Between the AirPods 4 with ANC and Ear (3), the AirPods 4 with ANC comes out ahead in spatial audio and weight per bud, while the Ear (3) wins on battery — with case and battery — buds. Overall, the AirPods 4 with ANC scores 58.3 and the Ear (3) scores 70.8 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Ear (3) is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 12.5 points on the Mars Score. The margin is wide enough that the underdog only makes sense if its individual strengths line up with what you specifically need.
Pick the AirPods 4 with ANC if audio quality and feature breadth (ANC, codecs, multipoint) are the lead criteria for your purchase. The biggest gaps in its favor are spatial audio, weight per bud.
Pick the Ear (3) 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 — with case, battery — buds, driver size, among others.
Both ship with comparable active noise cancellation, water resistance, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the Ear (3) is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC wins
- ▲Has Spatial audio.
- ▲Weight per bud — 0.30 g less. 4.3 vs 4.6.
Why Nothing - Ear (3) wins
- ▲Battery — with case — 100.00% more. 40 h vs 20 h.
- ▲Battery — buds — 70.00% more. 8.5 h vs 5 h.
- ▲Driver size — 10.00% more. 11 mm vs 10 mm.
- ▲Has Multipoint.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | Nothing - Ear (3) |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | openlead | in-ear |
| Weight per bud | 4.3 glead | 4.6 g |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP54 | IP54 |
Audio
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | Nothing - Ear (3) |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 10 mm | 11 mmlead |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | true | true |
| Transparency mode | true | true |
| Spatial audioⓘ | truelead | false |
Battery
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | Nothing - Ear (3) |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — buds | 5 h | 8.5 hlead |
| Battery — with case | 20 h | 40 hlead |
| Wireless case chargingⓘ | true | true |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | Nothing - Ear (3) |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| Codecs | AAC,SBC | LDAC,LHDC 5.0,AAC,SBC |
| Multipointⓘ | false | truelead |
| In-ear detection | true | true |
Frequently asked
Which has longer battery, AirPods 4 with ANC or Ear (3)?+
Ear (3) lasts 8.5h per charge vs 5h.
Do AirPods 4 with ANC or Ear (3) support multipoint?+
Ear (3) supports multipoint; AirPods 4 with ANC does not.
Which has ANC, AirPods 4 with ANC or Ear (3)?+
Both have active noise cancellation.
Spec-level deep dives
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