Despite their open design, Apple's AirPods 4 feature active noise cancellation. An interview shows how this was achieved.

In a recent interview with Engadget, Apple's vice president of hardware engineering Kate Bergeron and AirPods marketing director Eric

For the first time ever, the entry-level AirPods have active noise cancellation (ANC). Apple unveiled the new AirPods 4 on Sept. 9 at the "Glowtime" event where the Cupertino-based tech giant debuted the new line with two variants: one with ANC and one without ANC.

From the outside, you won’t spot any drastic changes from the AirPods 3. Apple has continued to tweak the shape and contours of the earbuds for the best possible fit, and the charging case is now smaller than ever. (And yes, it’s got a USB-C connector this time.) But these still look the part of AirPods — and they still only come in white.

To a publication, Apple executives explained the magic behind AirPods 4 ANC feature that works without ear tips.

The work that began with EarPods continues to pay off as Apple prepares to ship the noise-canceling AirPods 4.