Apple’s New $129 AirPods 5 Come With Active Noise Cancellation By Default

Apple revealed new AirPods 5 models today that come with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) by default. The AirPods 4 generation that launched in September 2024 made ANC only available on a higher-end model priced at $179, but the technology is now standard on the $129 AirPods 5.

There’s still a higher-end version of the AirPods 5 with a wireless charging case, a Force sensor for controlling volume, and longer battery life. They’re available for $149, which is $30 cheaper than the most expensive AirPods 4.

“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,” said Dave Pakula, Apple’s vice president of Hardware Engineering. “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.”

All AirPods 5 models offer improved dust, sweat, and water resistance, a more efficient ANC that removes up to 50% more noise compared to the previous gen, and an improved Transparency mode that lets voice and nearby sounds go through. A new Adaptive Audio feature will also intelligently adjust the use of Transparency Mode and ANC based on the surrounding environment.

Compared to the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, the AirPods 5 will offer the same 4 hours of battery life on one charge with Active Noise Cancellation enabled. The model with the wireless charging case will offer up to 5 hours of battery life, however. What’s not changing is that 5 minutes in the case will still provide around 1 hour of battery life.

The AirPods will allow iPhone users to interact hands-free with the new Siri AI that will launch in beta with iOS 27 on September 14. The AirPods 5 are available for pre-order today, and they will start shipping on September 18.