After weeks of rumors, Apple finally announced the AirPods 5 on September 9 at its "Surprise and Shine" iPhone Duo event.
Like the AirPods 4 before them, the AirPods 5 will come in two distinct flavors: a base model with ANC and a higher-end model with a wireless charging case and a volume slider on the stem.
Both versions of the AirPods 5 will be powered by the H2 Wireless Chip that offers personalized spatial audio and live translation, but is all that reason enough to upgrade from the now two-year-old AirPods 4? The answer isn't exactly clear cut.
AirPods 5 vs AirPods 4: Price and availability
Because there are two AirPods 5 models, there are two prices: $129 / AU$219 for the base model and $149 / AU$249 for the higher-end model.
The AirPods 4, now a few years old, are obviously less expensive. They start at just $99 for the base model. Interestingly, however, the more advanced AirPods 4 with ANC is still sitting at $149. That's going to make the decision pretty easy if you need ANC.
My favorite Apple earbuds are the AirPods Pro 3, and those start at $249. It's a pretty big leap in price, but I think they're all-around a better option, especially when compared to the AirPods 4.
AirPods 5 vs AirPods 4: Design
Admittedly, there's not a lot of difference on the design front. Apple claims the AirPods 5 offer "an all-new multiport acoustic architecture" but you certainly wouldn't know it just by looking at them.
The major design difference between the AirPods 5 and AirPods 4 can be found on the stems of the newer model. It's so small you'll likely miss it, but if you look close you'll see a touch-capacitive divot that acts as a volume slider. It's a very minor detail that the AirPods 5 take from the more-expensive AirPods Pro 3.
Speaking of nice-to-have features, the AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case (the proper name of the more-advanced AirPods 5 model) do offer wireless charging (duh). You can use the same charger as the Apple Watch, Qi-compatible chargers or plain old USB-C if you don't already own a wireless charging mat.
AirPods 5 vs AirPods 4: Controls
Besides the aforementioned volume slider functionality, both the AirPods 5 and AirPods 4 use touch sensitive stems to control your music.
Both pairs of true wireless earbuds can differentiate between squeezes and taps, but it's up to you to learn which one does what.
I've never been a huge fan of touch technology in earbuds and prefer to use my voice or my phone to control playback, but it's nice to have the option in a pinch.
AirPods 5 vs AirPods 4: Sound quality
Here's where things are going to get a bit murky. Apple claims that, due to its improved sonic architecture, the AirPods 5 are going to sound better than the AirPods 4. Sound, as we all know, is subjective, and I can't really comment on their sound quality until I've heard them myself.
So until then, let's hear from someone who's listened to both.
Kate Kozuch, the Head of Video here at Tom's Guide was in Cupertino this week to check them out. According to her, the "bass was a noticeable improvement" on the AirPods 5. That counts for a lot in a pair of open earbuds like the AirPods.
Still, Kate didn't feel like there was a big enough difference between the two to warrant an upgrade. "This is coming from an AirPods 4 user: I don't think anyone needs to upgrade from AirPods 4."
If you want the best sound quality in a pair of wireless earbuds, then, your best bet is still going to be the pricier AirPods Pro series.
AirPods 5 vs AirPods 4: Features
The AirPods 5 take some of the best features of the AirPods Pro (besides sound quality, obviously) and bring them down to a more affordable price.
Like the Pro, the AirPods 5 offer Spatial Audio support, live translation and "significantly improved" ANC. How significant? According to Apple, the AirPods 5 cancel out "50 percent more external noise compared to AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation." So pretty big.
Now, keep in mind that these are open earbuds, so the ANC isn't going to be world-class here. I'd still expect a pair of Bose over-ears to do a better job than the AirPods 5, but hey, I'll take any improvement we can get.
AirPods 5 vs AirPods 4: Battery life
One of our biggest complaints against the AirPods 4 was that their battery life was a little lacking. You could get around 5 hours of listening with ANC off, and 4 hours when you turn it on. That's a lot less than the competition and it means having to constantly reach for a charger.
The base AirPods 5 don't seem to offer much of an improvement here, but the AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case offer an additional hour with ANC turned on thanks to a redesigned battery.
Will an extra hour make or break the experience? Probably not, especially when rival earbuds like the Sony WF-1000XM6 offer around 8 hours with ANC turned on.
AirPods 5 vs AirPods 4: Early outlook
If you're just getting AirPods for the first time, the AirPods 5 seem to be worth the extra $30 to get the ones with wireless charging.
If you're someone who already owns a pair of AirPods 4, however, it's not so cut and dry. Spatial audio, the audio slider and live translation are all great, don't get me wrong, but I'm not sure I'd toss out my old earbuds just to tap into them, especially when key areas like battery life haven't been improved all that much.
There are also some really great AirPods alternatives out there and, if you don't mind spending more for them, the award-winning AirPods Pro Series that I use every single day are some of the best wireless earbuds on the market. If you can, skip the AirPods and go straight for the AirPods Pro, but if the budget is tight, the base AirPods 5 will get you half the performance for around $100.
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