Apple AirPods 5 arrived on September 9 with Active Noise Cancellation in an open-ear design and a starting price of $129. Buyers now get ANC at Apple’s lowest AirPods price, but they also have to judge whether an open fit can do what sealed earbuds usually do better.
Dave Pakula on Apple AirPods 5
Dave Pakula, Apple’s vice president of Hardware Engineering, said, "We’re thrilled that with AirPods 5, we’re able to bring Active Noise Cancellation — one of our most beloved features — to our most affordable AirPods". That puts the feature where many customers will feel it first: at the entry price, not the premium tier.
Active Noise Cancellation in open-ear
Apple said AirPods 5 remove up to 50 percent more external noise than AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation. The company also said the new model uses an all-new multiport acoustic architecture and next-generation Adaptive EQ. In plain terms, the earbud hardware now has more than one path for shaping sound and more room to tune how audio lands in the ear.
Apple is promoting industry-leading ANC in an open-ear design, which is unusual because ANC is typically associated with more sealed earbud designs. Apple is asking buyers to trust that acoustic hardware and software tuning can offset the lack of a tighter seal, and that is the real test behind the claim.
$149 Wireless Charging Case
The base model costs $129. The Wireless Charging Case version costs $149. Apple said that case adds longer battery life and on-stem volume control, which gives the higher-priced option a clearer reason to exist than charging convenience alone.
AirPods 5 also add improved dust, sweat, and water resistance, plus support for hands-free access to Siri AI and Live Translation. Apple said the model improves Transparency mode and includes Adaptive Audio and Conversation Awareness, so the cheaper AirPods line now absorbs more of the features that used to sit higher up the range.
Pre-orders started on September 9, and stores will get AirPods 5 beginning Friday, September 18. For buyers deciding between the two versions, the only unresolved question is how much the open-ear ANC changes day-to-day listening compared with the more sealed designs Apple is replacing at the low end.
