Apple announced the AirPods 5, giving its entry-level wireless earbuds active noise cancellation for the first time.
The AirPods 5 cost $129, or Rs 14,900 in India, while the AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case cost $149, or Rs 17,900.
Live Translation, previously limited to certain AirPods, is now available across the whole AirPods lineup, and can be triggered by pressing both stems, asking Siri, or using the iPhone's Action button.
Both AirPods 5 models deliver a world-class listening experience and enable features like Live Translation for even more people.
Paired with Siri AI, AirPods are a game changer for unlocking powerful hands-free capabilities."
Apple announced the AirPods 5, giving its entry-level wireless earbuds active noise cancellation for the first time.
The AirPods 5 cost $129, or Rs 14,900 in India, while the AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case cost $149, or Rs 17,900. Both were unveiled at Apple's 'Surprise and Shine' event, are available for pre-order now, and go on sale on September 18.
Apple said the new active noise cancellation removes up to 50 per cent more external noise than the AirPods 4 with ANC, crediting a new multiport acoustic architecture and improved computational audio algorithms. Transparency mode has also been improved to represent nearby voices and sounds more naturally, and Adaptive Audio automatically blends the two modes depending on a user's surroundings. A Conversation Awareness feature lowers media volume when the wearer starts speaking.
Apple said a next-generation Adaptive EQ, adapted from the AirPods Pro 3, delivers richer sound across a wider range of ear geometries, making Personalised Spatial Audio more immersive. Both models also have improved resistance to dust, sweat and water, Apple said.
Battery life differs between the two models. The AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case offers up to 5 hours of playback with ANC on a single charge — one hour more than the AirPods 4 with ANC, which Apple attributed to a redesigned battery — extending to 22 hours with the case. The standard AirPods 5 offers up to 4 hours of ANC playback, extending to 20 hours with its case. Only the Wireless Charging Case model gains on-stem volume control, letting users swipe up or down on the stem, a first for Apple's open-ear design; its case also supports Apple Watch chargers, Qi-compatible chargers and USB-C.
Both models work hands-free with Siri AI on a compatible iPhone, drawing on personal context from messages, emails and photos to answer questions or complete tasks, and users can respond to Siri by nodding or shaking their head. Live Translation, previously limited to certain AirPods, is now available across the whole AirPods lineup, and can be triggered by pressing both stems, asking Siri, or using the iPhone's Action button. Apple said Dictation has also become more precise. Apple Intelligence arrives with iOS 27 on September 14, with Siri AI rolling out in beta the same day in English; support for French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish is due in October.
Dave Pakula, Apple's vice-president of hardware engineering, said: "We're thrilled that with AirPods 5, we're able to bring Active Noise Cancellation — one of our most beloved features — to our most affordable AirPods. Both AirPods 5 models deliver a world-class listening experience and enable features like Live Translation for even more people. Paired with Siri AI, AirPods are a game changer for unlocking powerful hands-free capabilities."
John Ternus, Apple's chief executive, said: "We're thrilled that with AirPods 5, active noise cancelation is now standard across our entire AirPods lineup. AirPods 5 are a great example of how we take the innovations from our most advanced products and bring them to the rest of the lineup, making them accessible to even more people."
The AirPods 4, launched in 2024, were the first of Apple's open-ear earbuds to be sold in ANC and non-ANC versions, priced at $179 and $129 respectively, both with the H2 chip and pinch controls. Ternus was Apple's vice-president of hardware engineering when the original AirPods launched in 2016; the AirPods 5 is among the first products announced since he became chief executive on September 1. Bloomberg has reported that Apple's rumoured camera-equipped AirPods are expected to launch next year.
