Both AirPods 5 models support Find My with separation alerts, according to Apple’s tech specs, but only the $149 AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case has a speaker in its case, so it is the only one that can play a sound to help you find it. The $129 AirPods 5 ships with a USB-C charging case that Apple lists without a speaker.
That is the same split Apple used a generation earlier, when the AirPods 4 case had no speaker and the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation case did. If a lost case is your usual failure mode, the $20 step up buys the one feature that addresses it. Our AirPods 5 announcement roundup covers price, noise cancellation and battery life.
Key facts: Find My on AirPods 5
| Item | AirPods 5 ($129) | AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case ($149) |
|---|---|---|
| Find My with separation alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Speaker in case | No | Yes |
| Case charging | USB-C only | USB-C, Apple Watch chargers, Qi-certified chargers |
| Force sensor with volume swipe | No | Yes |
| Case weight | 32.3 g | 34.7 g |
| Case dimensions | 46.2 x 50.1 x 21.2 mm | 46.2 x 50.1 x 21.2 mm |
| Total listening time with case, ANC on | Up to 20 hours | Up to 22 hours |
| Availability | Pre-order now, in stores September 18 | Pre-order now, in stores September 18 |
Separation alerts work on both models
Apple’s tech specs list “Find My with separation alerts” in the software features for AirPods 5 and for AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case, with no distinction between the two. A separation alert is the notification your iPhone raises when it and the AirPods part company, which is the part of Find My that stops a loss before it happens rather than helping after the fact.
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Apple’s spec page sets the same baseline requirement for every AirPods 5 feature: an iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV or Apple Vision Pro running the latest operating system. On iPhone that means iOS 27, which Apple’s iOS 27 page says runs on iPhone 11 and later and arrives on Monday, September 14, four days before the earbuds do. Our iOS 27 release date guide has the schedule.
Why only the $149 case can make a sound
The difference is hardware. Apple’s tech specs describe the charging options for the Wireless Charging Case as USB-C, Apple Watch chargers and Qi-certified chargers, and note that the case has a speaker for Find My. The in-box line item reads “Charging Case (USB-C) with speaker”. For the $129 model, the case charges over USB-C only and the in-box line reads “Charging Case (USB-C)”, with no speaker mentioned anywhere on its spec sheet.
The speaker is one of three things the extra $20 buys. The other two are wireless charging and a force sensor with volume swipe, which Apple lists only on the more expensive model. The two cases share the same 46.2 x 50.1 x 21.2 mm footprint; the speaker-equipped case weighs 34.7 g against 32.3 g, a 2.4 g difference.
Apple ties the speaker to Find My on its spec page but does not describe how loud it is or how the play-sound action is triggered. The earbuds themselves are listed with identical sensors on both models, so nothing on the spec sheet suggests the buds behave differently once they are out of the case.
How AirPods 5 compare with AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 3
| Model | Speaker in case | Case charging | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| AirPods 4 | No | USB-C | Not listed on Apple’s tech specs page |
| AirPods 4 with ANC | Yes | USB-C, Apple Watch chargers, Qi | Not listed on Apple’s tech specs page |
| AirPods 5 | No | USB-C | $129 |
| AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case | Yes | USB-C, Apple Watch chargers, Qi | $149 |
| AirPods Pro 3 | Yes, plus lanyard loop | MagSafe, Apple Watch chargers, Qi, USB-C | $249 |
The AirPods Pro 3 case stands apart in one more way. Apple’s tech specs list a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip in the Pro 3 case alongside the speaker and lanyard loop. Neither AirPods 5 model lists an Ultra Wideband chip in its case, and Apple has not said what that means for finding features beyond the speaker and separation alerts.
Against the previous open-ear generation, the pattern is unchanged: the cheaper model goes without a speaker, the pricier one gets it along with wireless charging. What AirPods 5 add on top, per Apple’s comparison data, are Active Noise Cancellation on both models, IP57 instead of IP54, Live Translation and Voice Isolation. See our event recap for how the earbuds fit into the rest of the September 9 lineup.
What Apple has not said
- Whether either AirPods 5 case supports directional finding; no Ultra Wideband chip appears on the AirPods 5 spec page, unlike AirPods Pro 3.
- How loud the Wireless Charging Case speaker is, or whether the earbuds can play a sound on their own outside the case.
- Whether separation alerts need a specific iPhone model beyond the latest-OS requirement.
- Which colors AirPods 5 come in; Apple’s tech specs page does not list them.
Both AirPods 5 models are on pre-order now from Apple’s Store page, at $129 and $149, and arrive on Friday, September 18 in the US and more than 65 countries. iOS 27, the software Apple lists as the iPhone requirement, is due four days earlier on Monday, September 14.
