AirPods 5 Announced: Price, Features, and What's New

Alongside the new iPhones and Apple Watches at its September 9 keynote, Apple refreshed its entry-level AirPods line with two new models — both sitting below the AirPods Pro 3 in the lineup, not replacing it, and both now include active noise cancellation, a first for this tier.

Two Models, Same Chip, Different Case

The base AirPods 5 starts at $129 with a USB-C charging case and active noise cancellation included — Apple rates it for up to 4 hours of listening with ANC on a single charge. Step up to $149 for the Wireless Charging Case version, and you add MagSafe/Qi wireless charging, compatibility with an Apple Watch charger, a force sensor with volume-swipe control, and a small battery bump: up to 5 hours per charge with ANC, up to 22 hours total with the case. Both use Apple's H2 chip — the same silicon as the outgoing AirPods 4, not a new H3 chip as some early event-day coverage suggested, and confirmed directly on Apple's own technical specifications page.

What Actually Changed From AirPods 4

Physically, nothing — earbud and case dimensions and weight are identical to AirPods 4, per Apple's own spec sheet. The real changes are under the hood: Apple says AirPods 5 delivers up to 1.5x more active noise cancellation than the previous generation, alongside a redesigned acoustic architecture the company describes as richer and more detailed. Software-side, both models get hands-free Siri AI, Live Translation in select languages, Voice Isolation for calls, and Listen Together for sharing audio between two sets of AirPods — most of which depend on iOS 27, arriving September 14.

Where They Sit in Apple's Lineup

Apple now has a clearer three-tier earbuds lineup: the $129 AirPods 5 for anyone who wants ANC without paying for wireless charging, the $149 AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case for a small convenience premium, and the AirPods Pro 3 above both for buyers who want a true in-ear fit, adaptive noise cancellation, and Apple's higher-end audio tuning. Both AirPods 5 models are available for pre-order now and ship September 18.

Pricing and feature details above are drawn from Apple's own product and technical-specifications pages. The H2-vs-H3 chip question specifically had conflicting early reporting — Apple's own spec page is the authoritative source, and it confirms H2.