We’ll never say no to something from Anker’s Soundcore range, especially a new pair of sleep-focused earbuds. The Soundcore Sleep A30 lived up to our expectations and then some. The company, currently attending IFA in Berlin, just announced the Soundcore Sleep Earbuds 4 and Sleep 4 Pro — and they look like a solid upgrade.
Same ol’ audio, now with OLED
If it’s an audio upgrade you’re looking for, you’re fresh out of luck. These are nearly identical to the Sleep A30 internally, though Anker has included upgrades to the battery life and ANC to stave off angry would-be buyers. It’s worked harder on cutting away the fat from the A30, leading to a “20 percent smaller contact area”.
That should make the Sleep Earbuds 4 and 4 Pro even more comfortable to wear throughout the night. Not that we ever had trouble with the Sleep A30 in that regard. Still, they’re smaller and won’t cry for a charge quite as often. Anker reckons that streaming audio will only get 8 hours of juice with ANC turned on, and 11 with it turned off. Stick to local playback, and you’ll get 9.5 hours (ANC on) or 14.5 hours (ANC off) of battery life.
Read More: Soundcore R60i NC review – Well worth its minor price tag
Thus far, there’s nothing that sets the Sleep Earbuds 4 and 4 Pro apart. They both even feature a charging case that’ll charge wirelessly on an included pad while you sleep. Anker’s hoping that sticking an OLED screen on the 4 Pro’s case will be enough of a lure. It’ll allow users to set alarms, check sleep stats, or select local sleep tracks.
Another distinguishing factor of the Sleep 4 Pro is what Anker’s calling a “track-assess-adjustment system” (via CNET). The idea is to use the headphones’ sensors to track your heart rate, HRV, and PPG to automatically adjust the audio for the best sleep possible. The cheaper Sleep 4 buds are on track to launch in October, while the Sleep 4 Pro is targeting a November release. They’ll cost $230 (∼R3,700) and $350 (∼R5,600). A South African release is almost certainly on the cards, though official local pricing and release dates haven’t been announced.
