Apple has launched the AirPods 5, with the top-spec model featuring a wireless charging case priced at $149 — actually $30 cheaper than the outgoing AirPods 4 with ANC. According to The Verge's review, this makes them the best open-ear earbuds Apple has produced, as they now include active noise cancellation, volume controls on the stem, and other upgrades across the board, breaking from the usual pattern of new tech costing more than what it replaces.

Both new models, the $129 base AirPods 5 and the $149 version with a wireless charging case, include active noise cancellation, adaptive audio, transparency mode, live translation support (with iPhone 15 Pro or later), and an improved IP57 water resistance rating, up from IP54. Apple claims up to 50% better noise cancellation than the previous ANC model, achieved through reworked internal acoustics and denser mesh ports, though it falls short of the isolation offered by sealed designs like the AirPods Pro 3. The reviewer notes that the $20 upgrade to the Wireless Charging Case model is well worth it for the added swipe volume controls and battery life, making the cheaper base model seem largely redundant.