AirPods 5 launch at $129, the same starting price as AirPods 4 two years ago, but this time Active Noise Cancellation is included rather than reserved for a $179 model. The wireless-charging tier is $149, $30 less than the equivalent AirPods 4 with ANC configuration cost at launch.
Apple’s earbud prices have held at $129 for the entry model across the last two generations while the feature list grew. Here is how the confirmed launch prices for the current models line up, and what Apple has not published.
AirPods launch prices: AirPods 5 vs AirPods 4 vs AirPods Pro 3
AirPods 4 arrived in September 2024 in two versions: $129 without ANC and $179 with ANC and a wireless charging case. AirPods Pro 3 followed in September 2025 at $249, with a sealed in-ear design, heart-rate sensing and hearing features.
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AirPods 5 collapse the 2024 split. Both new models have ANC, and the extra $20 for the Wireless Charging Case buys wireless charging, Apple Watch charger support and swipe volume control rather than noise cancellation.
| Model | US launch price | Launch | ANC included |
|---|---|---|---|
| AirPods 4 | $129 | September 2024 | No |
| AirPods 4 with ANC | $179 | September 2024 | Yes |
| AirPods Pro 3 | $249 | September 2025 | Yes |
| AirPods 5 | $129 | September 2026 | Yes |
| AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case | $149 | September 2026 | Yes |
This table covers launch prices Apple has published for its current earbuds. Apple’s compare page listed AirPods 4, AirPods 4 with ANC and AirPods Pro 3 today without AirPods 5, and Apple has not said whether the AirPods 4 prices change now that AirPods 5 exist.
What $129 buys in 2026 compared with 2024
At the entry price, the difference between generations is mostly ANC and the features that come with it. Apple’s release says AirPods 5 remove up to 50 percent more external noise than AirPods 4 with ANC, which cost $50 more when it launched.
- AirPods 4 at $129: no ANC, up to 5 hours per charge, up to 30 hours with the case, USB-C case
- AirPods 5 at $129: ANC, Transparency, Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, up to 5 hours with ANC on, up to 22 hours with the case
- AirPods 4 with ANC at $179: ANC, up to 4 hours with ANC on, wireless charging case with speaker
- AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case at $149: everything in AirPods 5 plus wireless charging and swipe volume control
Apple has not published battery figures for AirPods 5 with ANC off, so the 30-hour AirPods 4 case figure and the 22-hour AirPods 5 figure are not a like-for-like comparison. Apple has also not stated an IP rating or the chip for AirPods 5.
Where AirPods Pro 3 sit in the price history
AirPods Pro 3 remain the most expensive AirPods earbuds at $249, $120 above AirPods 5 and $100 above the wireless-case model. According to keynote-day reporting, AirPods Pro 3 have been selling below their launch price at retailers, but Apple has not changed the official price.
Apple has not announced a price cut for AirPods Pro 3 alongside AirPods 5, and the release does not mention AirPods 4 at all beyond the noise-cancellation comparison. Pricing for earlier AirPods generations is outside the scope of Apple’s announcement today.
AirPods 5 pre-orders opened today, September 9, with stores stocking them Friday, September 18. Pre-event price expectations are in our AirPods 5 rumor round-up, and the Apple event live blog covers the iPhone 18 Pro’s $100 price rise, which went the other way.
