Apple unveiled AirPods 5 at its September 9 event — two models, meaningfully better noise cancellation, and price points that reportedly mirror AirPods 4. That last part matters most. Serious ANC has historically been an AirPods Pro privilege. These are still stemmed, open-ear earbuds. Just smarter ones.
Pricing
Two distinct configurations confirm Apple’s strategy of offering ANC as an accessible upgrade, not an exclusive luxury.
Pricing is $129
- Dramatically improved ANC on the ANC model, expected to narrow the gap with AirPods Pro
- Rumored H3 chip enabling richer audio processing, improved bass, and expanded spatial audio (if the H3 is confirmed)
- Enhanced voice isolation for cleaner calls in noisy environments, extending features Apple already introduced on AirPods Pro
- Lower Bluetooth latency for gaming and real-time audio, expected via chipset optimization
- Wireless charging reportedly on at least one variant (unconfirmed)
Better Sound Without the Pro Price Tag
Improved ANC on open-ear earbuds is a meaningful step forward — with one unavoidable acoustic reality attached.
If you’ve ever tried staying locked into a focus playlist from a loud coffee shop while your coworker microwaves fish, you already know how much ANC quality actually matters. The AirPods 5 ANC model reportedly closes the gap with AirPods Pro significantly — but the open-ear design sets a hard ceiling. No silicone tip means no passive seal. ANC is working overtime against basic physics here. It’ll be better than AirPods 4. It won’t match Pro-level isolation. That’s not a knock; it’s just acoustics. For competitive context, Sony’s WF-1000XM5 and Samsung’s Galaxy Buds3 Pro occupy this same price band, so Apple needs that ANC improvement to land convincingly.
Pre-orders are starting today, with retail availability around September 18. If you’re upgrading from AirPods 4, the decision hinges on how much better ANC quality matters daily. Still running AirPods 3 or older? This upgrade is the audio equivalent of finally leaving iOS 14 behind — overdue and immediately noticeable.
Apple isn’t reinventing earbuds here. It’s making the good stuff accessible. If ANC and audio quality matter to you but AirPods Pro feels like overkill, AirPods 5 may be exactly the middle ground worth watching.
