Apple’s September 9 keynote generated a great deal of buzz with the unveiling of the iPhone Duo, the brand’s first foldable smartphone. Alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and the new Apple Watches, the Californian brand also updated its true wireless earbuds with the AirPods 5. This fifth generation keeps the open-ear design characteristic of the range whilst introducing several key improvements: comprehensive active noise cancelling, a revised acoustic architecture, enhanced durability and a new version featuring a wireless charging case. Prices start at €149.
AirPods 5: active noise cancelling becomes standard
The biggest development concerns active noise cancelling, which is now integrated into both versions of the AirPods 5. The previous generation made a distinction between the standard AirPods 4 and the ANC version. With the AirPods 5, Apple is simplifying its range and making this technology accessible from €149.
The brand has also announced improved efficiency. The system combines computational audio processing and a new multi-port acoustic architecture that reduces up to 50% more noise than the AirPods 4. The Transparency mode has also evolved to provide a more natural reproduction of voices and surrounding sounds.
Apple sums up this development in a clear statement: “The AirPods 5 offer the industry’s best active noise cancellation for an open-ear design.” This approach retains the AirPods’ open-ear design, which is popular for its reduced feeling of blockage in the ear, whilst enhancing their ability to block out external sounds.
Redesigned acoustic architecture
The AirPods 5 keep the H2 chip and adopt a brand-new multi-port acoustic architecture, inspired by the AirPods Pro 3. This architecture works with a new generation of adaptive equalization, tasked with adjusting the sound reproduction in real-time. Apple alludes to a richer and more detailed sound for a wider range of ear shapes: an important feature for open earbuds, as their placement varies from user to user.
Custom spatial audio with dynamic head-tracking rounds off the features of these earbuds. Instant Translation is also accessible with compatible iPhones and Apple Intelligence. Interacting with Siri using head movements is also one of the available features.
AirPods 5 vs AirPods 4: targeted improvements
A comparison with the AirPods 4 reveals an evolution that focuses more on usability than on design. The open-ear structure and the H2 chip remain unchanged. ANC is where the major improvement lies: it is now included in the €149 model and is more effective than the ANC on the AirPods 4. The IP57 rating is another significant change compared with the IP54 rating of the previous generation.
The AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case version, available for €169, adds touch-sensitive volume controls on the earbuds’ stems, which is a first for open AirPods. Their battery life reaches five hours with the ANC activated, compared to four for the AirPods 4 ANC.
Pricing strategy is ultimately the other significant change. The AirPods 4 were launched at €149, whilst the version with ANC cost €199. The AirPods 5 are priced at €149, and the version with a wireless charging case is €169. This means that ANC is now available at the price previously associated with the standard model, whilst the higher-end version costs €30 less than the previous AirPods 4 with ANC.
