Apple has unveiled its AirPods 5, bringing industry-leading Active Noise Cancellation to its open-ear earbuds for the first time and pairing the new model with Apple Intelligence features, including Siri AI and Live Translation. Announced alongside the company’s iPhone 18 lineup on Wednesday, the AirPods 5 mark Apple’s attempt to bring premium noise-cancelling technology down to its most affordable AirPods price point yet.
Apple AirPods 5 Launch: When Did Apple Announce The AirPods 5?
Apple confirmed the AirPods 5 in a press release published from its Cupertino headquarters on September 9, 2026, as part of the same event that introduced the iPhone 18 lineup, iPhone Duo and the Apple Watch Series 12. The announcement positions AirPods 5 as a direct successor to AirPods 4, with Apple describing the new model as delivering the best audio experience it has offered in this style of earbuds.
When Can You Buy The AirPods 5?
Customers in the US and more than 65 other countries and regions can pre-order the AirPods 5 immediately, with general availability in stores beginning Friday, September 18, 2026. That release date lines up with the rollout of Apple’s other autumn hardware, meaning buyers picking up a new iPhone on launch day will be able to collect AirPods 5 at the same time.
How Much Do The AirPods 5 Cost?
The standard AirPods 5 are priced at $129 in the US, positioning them as Apple’s most accessible way to access Active Noise Cancellation to date. Customers wanting extra functionality can opt for AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case at $149, which adds longer battery life and on-stem volume control. Apple has not yet detailed international pricing outside the US, though the earbuds are confirmed to launch simultaneously across dozens of markets.
How Can You Watch The Apple Event?
Apple streamed the announcement live through Apple.com, the Apple TV app and YouTube Live as part of its broader September keynote. The full presentation remains available to watch on Apple’s official YouTube channel for anyone who missed the live broadcast.
Watch the keynote here: https://youtu.be/39BalPDuTo0
What New Features Does The AirPods 5 Offer?
Apple says the AirPods 5 remove up to 50 per cent more external noise than AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, powered by a new multi-port acoustic architecture and improved computational audio processing. The earbuds also gain a more natural Transparency mode, along with Adaptive Audio, which blends noise cancellation and transparency automatically depending on the listener’s surroundings, and Conversation Awareness, which lowers media volume when the wearer starts speaking to someone nearby.
Sound quality has also been reworked, with a next-generation Adaptive EQ borrowed from the design approach used on AirPods Pro 3, intended to deliver richer sound across a wider range of ear shapes and to make Personalised Spatial Audio feel more immersive.
On the software side, AirPods 5 gain hands-free access to Siri AI, Apple’s more conversational assistant rolling out in beta with iOS 27 from September 14, which draws on personal context from messages, emails and photos to answer requests without the user reaching for their phone. Wearers can also respond to Siri simply by nodding or shaking their head, while Live Translation, powered by Apple Intelligence, is now available across the entire AirPods lineup, letting users hear a conversation translated into their preferred language.
Dave Pakula, Apple’s vice president of Hardware Engineering, said the earbuds were designed to bring one of our most beloved features to the company’s most affordable AirPods, adding that the lineup was intended to unlock powerful hands-free capabilities when paired with Siri AI.
What Is New With The Wireless Charging Case Model?
The higher-tier AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case introduces a force sensor with volume swipe, letting users adjust volume by swiping up or down on the stem, a first for this open-ear design. Battery life has also improved, with up to five hours of ANC playback on a single charge, an hour longer than AirPods 4 with ANC, extending to 22 hours total with the charging case. The case itself supports Apple Watch chargers, Qi-compatible chargers and USB-C.
How Do The AirPods 5 Support Sustainability?
Apple says the new earbuds are made with 40 per cent recycled material overall, including 70 per cent recycled plastic in the wireless charging case and 100 per cent recycled cobalt in the battery. Manufacturing draws on 35 per cent renewable energy across the supply chain, and packaging is fully fibre-based and recyclable at home, part of the company’s wider push towards being carbon neutral across its operations by 2030.
Should You Upgrade To The AirPods 5?
For anyone still using older AirPods without noise cancellation, the jump to AirPods 5 offers meaningful upgrades in sound quality, battery life and hands-free functionality at a relatively low entry price. Existing AirPods 4 with ANC owners may find the improvements more incremental, with the noise reduction gains and new Siri AI features likely to be the deciding factor for anyone weighing whether it is worth the upgrade this year.
