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AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case
The same ANC earbuds plus volume swipes and a wireless case.
Overview
The $149 AirPods 5 shares its design, H2 chip and noise cancelling with the base model, but adds hardware that changes everyday use. A swipe sensor on the stem raises or lowers volume without reaching for a phone, which is a feature that was missing from earlier entry-level AirPods.
The case supports Qi charging pads and Apple Watch chargers as well as USB-C, and a speaker inside sounds Find My alerts. Together with a slightly larger battery, the earbuds reach five hours of listening with ANC on, seven with it off, and 22 hours in total when the case is included.
A five-minute charge gives roughly an hour of playback. Apart from these extras, the two models offer identical sound, Transparency mode, Adaptive Audio and IP57 resistance, so the choice mostly depends on whether wireless charging matters.
Why it mattered
Keeps a premium case tier in the entry AirPods range at a modest upcharge.
At a glance
- Announced
- September 9, 2026
- Released
- September 18, 2026
- Launch price
- $149
- Status
- Available
Highlights
- Volume swipe on the stem
- Wireless charging case
- Up to 5 hours of ANC listening
- Find My speaker in the case
- Same H2 chip and IP57 rating
Tech specs
Specifications as published at launch. Some values (like battery life) are manufacturer estimates.
Audio
- Noise control
- Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency, Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, Voice Isolation
- Spatial Audio
- Personalised Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking
- Microphones
- Dual beamforming microphones, inward-facing microphone
Chip
- Chip
- Apple H2
Battery
- Listening time
- Up to 5 hours (ANC on), 7 hours (ANC off)
- Total with case
- Up to 22 hours (ANC on)
- Quick charge
- 5 minutes gives about 1 hour
Connectivity
- Bluetooth
- Bluetooth 5.3
- Charging
- USB-C, Apple Watch charger, Qi wireless
Design
- Water resistance
- IP57 (earbuds and case)
- Weight
- 4.3 g per earbud; case 34.7 g
- Dimensions
- Earbud 30.2 x 18.3 x 18.1 mm; case 46.2 x 50.1 x 21.2 mm
Features
- Controls
- Press stem, swipe for volume, head gestures, Hey Siri
- Sensors
- Force sensor with volume swipe, optical in-ear sensor, speech and motion accelerometers
Software
- Launch OS
- iOS 27
How it compares
More in the AirPods family
AirPods (1st generation)
Cord-free earbuds that pair with an iPhone in one tap.
AirPods (2nd generation)
Hands-free Siri and faster switching arrive with the H1 chip.
AirPods (3rd generation)
A shorter-stem redesign with Spatial Audio and sweat resistance.
AirPods 4
A new open-fit shape and an H2 chip at $129.
AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
Open-fit earbuds that can still cancel noise.
AirPods 5
Open-fit earbuds with noise cancellation at the entry price.