AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case

Released September 2026

The higher-end AirPods 5, adding a wireless charging case with a Find My speaker, volume swipe on the stems and an extra hour of battery, suited to iPhone users who want open-ear earbuds with ANC.

Model history · 2 models, 2024–2026

2024AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation Compare
2026AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case

Type: Open-ear
Noise cancelling: Yes
Battery: 5 h
With case: 22 h
Best codec: AAC
Weight: 4.3 g

What reviewers say

Reviewers agree the noise cancellation is a clear step up from AirPods 4 and impressive for an unsealed design, and see this as the version to buy over the cable-charged model. Short battery life is the common complaint; SoundGuys found comfort and noise cancellation depend heavily on fit, and AppleInsider and Engadget question the need for two models.

From soundguys.com, engadget.com and appleinsider.com

Specifications

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Sound

Type: Open-ear
Noise cancelling: Yes
Transparency mode: Yes
Spatial audio with head tracking: Yes
Bluetooth codecs: SBC and AAC
Lossless over USB-C: No
Chip: H2
Drivers: Custom high-excursion Apple driver and custom high dynamic range amplifier in a new multiport acoustic architecture
Noise cancelling detail: Up to 1.5x more Active Noise Cancellation than AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation; Adaptive Audio, Transparency and Conversation Awareness
Audio features: Personalised Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking; Adaptive EQ; Voice Isolation; studio-quality audio recording; Live Translation; lossless audio with Apple Vision Pro

Battery

Listening time (maker's claim): Up to 5 hours
With the case: Up to 22 hours
Wireless charging: Yes
Battery life detail: Up to 7 hours per charge with noise control off
Charging case: Wireless Charging Case (USB-C) with speaker for Find My; charges with a USB-C cable, Apple Watch charger or Qi-certified charger
Fast charging: 5 minutes in the case gives around 1 hour of listening

Design

Weight (each earbud): 4.3 g
Water and sweat resistance: IP57
Bluetooth: 5.3
Controls: Force sensor with volume swipe on the stems (press to play, pause, answer calls and skip; press and hold to switch listening modes; swipe up or down for volume); camera remote; “Hey Siri” or just “Siri”; Siri Interactions by nodding or shaking your head
Microphones: Dual beamforming microphones and an inward-facing microphone; speech-detecting accelerometer
Fit and ear tips: Open-ear design with no ear tips
Case weight: 34.7 g
Water resistance detail: IP57 (IEC 60529) for the AirPods and charging case
Works with: Full features with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Apple Vision Pro on the latest software; works as Bluetooth headphones with other devices, with limited features
Colours: White
In the box: AirPods 5 and Charging Case (USB-C) with speaker, documentation; no USB-C cable or power adapter

Pros and cons

Pros

Active noise cancellation in an open-ear design, rated by Apple as up to 1.5× more effective than AirPods 4 with ANC
Case charges by USB-C, Qi or an Apple Watch charger and has a speaker for Find My
IP57 dust, sweat and water resistance for the buds and the case

Cons

Up to 5 hours per charge with ANC on (22 hours with the case)
No hearing health features or heart rate sensing, which AirPods Pro 3 have
Apple rates AirPods Pro 3 at up to 3× more noise cancellation

Closest rivals

Model	Type	Noise cancelling	Battery	With case	Best codec	Weight	Released
SamsungGalaxy Buds4	Open-ear	Yes	5 h	24 h	Samsung Seamless Codec	4.6 g	Mar 2026
Anker soundcoreAeroFit 2 Pro	Open-ear	Yes	5 h	24 h	LDAC	10.4 g	Jan 2026
AppleAirPods 5	Open-ear	Yes	4 h	20 h	AAC	4.3 g	Sept 2026

Previous model: AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation.

Sources

Photo: store.storeimages.cdn-apple.com

AirPods 5 multiport acoustic architecture close-up, official video poster: Apple Newsroom video poster
AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case earbud showing its volume-swipe stem, official video poster: Apple Newsroom video poster
AirPods 5 Wireless Charging Case shown above an Apple Watch charger: Apple Newsroom, Apple-AirPods-5-Wireless-Charging-Case-260909.jpg
AirPods 5 family earbuds shown in an open charging case: Apple Newsroom, Apple-AirPods-5-hero-260909.jpg

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