Apple has officially unveiled AirPods 5, and this generation makes one of the line’s biggest premium features standard: Active Noise Cancellation is included on both models.
In Australia, AirPods 5 start at A$219 including GST, while AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case cost A$249. Pre-orders are open now, with availability beginning Friday, 18 September.
The headline upgrade is ANC for everyone
Apple says AirPods 5 can remove up to 50 per cent more external noise than AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation. That is notable because ANC is no longer reserved for a more expensive version of the earbuds: it is part of the base AirPods 5 experience.
The open-ear design remains, but Apple has reworked what happens inside it. A new multiport acoustic architecture and next-generation Adaptive EQ are designed to deliver richer detail across a wider range of ear shapes. Transparency mode has also been refined, while Adaptive Audio can automatically blend noise cancellation and outside sound depending on the environment.
Two AirPods 5 models — and a A$30 decision
The standard A$219 AirPods 5 use a USB-C charging case and deliver up to four hours of listening with ANC enabled, or up to 20 hours with the case.
Spend A$30 more and the A$249 version gets the Wireless Charging Case, support for Apple Watch and Qi chargers, a Find My speaker, on-stem volume swipe and longer battery life. Apple rates it for up to five hours with ANC on a single charge and up to 22 hours with the case.
For many Australian buyers, that A$30 upgrade may be the easier model to recommend. Wireless charging is useful, but the combination of extra battery life, volume controls and a Find My speaker makes the premium relatively small compared with the functionality it adds.
Siri AI and Live Translation move AirPods beyond audio
AirPods 5 also lean heavily into Apple’s software ecosystem. With a compatible iPhone, users can access the new Siri AI hands-free, including more conversational requests and personal-context features. Live Translation can translate supported spoken languages through the earbuds, while head gestures remain available for responding to Siri.
The earbuds use Apple’s H2 chip and also support Personalised Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, Conversation Awareness, Voice Isolation and studio-quality audio recording.
More durable without becoming AirPods Pro
Apple has upgraded AirPods 5 to an IP57 rating for dust, sweat and water resistance. They remain open-ear earbuds rather than the silicone-tip design of AirPods Pro, which means Apple is still targeting buyers who prefer the traditional AirPods fit.
That distinction matters. AirPods 5 now inherit an impressive amount of the Pro experience, but they do not include the hearing-test, hearing-aid and loud-sound-reduction features offered by AirPods Pro 3.
AirPods 5 Australian price and release date
- AirPods 5: A$219
- AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case: A$249
- Pre-orders: open now
- Australian release date: Friday, 18 September 2026
The Tech Boom take
The interesting part of AirPods 5 is not a radical new shape. It is how aggressively Apple has moved previously premium features down the range. Standard ANC at A$219 makes the entry model much more competitive, while the A$249 wireless-charging version looks like the sweet spot for anyone already deep in the Apple ecosystem.
And with Siri AI and Live Translation becoming part of the pitch, Apple increasingly wants AirPods to be more than headphones. They are becoming another always-available interface to the iPhone — one you do not need to take out of your pocket.
Source: Apple Newsroom Australia and Apple AirPods 5 technical specifications. Featured image: Daniel Romero/Unsplash; illustrative AirPods image.
