Apple has announced the AirPods 5, an update to the AirPods 4 line first released in 2024, unveiled at the company's September hardware event. The announcement is notable partly for its timing: it marks the first product reveal under John Ternus since he became Apple's chief executive, and he previously served as vice president of hardware engineering when the original AirPods launched in 2016.

Full specifications had not been detailed at the time of reporting, with further information expected via live coverage of the event. The AirPods 4 generation, which the new model builds on, was the first to offer both a standard version and one with active noise cancellation, both featuring Apple's H2 chip, pinch controls and identical sound quality, with the ANC model praised for handling ambient noise well despite its open-ear design.