AirPods 5 cost $129 with Active Noise Cancellation included. The $149 version adds wireless charging, volume swipe and longer battery.

Apple has launched the AirPods 5 at $129 in the United States, and this time Active Noise Cancellation is standard. That is the same price Apple charged for the basic AirPods 4 without ANC, while the AirPods 4 with ANC cost $179.

In other words, the entry price for noise-cancelling AirPods has fallen by $50 in one generation. Apple is also selling a second AirPods 5 version for $149 with a wireless charging case, longer battery life and volume controls on the stem.

Pre-orders opened on 9 September. Store availability starts 18 September 2026.

ANC is now the baseline

AirPods 4 introduced Active Noise Cancellation to Apple’s open-ear design in 2024, but only on the more expensive $179 model. The $129 version did without ANC, Adaptive Audio and Transparency mode.

AirPods 5 has removed that split and now you have ANC, Adaptive Audio, Transparency mode, Conversation Awareness and Apple’s H2 headphone chip. Apple says the new earbuds can remove up to 50% more external noise than AirPods 4 with ANC, helped by a new multiport acoustic architecture and updated computational audio.

There is an important qualification to that claim. AirPods 5 are still open-ear earbuds. They do not use the silicone tips that create a physical seal on the AirPods Pro 3. Apple’s “best-in-class” claim is specifically for wireless open-ear headphones.

The open fit already limited how much noise AirPods 4 with ANC could block, with the lowest frequencies getting through. AirPods 5 may improve on that, but independent testing will be needed to show how much of Apple’s claimed 50% improvement is noticeable in daily use.

The $149 version offers more

Apple’s naming makes the two AirPods 5 versions sound as if the case is the only difference. It is not.

The $129 AirPods 5 have up to four hours of listening with ANC on and up to 20 hours when the USB-C charging case is included. The case charges only by cable.

The $149 AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case increase ANC listening time to five hours per charge and 22 hours with the case. They also add volume swipe on the stem, wireless charging through Qi or an Apple Watch charger, and a speaker in the case for Find My.

So the extra $20 buys different earbuds as well as a better case.

AirPods 5 are also rated IP57 for dust and water resistance, up from IP54 on AirPods 4. Both versions keep Bluetooth 5.3 and the H2 chip.

AirPods Pro 3 are still on top

Apple still has room between AirPods 5 and AirPods Pro 3. The Pro model remains $249 in the US and uses silicone ear tips for a sealed fit. Apple rates it for up to eight hours of ANC listening, and it also has heart-rate sensing during workouts plus Hearing Test, Hearing Aid and Hearing Protection functions where supported. None of the hearing features are on AirPods 5.

Apple’s current comparison page says AirPods Pro 3 deliver up to three times more ANC than AirPods 5.

AirPods 5 also support Live Translation and Apple’s new Siri AI functions when paired with a compatible Apple Intelligence iPhone. Siri AI begins rolling out in beta with iOS 27 on 14 September.

At about KES 129 to the dollar on 10 September, $129 is roughly KES 16,700 and $149 is about KES 19,300 before local retail costs.

For context, Nairobi shops currently list the standard AirPods 4 at about KES 17,000 and the AirPods 4 with ANC at about KES 26,000.