These Refurbished AirPods4 (With ANC) Are Just $118 During the Amazon Big Spring Sale
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Apple's AirPods Pro might be its most premium, expensive earbuds, but that doesn't mean they're hogging all the features. While they have the interchangeable ear tips, heart rate sensor, and the ability to be used as hearing aids, there are plenty of features you might assume to be "pro" that you can get on Apple's standard earbuds. Case in point: noise cancellation. If all you need is a pair of earbuds that can block out the sound around you (without spending $249), consider the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, which are currently on sale for Amazon's Big Spring Sale.
AirPods 4 are "one size fits all," and, as such, don't ship with ear tips of different sizes. However, if you've found that Apple's earbuds have fit your ears in the past, these should fit all the same. There's a surprising amount of overlap in terms of features between the AirPods 4 and the AirPods Pro, too: They both support noise cancellation (though the Pros are up to four times better at it, according to Apple); Transparency Mode, which pumps in external sounds so you don't have to take out your earbuds hear what's going on; Conversation Awareness, which automatically lowers the volume when you're speaking and raises it when you're done; Live Translation, which translates conversations in real-time through your AirPods; and Personalized Spatial Audio, which can track your head movements to adjust the sound reproduction on the fly.
Apple says the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation have up to five hours of listening time on a single care, and up to 30 hours when you take the charging case into consideration. These are IP54 resistant to dust, sweat, and water, slightly lower than the Pro's IP57 rating. Overall, if you want a pair of AirPods that can work well on an airplane without breaking the bank, the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation are a good bet. (Be careful if you need noise cancellation though, as Apple does sell a pair without the feature at a slightly lower price.)
The only caveat here is that these are not brand-new AirPods 4; rather, Amazon is selling "Renewed Premium" models. According to the company, "Renewed" products are "inspected, tested, and refurbished" by "Amazon-qualified suppliers." In order to qualify as "Premium Renewed," these products need to have no visible cosmetic damage when held 12 inches away. The battery needs to be at least 90% of its original capacity, and Amazon sells these products with generic or original accessories or packaging. When it comes to AirPods, my guess is that Amazon is taking open-box items (items that were opened but not used) and reselling them under this label—but there is a chance someone else used these AirPods before you bought them. While the company says all Premium Renewed products are professionally cleaned, I wouldn't blame anyone for being a bit wary here. In that case, you can pick up a brand new pair for $148.99, which is 17% off the list price of $179.