I very often have a pair of AirPods Pro in my lugs. Despite initially being sceptical of wireless earbuds, Apple won me over with how effortlessly AirPods Pro switch between devices and how much clever tech is packed within. The snag? They’re spendy. But if that’s all that kept you from grabbing a pair, Apple’s new AirPods 5 could be about to change your mind.
They still have the same kind of one-size-fits-all design, so no interchangeable tips. But Apple has crammed in plenty of other upgrades that make these feel much more like AirPods Pro – or at least AirPods lowercase pro.
The new AirPods 5 have next-gen Adaptive EQ, which improves personalised Spatial Audio, and upgraded ANC delivers about 50% more noise reduction than the previous generation. Apple also says these buds can more intelligently and seamlessly automatically switch between ANC and transparency modes, depending on what’s going on around you. So that means less faffing with settings, more easily blocking out noisy idiots, and less chance of being run over by a bus.
Give me 5
AirPods 5 also support Live Translation, intelligently translating people speaking to you in another language. Although I’d avoid doing what the Apple person did in the launch video and responding to someone speaking Spanish with “thank you”. (Come on: is “gracias” really that hard to remember?)
Still not enough? Fine. AirPods 5 are “more durable than ever”, work seamlessly with Siri if you want AI further drilled into your brain and give you up to four hours of listening with ANC – 20 hours overall when you factor in the dinky charging case. The cost? $129, which is the same as AirPods 4 without ANC.
To replace the more expensive AirPods 4 Active Noise Cancellation model, there’s AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case. Go on, just guess what this gets you! Yep, a wireless charging case. But also on-stem swipe volume control, pilfered from the AirPods Pro, and an extra hour of ANC battery life.
That model costs $149, which is still $30 less than the previous higher-end AirPods 4 model, and only $20 more than the entry level model AirPods 5. Honestly, I’d go for that one if I were you. Either way, you can pre-order today, with availability beginning on 18 September.
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