How do you update the most popular audio product in the world? That's a question that would keep many companies awake at night. But almost a decade after the original launched, Apple has kept the classic AirPods model relevant while turning it into one of the most profitable businesses ever. The 2026 AirPods 5 keep what people love while improving everything across the board.
Better noise cancellation, better audio quality, better battery life, and even better gestures. But there's a catch. Only the more expensive $149 model gets all the new features, whereas the cheaper $129 model misses out on many of the things that would justify upgrading to this from AirPods 4.
So which model should you be getting? And should you even be buying the AirPods 5 in the first place? Let's find out. Design and comfort Right off the bat, I want to make it clear that a lot of things are common between the standard AirPods 5 model and the AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case model. As such, everything mentioned henceforth will apply to both of them, unless stated otherwise.
The design of the AirPods 5 is unchanged from the fourth generation model. Both the earbuds and the case are identical down to the last millimeter. That means there is not much new to say if you're already familiar with the AirPods 4.
Even if you're not intimately familiar with that model, most of us have seen what the AirPods look like at some point. The AirPods 5 still have that classic open-ear earbud shape with the short angled stalks. The case is tiny and still has that dental floss hinged top lid that flips open.
And all of it is still finished in that same blinding shade of white. The two variants of the AirPods 5 also have identical dimensions. The only difference is that the case of the wireless charging model is a couple of grams heavier.
Aesthetically, the design is fine, but doesn't really do much for me. I would appreciate it more if Apple did something interesting with it, like making it transparent or at least in colors that aren't glow-in-the-dark white. But the company loves its recognizable silhouettes and patterns, so we aren't going to have any radical new AirPods any time soon.
Functionally, I do have a bone to pick with the design. The small, slippery bits of the earbuds that stick out of the case make them frustratingly difficult to pluck out. The entire body of the earbuds is tiny, particularly the stalks, which also makes inserting and removing them from your ears or the case, or just handling them in general, feel finicky.
I don't remember the last time I dropped any pair of earbuds as often as I did with the AirPods 5.
Source: GSMArena · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing