AirPods 4 on sale: Budget buds with ANC

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AirPods 4 are on sale for as little as $89.

The latest budget AirPods from Apple are turning into a solid deal for iPhone owners who want better sound without breaking the bank. Walmart is listing the base AirPods 4 at $89, a $30 discount off the $129 street price, while the model with active noise cancellation (ANC) is currently $119 at Amazon and Walmart—down from $179. The price delta makes these the best entry-level AirPods Apple has shipped to date, and the sale is especially meaningful for shoppers who equate “affordable” with “Apple ecosystem.”

In hands-on reviews, testers found that the AirPods 4 deliver fuller bass and clearer detail than prior entry models, with sound tuning that feel more balanced for a broad range of music and podcasts. The ANC variant, while not a Pro substitute, does a surprisingly good job of quieting ambient and low-frequency noise on planes, in offices, and during commutes. Apple also improves durability with an IP54 rating for water and dust resistance, meaning they can handle sweat and light rain more confidently than many budget buds. If you’re listening on the go, the ANC version offers a tangible difference in noisy environments, even if it won’t match the premium Pro lineup in raw cancellation.

Setup time is as painless as Apple gets: pair once on an iPhone, and the AirPods 4 slide into automatic device switching, with hands-free Siri and Apple TV support baked in. The trade-off, as always with budget-friendly ANC, is that the experience hinges on your environment and expectations. The base model emphasizes sound quality and comfort, while the ANC option trades a bit of battery headroom and perceived depth for quieter listening in challenging environments. For many Apple users, the synergy between the AirPods 4 and an iPhone or iPad is the ultimate convenience upgrade at a modest price.

Two concrete practitioner insights for shoppers:

Price versus value at the exit ramp of the season: The discounted $89 base model and $119 ANC variant create a compelling “buy now” moment for users who want a better-than-entry-level listening experience without committing to AirPods Pro-level spend. The key question is whether you’ll actually use ANC enough to justify the cost delta; if you’re mostly in quiet spaces, the base AirPods 4 may be the steadier value play.

Ecosystem advantages and caveats: Apple touts features like automatic switching, hands-free Siri, and Apple TV compatibility, which can make the AirPods 4 feel like a seamless extension of a primarily Apple setup. Android users will still get stereo sound and basic pairing, but they won’t access the same feature set, which is an important cost-to-benefit consideration for buyers who aren’t deeply invested in Apple devices.

For prospective buyers, the obvious alternative is the higher-end AirPods Pro, which commands a far steeper price but brings stronger ANC and additional transparency mode. If you’re in the iOS orbit and want something comfortable, reliable, and affordable, the AirPods 4—especially the ANC variant at $119—becomes hard to beat on paper. If you crave top-tier noise control or plan to use ANC in the loudest environments regularly, you may want to wait for a more premium or next-gen model or consider a different brand that foregrounds active noise cancellation.

Verdict: Buy. These are the best entry-level AirPods Apple has offered, with a compelling price-to-performance balance, solid call quality, and a durable, IP54-rated design. The ANC option is a nice extra for noisy days, and the ecosystem advantages make setup and everyday use delightfully simple.

Sources & methodology

Apple’s cheapest AirPods have hit $89
theverge.com / Source role not classified / Published MAR 02, 2026 / Accessed MAR 03, 2026

AirPods 4 on sale: Budget buds with ANC

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