AirPod Alert! Apple's AirPods 4 with ANC get a seriously tempting Black Friday deal

Apple AirPods 4 with ANC wireless earbuds

(Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

It wouldn't be Black Friday week without a discount on one of the event's best-selling products: AirPods.

The Apple earbuds have taken the world by storm since their launch in 2016, becoming a cultural icon and launching several different spin-offs.

One of those spin-offs is the AirPods 4 with ANC, which – you guessed it – comes with Active Noise Cancellation built in. They're available now for £149 at AO.com.

AO members can get the trendy earbuds for £129, which is the lowest price we've seen in the UK this Black Friday – but is only worth it if you've already paid the £39.99 AO Five Star Membership fee.

Discounts on Apple accessories are rare and often reserved for big sales events, so a £30 discount is well worth considering.

The AirPods 4 with ANC are the current 'standard' AirPods on the market right now, and comfortably take the mid-range crown in our best AirPods guide.

Eyebrows were certainly raised when it was announced that the next set of AirPods would feature ANC but still maintain an open (no tips) design, but once again, Apple has seemingly done the impossible. Utilising low-level frequencies to cancel out external noise, the AirPods 4 offer surprisingly effective sound blocking.

"Slip the AirPods 4 on, toggle on noise-cancelling and you’ll hear those low-level sounds immediately melt away," our AirPods 4 with ANC review reads. "The rumble of engines on the road, the grinding hum of trains, the exhaust fan in the kitchen – it all disappears. It’s quite impressive."

This being an Apple product, however, there are of course plenty more features packed in. Spatial audio, dynamic head tracking, Bluetooth 5.3 support and an IP54 dust and waterproof rating all come as part of the package.

We also found the sound to be more detailed, powerful and entertaining than the previous AirPods 3, sounding more similar to the premium AirPods Pro 2.

Battery life is advertised as 30 hours, though we were disappointed to learn that this dropped to 20 hours with ANC turned on.

If you have an iOS device, AirPods offer a seamless, user-friendly experience and this model is no different. Offering a little bit of everything and now active noise cancellation too, the AirPods 4 with ANC for £149 at AO.com should be considered before stock runs out.

MORE:

We're tracking the best Black Friday deals as they go live

The best Black Friday headphone deals for all budgets

The best wireless earbuds you can buy

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Daniel Furn is a staff writer at What Hi-Fi? focused on all things deal-related. He studied Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield before working as a freelance journalist covering film, TV, gaming, and consumer tech. Outside of work, he can be found travelling far-flung corners of the globe, playing badminton, and watching the latest streaming sensation (in 4K HDR, of course).

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