you buy the AirPods 5 instead of the AirPods 4?

Buyers who want ANC on a budget should price the AirPods 5 before the AirPods 4 with ANC. The AirPods 5 cost £119.00 on Amazon UK at the time of writing (October 2026), £1.43 less than the AirPods 4 with ANC at £120.43. Apple rates the AirPods 5 at up to 1.5x the noise cancelling of the AirPods 4 with ANC, 4 hours per charge with ANC on and IP57, against IP54 on the AirPods 4.

The trade-off is the case. The £119.00 AirPods 5 case does not charge wirelessly, and the AirPods 5 with the Wireless Charging Case cost £139.00, which is £18.57 more than the AirPods 4 with ANC and £61.00 below the AirPods Pro 3. Neither AirPods 5 model changes the conclusion for commuters: the AirPods Pro 3 still rate 8 hours per charge against 4.

What do AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 3 cost over three years?

Over three years with one battery service, the AirPods Pro 3 cost £6.92 a month and the AirPods 4 with ANC £4.71. Apple's UK out-of-warranty battery service estimate is £49 for both the AirPods 4 and the AirPods Pro 3, according to our guide on how long AirPods last. Compare Electronic added one £49 service to each Amazon UK price at the time of writing (October 2026) and divided by 36 months.

The monthly gap between the AirPods Pro 3 and the AirPods 4 with ANC stays at £2.21, because the battery service costs the same on both.

Apple AirPods Pro 3 - best for commuting and workouts

The AirPods Pro 3 suit iPhone owners who spend hours a day on trains, planes or in open-plan offices, who train with their earbuds in, or who want hearing health features. They are the pick for anyone for whom noise cancelling is the reason to buy.

Apple AirPods 4 with ANC - best for casual listening

The AirPods 4 with ANC suit listeners who find in-ear tips uncomfortable, use earbuds for calls and podcasts, and want occasional noise reduction at the lowest Apple price that offers it. They give up low-frequency cancelling and run for half the time of the AirPods Pro 3.

Apple AirPods 4 - cheapest way in

The AirPods 4 at £99.00 keep the H2 chip, Personalised Spatial Audio and the open fit, and drop noise cancelling, Transparency mode and the wireless charging case. They suit buyers who mostly use earbuds at home or at a desk.

AirPods 4 vs AirPods Pro 3: full spec sheet

The AirPods Pro 3 lead on seal, battery, durability and health features; the AirPods 4 lead on weight and price.

Buyers weighing over-ear models should also read our best wireless headphones list, and iPhone owners comparing against Sony can read AirPods Pro 3 vs Sony WF-1000XM6.

What does the extra £79.57 buy?

The extra money buys a sealed fit and the features that depend on it. Compare Electronic priced each step from the AirPods 4 up to the AirPods Pro 3 at Amazon UK prices at the time of writing (October 2026).

The first step is cheap: £21.43 is the price of noise cancelling on the open design. The second step is where the performance changes, and £79.57 spread over 36 months is £2.21 a month.

Who should skip each model?

• Skip the AirPods Pro 3: buyers on Android, buyers who dislike in-ear tips, and owners of the AirPods Pro 2 whose pair still holds a charge; see AirPods Pro 3 vs AirPods Pro 2.
• Skip the AirPods 4 with ANC: commuters and flyers, who get weak low-frequency cancelling from an open design, and anyone who can buy the AirPods 5 for £1.43 less.
• Skip the AirPods 4: anyone who wants noise cancelling at any point, since the ANC model costs £21.43 more.

Verdict: AirPods 4 or AirPods Pro 3?

iPhone owners who want noise cancelling that works should buy the AirPods Pro 3. At £200 on Amazon UK at the time of writing (October 2026), they measure 90 percent noise reduction, run 8 hours per charge and carry IP57, for £79.57 more than the AirPods 4 with ANC.

Casual listeners who value a light, open fit should buy the AirPods 4 with ANC at £120.43, or the AirPods 4 at £99.00 if cancelling is not needed. Rivals from Sony, Samsung and Soundcore are ranked in our best wireless earbuds UK guide.