Apple now sells earbuds in three shapes, and the shape decides the purchase before the price does. If a silicone tip sealing your ear canal bothers you, AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case at $149 is the best open-ear set Apple makes. If it does not bother you, AirPods Pro 3 at $249 is the…
AirPods Max 2
AirPods 5 vs AirPods Max 2: $420 Apart, and Only One Has a Full Spec Sheet
AirPods 5 costs $129 and AirPods Max 2 costs $549, a gap of $420 inside the same product family. The odd part is that their total rated listening times with noise cancellation are almost the same, at up to 20 hours each. AirPods 5 at $129 sits $420 below the top of Apple's range. Image:…
Every AirPods Apple Sells Runs the Same H2 Chip: So What Separates $129 From $549?
Apple lists the same H2 chip and the same Bluetooth 5.3 radio on every set of AirPods it sells, from the $129 AirPods 5 to the $549 AirPods Max 2. The price range across that lineup is more than four times, and none of it is explained by a different processor. AirPods 5 carry the…
AirPods Features That Stop at One Model: Heart Rate, Hearing Aid, Volume Swipe and MagSafe
Several of the features Apple advertises on AirPods exist on exactly one model in the range, and one of them exists on only one of the two AirPods 5 versions. Heart rate sensing and the hearing features are AirPods Pro 3 alone, MagSafe charging is Pro 3 alone, and the force sensor with volume swipe…
AirPods 5 Took Over Apple's AirPods 4 Page: What Apple Still Sells, and at What Price
Apple’s store URL for AirPods 4 now loads AirPods 5 instead, at $129 for the standard model and $149 for the version with the Wireless Charging Case. Read together with Apple’s AirPods comparison page, which lists AirPods 5, AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods Max 2, the range Apple sells today is three products across four…
Apple's AirPods Range Is Now Four Prices: What the $20, $100 and $300 Steps Add
With AirPods 5 on sale, Apple’s headphone range comes down to four prices: $129, $149, $249 and $549. The steps between them are $20, $100 and $300, and each one buys something very different. AirPods 5 at $129 sets the floor of Apple's range. Image: Apple The cheapest step is the easiest to misread. Going…