Apple Opens AirPods 5 Preorders From $129 Ahead of September 18 Launch

Q: Does the addition of active noise cancellation to the $129 AirPods 5 come at a hidden cost to its daily battery life?

Yes. Apple’s own specs show the $129 AirPods 5 trade lower daily battery life for the lower price, even though they now include active noise cancellation. The base AirPods 5 are rated for up to 4 hours of listening on a single charge with ANC enabled and up to 20 hours total with the case. The $149 version is rated for up to 5 hours with ANC on and up to 22 hours total with its case. Some reports also note the cheaper model can reach about 6 hours with noise control off, versus about 7 hours for the higher-end version. So the “hidden cost” is not that ANC itself is secretly hurting battery life beyond normal expectations; it is that the entry model delivers noticeably shorter runtime than the step-up model while still advertising the same marquee feature. Apple is fairly explicit about this in its technical materials, but it is easy to miss in the headline pricing. That matters most for commuting, flights, long calls, or workdays when users want to keep ANC on continuously. Buyers focused mainly on getting noise cancellation at the lowest price may find the $129 model appealing. Buyers who want fewer mid-day recharges, plus wireless charging and on-stem volume controls, may find the $149 model the better value.

3 articles · Updated · The Verge · Sep 11

$129 AirPods 5 preorders are live at Apple, Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart ahead of the earbuds' September 18 release.
The standard model adds active noise cancellation at a lower price point, bringing a feature previously limited to the $179 AirPods 4 with ANC.
A $149 version adds a wireless charging case, longer battery life and stem touch controls for volume adjustment.
The launch lands alongside Apple's September 18 rollout of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4.