AirPods 5 bring noise cancellation to Apple’s most affordable earbuds. Prices start at Rs 14,900.
Apple has launched the AirPods 5, and the change that matters is a simple one. Active noise cancellation now comes on both versions of the company’s cheapest open-ear earbuds, after being held back for the costlier AirPods 4 last time. The AirPods 5 start at Rs 14,900 in India, the model bundled with a wireless charging case costs Rs 17,900, and pre-orders open today ahead of stores getting stock on Friday, September 18. Apple’s answer is that the AirPods 5 keep out up to 50 per cent more noise than the AirPods 4 with ANC, helped by a new multiport acoustic architecture and computational audio drawn from the AirPods Pro 3.
Sound is handled by a next-generation Adaptive EQ that Apple says holds up across a wider range of ear shapes, the old weak spot of any bud that skips a silicone tip. What that cancellation is worth on a bud that never seals the ear canal is the more interesting question. Transparency mode is meant to carry nearby voices more naturally, Adaptive Audio moves between the two as your surroundings change, and Conversation Awareness drops the volume the moment you start speaking. Personalised Spatial Audio rides on the same tuning, and dust, sweat and water resistance are better as well.
The step up to Rs 17,900 buys hardware you can feel, starting with a force sensor that lets you swipe the stem to change volume, a first on this style of AirPods. Battery life goes to five hours with ANC, an hour more than before, or 22 hours with the case, which takes power from an Apple Watch puck, a Qi pad or USB-C. That software arrives with iOS 27 on Monday, September 14, Siri AI in beta and in English to begin with, four days before the AirPods 5 reach stores.
Paired with an Apple Intelligence iPhone, both models hand you Siri AI without a touch, pulling context from messages, mail and photos and acting inside apps you already use. A nod or a shake of the head answers it. Live Translation opens with a press of both stems, a word to Siri or the Action button on the phone. Get the latest technology news and updates. Download the TOI App.