Beats Solo 4 review: Apple headphones get Android-loving upgrade

The Solo 4 headphones are a revamp of the fan favourite that helped make Beats a household name, upgraded with longer battery life, better sound and modern Apple and Android-loving features.

The design has essentially remained the same but it has been updated with premium materials and colour options. At a time when rivals have veered away from the form, the Beats remain on-ear headphones sitting on top of your ears rather than around them.

A slight reduction in clamping force on the side of your head and some soft ear cushions makes the headphones more comfortable than their predecessors, but like all on-ear designs they do hurt after a while. The headphones fold up for travel and come with a good, compact case.

The right cup has the power button and a USB-C socket for charging the headphones, which can also be used for wired listening and calls with USB-equipped devices. The battery lasts for up to 50 hours of Bluetooth playback. The headphones can be used without battery power with the included 3.5mm analogue cable.

Similar to recent Studio Buds+, the big advantage of the Beats is their extensive cross-compatibility with Android and iOS.

They have greater integration with an iPhone than their competitors, including hands-free Siri, access to controls through quick settings and instant pairing.

For Android or Google devices, they also support many of the same features, including instant pairing, syncing and switching between Google devices. The Beats Android app offers controls, battery widgets, settings and other features.

Beats sound quality has improved dramatically in recent years and the Solo 4 are no exception. They produce a clean and clear sound with good separation of tones that is easy to listen to across genres, but they require a bit of volume to sound their best.

They emphasise treble, which accentuates vocals, and lack the bass-heavy lean of their predecessors, producing a flatter response with bass only when required. Those looking for big, booming bass may want to look elsewhere.

Apple does not provide an expected lifespan for the batteries but typical lithium batteries last in excess of 500 full-charge cycles with at least 80% of original capacity.

Apple will replace the battery out of warranty for