Skip to main content

AirPods 4 don’t come with a cable — and that’s a good thing

The AirPods 4 at the Apple Glowtime event on September 9, 2024.
The AirPods 4 won't ship with a USB-C cable. Caleb Denison / Digital Trends

There are two ways to consider the conundrum that is the charging situation with the Apple AirPods 4 , which won’t come with a charging cable.

On one hand, that’s bad — if you don’t already own a good USB-C cable . That’s actually a possibility. Yes, in 2024. There’s a very real chance that someone who has only owned an iPhone that has a Lightning port may purchase these earbuds. And there’s a very real possibility that said purchaser has only owned AirPods that also charged via Lightning. You can scoff at such a person all you want, but you’d be wrong to do so.

Recommended Videos

On the other hand, this is a very good thing. Because there’s a better-than-average chance that you — person who’s buying AirPods 4 — already have a USB-C cable on hand. It’s long been the standard on Android. It’s long been included with non-Apple earbuds and headphones. Hell, I spent more money than I should have to replace an otherwise perfectly good mouse when a new version was released with USB-C. The reversible connector isn’t perfect — the various options for charging and data speeds can be maddening when you grab something that doesn’t work the way you think it should. (And don’t get me started on Thunderbolt.)

There’s one other major caveat here. There actually are two flavors of AirPods 4. Apple’s playing more than a little bit of sleight-of-hand with the name. The $129 model doesn’t include active noise cancellation — and the case does not support wireless charging. You’re going to need a USB-C cable to charge these AirPods 4. If you want wireless charging and ANC, you’ll need to pony up the extra $50.

All-New AirPods: First Look at AirPods 4 with ANC, Pro 2 and Max
That part is nobody’s fault but Apple’s. While it consolidated the AirPods nomenclature into three distinct models — AirPods 4, AirPods Pro , and AirPods Max — it’s only a matter of time before someone goes for the cheapest option, only to be more than annoyed that placing the case on a wireless charger does absolutely nothing, and that there’s no cable in the box. The AirPods Max, by the way, still come with a charging cable ( now USB-C ) for the obvious reason of not having wireless charging.

Personally, I think the convenience of wireless charging — and the inclusion of ANC — is worth the extra $50. (We’ll have to see how much of a difference there ends up being between the AirPods 4 with ANC and the AirPods Pro.) I only ever charge my AirPods Pro case wirelessly, because I don’t ever have to charge them more than once a day.

In all likelihood, Apple will do whatever it can to upsell folks to the $179 version of the AirPods 4. If someone goes cheaper, fine. Either way, eschewing the charging cable means less material, less shipping weight, and ultimately less cost for Apple. Less post-consumer waste, too.

And that’s a good thing.

Phil Nickinson
Former Section Editor, Audio/Video
Phil spent the 2000s making newspapers with the Pensacola (Fla.) News Journal, the 2010s with Android Central and then the…
Apple re-releases AirPods Max lossless audio update after initial delay
The AirPods Max in orange at the Apple Glowtime event on September 9, 2024.

Apple has begun seeding a new update for the AirPods Max after hiccups in the initial rollout. The recent update, brought alongside iOS 18.4 earlier this week, enables lossless audio and super low latency when using the headphones over USB-C.

Apple's support page listing AirPods firmware updates was recently updated to indicate the said program, with build number 7E101, was now available for the AirPods Max. This succeeds the previous 7E99 build that was initially released this week but later marked as "Coming soon." YouTuber Aaron Zollo shared a screenshot on X, confirming the change.

Read more
Apple AirPods Pro 3: everything you need to know
Apple AirPods Pro 2 inside their charging case.

If Apple’s most popular product is the iPhone, its most iconic product is its AirPods wireless earbuds. The instantly recognizable white buds have become ubiquitous since their debut nearly 10 years ago, and the current premium offering remains the AirPods Pro 2 from three years ago - so where are Apple's AirPods Pro 3?

The second-generation of the high-end earbuds received a mild update in 2023, including the addition of MagSafe charging and USB-C compatibility, but we haven’t seen a real upgrade since this generation was released in 2022.

Read more
You’ll be waiting a little bit longer for AirPods Max lossless audio update
Apple AirPods Max with USB-C in Blue.

It’s not very often that Apple introduces new features on AirPods, but that was supposed to be true for the AirPods Max (USB-C) this week. Unfortunately, a software bug is delaying the release of new firmware.

Aaron Peris has pointed out that build number 7E99 for the AirPods Max is still accessible on Apple’s servers. However, an issue with iOS 18.4, which is necessary for the firmware update to be installed on the headphones, has prevented the updates from being applied. On an Apple support page, build number 7E99 is now noted as “coming soon.” The current version remains 7A291.

Read more