Apple AirPods 5 Release Date, Price, and Features Detailed For Australia

By Elliot Nash - News

Updated: 10 September, 2026

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Readtime: 7 min

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• AirPods 5 now include Active Noise Cancellation as standard, keeping the same AUD$219 starting price as the AirPods 4.
• The AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case are AUD$249, adding volume swipe controls and longer battery life.
• AirPods Pro 3 remain the flagship option at AUD$429 for buyers who prefer a sealed in-ear fit, even longer battery life and Apple’s additional health features.

Apple has finally added Active Noise Cancellation to its cheapest pair of AirPods, and they didn’t have to increase the price either. Despite the recent round of cost increases across Macs and iPads, the new AirPods 5 start at AUD$219, the same amount they cost when the AirPods 4 first launched. Now boasting ANC that Apple says removes up to 50 per cent more external noise than before, a redesigned acoustic system, plus improved dust, sweat and water resistance, the AirPods 5 are a tempting choice for your next set of earbuds.

So where does that leave us in the AirPods ranking order? Your choices are between the AUD$219 AirPods 5 and the AUD$249 AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case. For that extra 30 bucks, you get on-stem volume control, another hour of listening with ANC on, wireless charging, and a Find My speaker in the case.

All great features for those who want them. But the cheaper pair has everything that actually changes how the earbuds sound and how well they block noise. Come along as we listen to what Apple is saying about both pairs to help you decide whether it’s time to upgrade, whether you’re better off with your current set, or whether it might be worth waiting for a flagship upgrade of the AirPods Pro 3.

AirPods 5 Compared

AirPods 5 Finally Make ANC Standard

ANC used to be the main reason to spend that extra bit of cash on Apple’s regular AirPods. That’s no longer the case, and we’re pretty happy to see ANC become standard.

Apple claims AirPods 5 offer the best ANC currently available in an open-ear design. They’ve based this on their own testing against the bestselling open-ear wireless headphones available at the time. What’s more useful for anyone coming from AirPods 4 is Apple’s claim that the new model removes up to 50 per cent more external noise than AirPods 4 with ANC.

They credit some of that improvement to a new multiport acoustic architecture and updated computational audio algorithms. It’s fancy stuff, and Apple has also reworked its Adaptive EQ, which they say improves sound across a wider range of ear shapes. That’ll be particularly handy since open-ear AirPods don’t create the same consistent seal you get from silicone-tipped earbuds, like the Pro model.

Those same changes also feed into Personalised Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking for supported music, movies and games.

When you don’t want to block out the world around you, the updated Transparency mode is tuned to make voices and surrounding sounds more natural, while Adaptive Audio continues to blend Transparency and ANC based on what’s happening around you. Then there’s Conversation Awareness, which lowers your media volume when you start talking to someone. No more fumbling around to take one earbud out to hear what’s going on.

It’s a boatload of features for Apple’s cheapest AirPods, although AUD$219 is still a decent chunk of change for a pair of earbuds.

What Does the Extra $30 Get You?

For the officially titled AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case, it’s pretty obvious where the extra AUD$30 goes.

But that’s not all you get. On top of Qi and Apple Watch charging, the AUD$249 model adds a speaker in the case for Find My and introduces volume swipe to the regular AirPods for the first time. You can now slide a finger up or down the stem rather than reaching for your phone.

Battery life also gets a solid boost, now stretching to up to four hours with ANC on the AUD$219 model and five hours on the AUD$249 pair. With the case included, Apple quotes up to 20 hours versus 22 hours of ANC listening. With an extra two hours or so, that’s an extra two episodes of The Gentlemen you can watch before it runs dry.

It’s an easy sell if you want wireless charging, extra volume controls on the earbuds, or simply more juice. But unlike the AirPods 4, you’re no longer paying more for noise-cancelling. What you do with your AUD$30 is up to you.

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AirPods Pro 3 Remain the Flagship Pair, For Now

I was hoping Apple CEO John Ternus would use the September event to roll out a new pair of AirPods Pro. He did not. And my ageing Jabra Elite 75T are well overdue for retirement.

That doesn’t mean I’m not impressed by the AirPods 5. They’re a compelling choice, but I still prefer a proper in-ear seal. If I’m finally going to replace the Jabras with AirPods, I’m still looking at the Pro line.

For those in the same dilemma, the AirPods Pro 3 remain Apple’s flagship earbuds, offering up to eight hours of ANC listening, heart-rate sensing during workouts and hearing-health features. Apple also calls their noise cancellation “the world’s best in-ear ANC”. For a more direct comparison, Apple says the AirPods Pro 3 deliver up to three times more Active Noise Cancellation than AirPods 5.

Siri AI, Live Translation and the Other Upgrades

Let’s switch off from the ANC and move on to everything else happening around the new AirPods.

Both of the new AirPods 5 models support Apple’s new Siri AI when paired with a compatible Apple Intelligence iPhone. Yes, that’s a phrase Apple is using. Siri handles the Intelligence part, drawing on personal context from messages, emails and other information on your device. There are also head gestures that let you respond by nodding or shaking your head. So at least people won’t think you’re talking to yourself.

There’s also support for Live Translation, which does exactly what it says on the tin: translate conversations into your preferred language. It’s pretty awesome, particularly if you’re an avid traveller but haven’t quite brushed up on the local tongue. That being said, it’s not really an AirPods 5-exclusive reason to upgrade, because Apple is extending the feature across the wider supported AirPods range.

Beyond those intelligent Siri conversations and language translation, Apple has also upgraded the microphones, with Voice Isolation designed to cut background noise during calls and support for what the company calls studio-quality audio recording.

And depending on where you’re travelling, the new AirPods 5 models can handle much more wear and tear. Both are rated IP57 for dust, sweat and water resistance, improving durability over the previous generation.

AirPods 5 Australian Prices and Release Date

The entry-level AirPods 5 start at AUD$219, and for AUD$30 more, you can get the AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case for AUD$249. Pre-orders are open now, with both models arriving in stores on Friday, 18 September.

If you prefer the classic open-ear AirPods shape, this is a much better deal than the generation it replaces. ANC is standard, the entry price remains firm, and spending more is finally about convenience rather than unlocking one of the range’s biggest features.

While I’m still holding out for the next generation of the AirPods Pro before I retire my old Jabras, I’m impressed with what Apple has achieved. AirPods 5 have made their regular earbuds much harder to ignore, but I still want a sealed in-ear fit and Apple’s next flagship pair. Pretty please?

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