Apple shows off AirPods 5 with improved active noise cancellation

Apple unveiled the AirPods 5 at its Surprise and Shine event on Wednesday, its latest wireless earbuds, adding upgrades that include improved audio, stronger active noise cancellation, and expanded Siri and Apple Intelligence features. The headline upgrade is active noise cancellation: Apple says the AirPods 5 reduce background noise 50% more than the previous generation. “We’re thrilled that with AirPods 5, active noise cancelation is now standard across our entire AirPods lineup,” CEO John Ternus said during the event. “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.”

Apple also added volume control to the stem, a feature previously limited to the AirPods Pro — users can now swipe up or down on the stem to change volume without reaching for their iPhone. As with other models that use the H2 chip, the AirPods 5 support hands-free Siri and Apple Intelligence, letting users ask questions, find information, perform actions, or get directions without picking up their phone. The updated Siri, which Apple says will roll out in beta with iOS 27, is designed to better understand personal context, drawing on information from messages, emails, photos, and other apps — for example, finding a restaurant mentioned in an email or playing a song a friend recommended in a message.

Transparency mode has also been improved, letting users hear nearby voices and sounds more naturally, while Adaptive Audio automatically balances noise cancellation and Transparency mode depending on the environment. Conversation Awareness can lower media volume when the user starts speaking. Battery life got an upgrade too: the AirPods 5 offer up to 5 hours of listening with active noise cancellation on a single charge, while the charging case brings total listening time up to 22 hours with active noise cancellation enabled.

The AirPods 5 start at $129, while the version with a wireless charging case costs $149. Preorders begin today, with the earbuds arriving September 18.

Why it matters

Bringing Apple Intelligence and hands-free Siri down to the $129 tier shows Apple pushing its AI assistant into its highest-volume hardware product, not just its premium devices.