Apple announced AirPods 5 today at its “Surprise and shine” event, priced at $129, with a second model, AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case, at $149. Both bring Active Noise Cancellation to Apple’s open-ear earbuds at a level Apple says removes up to 50 percent more noise than AirPods 4 with ANC.
The earbuds arrived alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iOS 27 during John Ternus’s first keynote as CEO. Pre-orders open today, September 9, and both models reach stores on Friday, September 18, in the US and more than 65 countries.
AirPods 5 noise cancellation and sound features
Apple credits the improvement to a new multiport acoustic architecture, inspired by AirPods Pro 3, combined with improved computational audio. In Apple’s press release, Dave Pakula, Apple’s vice president of Hardware Engineering, said the company is “thrilled” to bring Active Noise Cancellation to AirPods 5.
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Alongside ANC, Apple lists the following audio features for the new earbuds:
- Transparency mode
- Adaptive Audio
- Conversation Awareness
- Next-generation Adaptive EQ
- Personalized Spatial Audio
AirPods 5 battery life
Apple rates AirPods 5 at up to 5 hours of listening with ANC on, one hour more than AirPods 4, and up to 22 hours in total with the case. Apple has not published a separate figure for listening with ANC switched off.
Both models also gain improved dust, sweat and water resistance, though Apple’s release does not attach a specific rating to the claim.
AirPods 5 price and the two models
The $20 step up to the Wireless Charging Case model buys a case that charges with Apple Watch chargers, Qi chargers and USB-C, plus a force sensor with swipe volume control, which Apple calls a first for the open-ear form factor.
| Model | Price | Case charging | Swipe volume control |
|---|---|---|---|
| AirPods 5 | $129 | No wireless charging | No |
| AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case | $149 | Apple Watch chargers, Qi chargers, USB-C | Yes |
Siri AI, head gestures and Live Translation
AirPods 5 support hands-free Siri AI, Apple’s new Siri, which requires iOS 27 and an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence. iOS 27 arrives on Monday, September 14, with Siri AI launching in beta in English before French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish follow in October.
The earbuds also accept head-gesture replies, so a nod or a shake can answer a prompt, and support Live Translation. Apple has not detailed which languages Live Translation covers.
Pre-orders are open now ahead of the September 18 release. For the reports that preceded today’s announcement, see every AirPods 5 rumor before the event, and follow the rest of the day’s news in our Apple event live blog.
