AirPods 5 cost $129 and, according to Apple’s press release, remove up to 50 percent more external noise than AirPods 4 with ANC, which launched at $179 in September 2024. Both are open-ear earbuds with no ear tips, so the difference comes down to what Apple has done inside the same shape.
The pricing makes the 2024 model awkward to recommend. AirPods 4 with ANC cost $50 more than the base AirPods 5 and $30 more than the $149 AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case, and Apple has not said whether the AirPods 4 prices will change.
AirPods 5 vs AirPods 4 with ANC: noise cancellation
Apple attributes the improvement to a new multiport acoustic architecture, which it says is inspired by AirPods Pro 3, along with improved computational audio. The 50 percent figure is Apple’s, measured against AirPods 4 with ANC, and Apple has not published how it was tested.
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Transparency mode, Adaptive Audio and Conversation Awareness are on both products. Apple describes Transparency on AirPods 5 as improved and adds next-generation Adaptive EQ and Personalized Spatial Audio.
AirPods 5 vs AirPods 4 with ANC: battery, case and controls
Battery goes up by an hour. Apple rates AirPods 5 at up to 5 hours with ANC on, against 4 hours for AirPods 4 with ANC, and up to 22 hours with the case, against 20 hours. Apple has not published an ANC-off figure for AirPods 5, while AirPods 4 with ANC manage 5 hours and 30 hours with it off.
The case is where the $129 model loses ground. AirPods 4 with ANC included a wireless charging case with a speaker for Find My at $179, while base AirPods 5 have a USB-C case, and wireless charging over Qi or an Apple Watch charger needs the $149 model.
That $149 model also brings a force sensor with swipe volume control on the stem, which Apple calls a first for the open-ear form factor.
| AirPods 5 | AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case | AirPods 4 with ANC | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US launch price | $129 | $149 | $179 |
| Noise cancellation | Yes; up to 50 percent more noise removed than AirPods 4 with ANC | Same | Yes |
| Battery, ANC on | Up to 5 hours | Up to 5 hours | Up to 4 hours |
| With case, ANC on | Up to 22 hours | Up to 22 hours | Up to 20 hours |
| Case charging | USB-C | USB-C, Qi, Apple Watch charger | USB-C, wireless |
| Volume swipe | No | Yes | No |
| IP rating | Not published; improved resistance | Not published | IP54 |
| Chip | Not published | Not published | H2 |
| Hands-free Siri AI | Yes, with iOS 27 and an Apple Intelligence iPhone | Yes | Not listed |
| Head-gesture replies | Yes | Yes | Yes |
What Apple has not said about the two models
Apple’s release gives AirPods 5 improved dust, sweat and water resistance but no IP rating, so the IP54 figure for AirPods 4 with ANC has no direct counterpart yet. Apple has also not named the chip in AirPods 5, while AirPods 4 use the H2.
- Whether AirPods 4 with ANC stay on sale, and at what price
- AirPods 5 battery life with ANC off or in Transparency mode
- Whether the AirPods 5 case has the Find My speaker from the AirPods 4 with ANC case
- Whether AirPods 4 with ANC get hands-free Siri AI through a firmware update
For a new buyer, the $50 gap now runs the wrong way for the older product: AirPods 5 cost less, cancel more noise and last longer. For AirPods 4 with ANC owners, the case for switching rests on Apple’s noise-cancellation claim and one extra hour per charge.
AirPods 5 pre-orders opened today, September 9, with stores stocking them Friday, September 18, in the US and more than 65 countries. Our AirPods 5 rumor round-up tracked the ANC expectations before the keynote, and the Apple event live blog covers the iPhone 18 Pro that launched alongside them.
