AirPods 5

There are two AirPods 5 models: the standard AirPods 5 and the AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case. Unlike the AirPods 4, both AirPods 5 models feature Active Noise Cancellation. Both models have the same exterior design, but the $149 model also has wireless charging, a speaker for Find My, on-stem volume controls and a battery that lasts an hour longer.

The AirPods 5 have the same design as the AirPods 4, featuring an open-ear design with no silicone tips and short stems that offer some on-device controls. Active Noise Cancellation in the AirPods 5 removes up to 50 percent more noise than AirPods 4 with ANC thanks to a new multiport acoustic architecture and improved computational audio algorithms.

When designing the AirPods 4, Apple scanned and mapped thousands of ear shapes and used over 50 million data points with 3D photogrammetry and laser topography to create a single shape that naturally fits most users. There is a built-in vent system for pressure equalization.

The AirPods 5 have a new acoustic architecture and updated Adaptive EQ for improved sound quality. There's a custom high-excursion Apple driver and high dynamic range amplifier, plus Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking allows for a surround-sound-like media experience. Adaptive EQ tunes music to the user's ears with inward-facing microphones that detect the audio and then adjust low and midrange frequencies to provide rich detail in each song. In the AirPods 5, Adaptive EQ is tuned across a wider range of ear geometries.

Apple used the same H2 chip that was in the AirPods 4 for the AirPods 5. It powers features like Voice Isolation for clearer call quality and Siri Interactions so you can shake your head no or nod your head yes to respond to Siri announcements. When paired with a compatible iPhone, the AirPods 5 support Siri AI.

The stem is equipped with a force sensor that can be used to play or pause media and mute or end calls with a press, plus previous controls for skipping songs and activating Siri are available. On the $149 model, there's also an option to adjust the volume on the stem. An optical in-ear sensor and motion-detecting accelerometer pause music when the AirPods are removed from the ears.

The AirPods 5 can reduce environmental noise like airplane engines and city traffic. Apple says the AirPods 5 are the industry's best open-ear ANC headphones. A more natural Transparency Mode is available to keep users aware of their environment, and Adaptive Audio automatically blends Transparency Mode and ANC based on the user's environment. Conversation Awareness lowers the volume automatically when the user is speaking to someone nearby.

The ANC in the AirPods 5 is not as good as the AirPods Pro 3 ANC because of the open-ear design. The AirPods Pro 3 have silicone tips that fit into the ears to shut out outside sound, while the AirPods 5 do not.

The AirPods 5 have IP57 dust, sweat, and water resistance so they can hold up to intense workouts and rain. The AirPods 4 were limited to IP54 dust and water resistance.

The $129 AirPods last for up to four hours on a single charge with ANC on, and the Charging Case increases that to up to 20 hours. The $149 AirPods 5 model lasts for up to five hours on a single charge, or up to 22 hours with the Wireless Charging Case. Five minutes in the charging case provides around one hour of listening time.

For both models, the Charging Case has a USB-C port for charging with a USB-C cable (that is not included). The $149 version of the AirPods 5 case also supports wireless charging with MagSafe chargers, Apple Watch chargers, and Qi and Qi2 chargers, but there is no included magnet.

The $149 AirPods 5 Charging Case also has a built-in speaker for Find My for keeping track of the AirPods and the case. Both models support Bluetooth 5.3 technology.

The AirPods 5 support all of the same "magic" setup and use features that come with AirPods, like one-touch pairing, quick device switching, and support for audio sharing. Live Translation is available, and the AirPods can be used as a camera remote for the iPhone.

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The standard AirPods 5 are priced at $129, while the version with a Wireless Charging Case, volume swipe on the stem, and upgraded battery is priced at $149. The AirPods can be purchased from the online Apple Store, Apple retail stores, and other retailers and carriers worldwide.

• November 4 - Updated for AirPods 5.