Reviewing Apple's Beats Solo 4 wireless headphones, boasting some of the best battery life in 2024 - although the lack of ANC is shocking for commuters. At this $199 price, noise cancelling is a big miss - while the Beats Solo 4 also lack customisation. I've been testing these headphones for a week with Android phones and here's my verdict.
I really like the compact and light design of these headphones. They're comfortable to wear for extended periods despite that on-ear design thanks to the memory foam cups (also found on the Beats Pro). And the Beats Solo 4 wireless also offer touch controls, plus 3.5mm wired connectivity.
That Android app sadly is bare bones, to say the least. You can check your headphones' battery life and ever so slightly tweak the controls, but the Beats Solo 4 audio can't be adjusted. Likewise there's next to no customisation.
But despite the lack of audio tuning, and the basic AAC codec support, these wireless headphones still boast respectable sound reproduction. It's a crowd pleasing output with punchy lows and strong stereo play.
That said, if you head outside a lot, the Beats Solo 4 ANC - or lack of - is a real bummer. You'll want to look to rivals from Sony and Sennheiser if you want more personalisation and proper noise cancelling.
Beats Solo 4 Review Chapters: 0:00 - Get on with it! 0:23 - Design 2:03 - Beats app 2:37 - Controls 4:00 - Audio 5:12 - ANC (nope!) 6:04 - Mic test 6:30 - Battery life
