The AirPods 5 are the next-generation version of Apple’s entry-level wireless earbuds. This article tracks all of the latest information about the AirPods 5, from their features to their release date to their price. The article covers only the base model AirPods—not AirPods Pro or AirPods Max—and will be updated when rumors or news about the AirPods 5 appear.
When Will AirPods 5 Be Released?
For many of its products, Apple has a very consistent release schedule: a new iPhone arrives every September along with a new version of iOS, for instance. The release schedule for new AirPods isn’t so consistent, so it’s hard to predict exactly when the AirPods 5 will arrive.
That said, we can get some ideas by looking at the release dates of previous models:
- 4th Gen. AirPods: Sept. 2024
- 3rd Gen. AirPods: Oct. 2021
- 2nd Gen. AirPods: March 2019
- 1st Gen. AirPods: Sept. 2016
As you can see, Apple tends to release new AirPods models every 2-3 years. While new AirPods Pro could arrive sooner, if that pattern holds, you can expect the AirPods 5th generation to land in 2026 or 2027.
Lifewire’s Release Date Estimate
We’d be very surprised if the AirPods 5 release date is any time sooner than 2026.
AirPods 5 Price Rumors
The AirPods 5 are likely to have the same price as the 4th-gen earbuds: US$129 for the base model and $179 for the model with Active Noise Cancellation.
We expect the price to match the current model because that’s consistent with Apple’s strategy: new generations tend to retain the price of the models they’re replacing. If anything, we might see a small price cut with the AirPods 5, perhaps down to $99. That said, our bet is on a $129 entry price.
Pre-Order Information
Apple has very short pre-order windows for its products, and you can expect that with the AirPods 5, too. For example, the pre-order window for the latest AirPods was 11 days. That’s likely to be the case with the AirPods 5, too.
AirPods 5 Features
With the reveal and on-sale dates of the AirPods 5 still likely a year away, it’s hard to know what features the earbuds will deliver. They’re so far away, in fact, that the rumor mill doesn’t even have much to say about them yet, other than the high likelihood of an H3 chip for better battery life, audio quality, connection speed, etc. But rest assured, we’ll update this article when rumors and news start to percolate.
We expect the AirPods 5 to deliver new health sensors and workout features. Apple regularly adds these features to its wearable devices, like the Apple Watch and AirPods. We’ve seen rumors that Apple could add a heart-rate monitoring pulse sensor to detect heart activity via blood pulsing in your ears. The AirPods 5 could introduce that feature. Even if not, expect support for new workouts.
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