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is a senior reviewer covering TVs and audio. He has over 20 years experience in AV, and has previously been on staff at Digital Trends and Reviewed.
Today, Apple announced the AirPods 5, updates to the AirPods 4 series that was first released in 2024. Apple says the new buds feature “best-in-class open‑ear active noise cancellation.”
The AirPods 5 are redesigned with a new acoustic architecture, upgrades to adaptive active noise cancellation (ANC) with 50 percent better noise reduction than the AirPods 4, and improved sound.
A second model includes on-stem control — the first time Apple’s open-ear design includes it — allowing for volume adjustment by swiping up and down. It also has a longer battery life that provides up to five hours of playback — one hour more than the AirPods 4 with ANC — and supports Apple Watch and Qi chargers with the addition of a wireless charging case.
The base model AirPods 5 are available for preorder today for $129, and the AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case which have an improved battery is $149 ($30 less than the previous gen). Both models will be available on September 18th.
The AirPods 4 series was the first time Apple’s open-ear wireless earbuds came in a version with active noise cancellation (ANC) and one without. Both versions shipped with the H2 chip, pinch controls, and identical sound. Even with their open-ear design, the AirPods 4 with ANC handle ambient noise impressively well.
John Ternus was the vice president of hardware engineering when the original AirPods were launched in 2016, so it’s fitting that the newest version of AirPods is announced during his first event as Apple’s new CEO.
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