Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | Sony - LinkBuds Fit |
|---|---|---|
| Driver size | 10 mm | 8.4 mm |
| Battery — buds | 5 h | 5.5 h |
| Battery — with case | 20 h | 21 h |
| Multipoint | false | true |
| Weight per bud | 4.3 g | 4.9 g |
| Water resistance | IP54 | IPX4 |
Between the AirPods 4 with ANC and LinkBuds Fit, the AirPods 4 with ANC comes out ahead in driver size / weight per bud, while the LinkBuds Fit wins on battery — buds / battery — with case. Overall, the AirPods 4 with ANC scores 71.1 and the LinkBuds Fit scores 69.4 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (71.1 vs 69.4). The decision is not about overall quality — both clear the bar — it is about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
Pick the AirPods 4 with ANC if you care most about driver size / weight per bud. The biggest gaps in its favor are driver size, weight per bud, water resistance. The single most decisive one: Driver size — 19.05% more. 10 mm vs 8.4 mm.
Pick the LinkBuds Fit if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. Its strongest claims are battery — buds, battery — with case, multipoint. The single most decisive one: Battery — buds — 10.00% more. 5.5 h vs 5 h.
Both ship with comparable active noise cancellation, spatial audio, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity says both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Which should you buy: Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC or Sony - LinkBuds Fit?
Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC leads the current Mars Score by 1.7 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare driver size, battery — buds, weight per bud against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC if…
Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC has the measurable edge on driver size mm, weight per bud g, ip rating.
Choose Sony - LinkBuds Fit if…
Sony - LinkBuds Fit has the measurable edge on battery life buds h, battery life case h, has multipoint.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC wins
- ▲Driver size — 19.05% more. 10 mm vs 8.4 mm.
- ▲Weight per bud — 0.60 g less. 4.3 vs 4.9.
- ▲Water resistance: IP54 (vs IPX4).
Why Sony - LinkBuds Fit wins
- ▲Battery — buds — 10.00% more. 5.5 h vs 5 h.
- ▲Battery — with case — 5.00% more. 21 h vs 20 h.
- ▲Has Multipoint.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | Sony - LinkBuds Fit |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | openlead | in-ear |
| Weight per bud | 4.3 glead | 4.9 g |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP54lead | IPX4 |
Audio
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | Sony - LinkBuds Fit |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 10 mmlead | 8.4 mm |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | true | true |
| Transparency mode | true | true |
| Spatial audioⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | Sony - LinkBuds Fit |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — buds | 5 h | 5.5 hlead |
| Battery — with case | 20 h | 21 hlead |
| Wireless case chargingⓘ | true | true |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | Sony - LinkBuds Fit |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| Codecsⓘ | AAC,SBC | LDAC,AAC,SBC |
| Multipointⓘ | false | truelead |
| In-ear detection | true | true |
Frequently asked
Which has longer battery, AirPods 4 with ANC or LinkBuds Fit?+
LinkBuds Fit lasts 5.5h per charge vs 5h.
Do AirPods 4 with ANC or LinkBuds Fit support multipoint?+
LinkBuds Fit supports multipoint pairing; AirPods 4 with ANC does not.
Which has ANC, AirPods 4 with ANC or LinkBuds Fit?+
Both models have active noise cancellation.