Apple’s new AirPods 5 landed on September 18th, and the reviews are in — this is the open-ear upgrade a lot of people have been waiting for. No silicone tips jammed in your ears, but now with real active noise cancellation.

What makes them different

The headline feature is Apple’s “best-in-class” open-ear ANC, which the company says removes up to 50 percent more noise than the AirPods 4. Reviewers back that up: The Verge calls them the best open-ear earbuds Apple has made, Engadget gave them 88/100, and TrustedReviews went as high as 90/100. Sound quality gets a re-engineered acoustic architecture borrowed from the AirPods Pro line, plus Personalized Spatial Audio.

Get the $149 model

There are two versions, and this matters: the $129 base model and the $149 version with the Wireless Charging Case. The extra twenty bucks buys you on-stem volume swipe controls (a first for Apple’s open-ear design), an extra hour of battery life (5 hours with ANC vs 4), and a case that charges via Qi, Apple Watch charger, or USB-C. Every reviewer says the $149 model is the one to buy.

You also get IP57 dust and water resistance, Live Translation powered by Apple Intelligence, hands-free Siri, and head-gesture controls for calls.

The catch

Battery life. Five hours with ANC on is short compared to sealed competitors, and if Apple’s open shape doesn’t fit your ears, there’s nothing to adjust — no tips to swap. If you want maximum isolation or longer battery, the AirPods Pro 3 at $249 is still the move.

Verdict

For anyone who hates in-ear tips but wants modern features — ANC, wireless charging, volume controls — the AirPods 5 at $149 hit a sweet spot the lineup was missing. Strong reviews across the board, and they’re fresh on shelves now.

Check the AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case on Amazon — $149 as of October 14, 2026.