AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging review: with ANC this good, why pay more for AirPods Pro 3?

Apple AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging review

Apple's second-cheapest new AirPods are a fantastic little buy. But you'd be forgiven for overlooking them given Apple's curious naming strategy. After all, the last time Apple unveiled two sets of entry-level AirPods, one had ANC and the other didn't — easy to work out where the extra money went there. But with AirPods 5, both the base model and the step-up option tote ANC. So what's the deal?

It's not as simple as it first appears. As the name implies, AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging offer a better case that charges wirelessly. But what the name doesn't tell you is that here there are a few other perks the cheaper model lacks, which I think makes this set far worthier of the nominal extra fee.

Said case also includes a speaker for audible pairing status pings and Find My help, for instance, which you won't get with the cheaper set. Then, there's the force sensor with volume swipe functionality in both stems, for playback and call handling. To clarify, you can't change the volume on-ear with the cheaper model, which for me is a huge deal — as a woman who often commutes alone at night, I don't want to be digging my phone out if I don't have to, thank you very much.

Lastly, there's an extra hour's playback available to you in this model, with ANC deployed. Don't get overly excited; said figure is only upped to five hours from the buds (or up to 22 with the case) from four and, for me, this is AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging's biggest issue. Almost any price-competitive rival can beat that, in 2026.

But now that I'm done with my main criticism, let's get to the praise — there's plenty of it. Some of the best budget earbuds around? Oh definitely. For iPhone owners, there's nothing else that can cut through the noise for this money.

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• More on differences between AirPods 5 and AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging

Kicking things off with their design, the case is tiny. I've put it next to my regular reference Technics EAH-AZ100 below, but even that doesn't really do its neatness justice. The magnets also snap shut reassuringly so you won't lose an earbud; I've slung this charging nest in my pocket for a few weeks now without issue.

The buds are Apple's open-fit option (think a much-tweaked update on the company's wired EarPods) so there are no ear tips to switch out. You either love this design or hate it. I love it since it means the buds sit slightly less intrusively in the ear, with no 'twist to lock' screwing them into my ear canals to contend with. However, I wouldn't recommend this slightly more relaxed fit for energetic sports use. AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging are secure in the ear, but only to a point. Why? Because you're not creating a seal between a silicone ear tip and the skin of your ear canal.

Also, I occasionally found switching between iOS devices, even using the same Apple account, wasn't as seamless as billed. I actually had to reset them once (it's simple, you just double-tap the front of the case a few times, 'til the light glows orange) and even then, the promised pop-up telling you, 'AirPods used on another device. Connect?' isn't always forthcoming. It's a small issue at this level but still, it's my job to notice.

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Another note on the buds: I find that making a 'pinch' shape with my thumb and index finger to swipe up or down along the indent/force sensor of the stem is the best way to change the volume on these particular AirPods. Apple suggests keeping your thumb on the bottom of the stem to steady them, then swiping up using only your index or middle finger. What I'm trying to say is, there's a knack to this and you need to find your own path with it, but it'll be worth the rehearsal.

Said stems also can be squeezed in a more traditional way, to perform every action you'll want. To play or pause audio, you press a stem once; to skip forward (next track) you double-press a stem; skipping back (previous track) is a triple-press. You can also press a stem when a call comes in to answer it, press and hold to summon Siri (or not, in your settings), start a Live Translation by pressing and holding both stems, or scroll through Noise Cancellation profiles with a press and hold of one stem.

It's a comprehensive solution — and since I've just hit on Live Translation, let's send some more praise that way, shall we?

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Thanks to the inclusion of Apple's H2 chip, not only do these buds offer Personalized Spatial Audio, you can also chat about the bus timetable in Northern Spain with a local Asturian. You'll need an iPhone 15 Pro or newer and you need to download certain language packs (one for the prep-and-packing stage of your trip, rather than when you're on vacation and without wi-fi) on iOS 26 or later with Apple Intelligence turned on. It's largely a case of opening the Settings app on your iPhone, tapping your AirPods, tapping 'Live Translation (Beta)' and going from there, but worth knowing you can't simply have it from the box.

Once up and running, though, it's a dream. I used it with ANC on and Conversation Awareness also toggled on (this, while not exclusive to AirPods 5, is an excellent feature that lowers your music's volume and pipes in external voices when you start speaking). I happen to have a partner who speaks fluent Spanish. Squeeze both stems of the AirPods 5 and behold! See some snippets of our conversation, which is also piped into the buds vocally with very little lag.

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I mention my conversation with my partner because, when I deployed ANC to try to talk to him (in either of its Adaptive or Regular variants) I simply couldn't hear his voice. It was quite astonishing. I cannot explain the wizardry Apple's invoked to make the ANC 50% better over the AirPods 4 any more than I can explain the driver size under the hood, because Apple hasn't said. But I can at least vouch for the truth in the company's statement. Most household noises, street life or hubbub of your everyday will melt away here at the tap of a finger, if you want them gone.

Call handling? Good and clear during my testing, both for callers and for me, the wearer. Head gestures regarding said calls? They're fine, but you need to be quite animated with your head nods and I tend to operate on a more subtle level — when AirPods can respond to an eyebrow raise over who's decided to pick up the phone after all this time, we'll be in business.

And sonically, they're a triumph for the level — yes, despite their lack of hifalutin codec support. Fontaines D.C.'s Six Shot Morning is as darkly vivacious as it is foreboding, with Grian Chatten's oddly angelic bass registers coming in centrally and conveying knowledge that belies his years. In Brandon Flowers' Tiger's Blood there's a delightful accuracy to the various guitars in my left and right ear. Sure, they're not for critical listening — if you wanted flat, untouched detail you won't look to these earbuds — but for expanse, impetus and good old-fashioned fun, AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging won't let you down. There's space around each musical instrument, underpinned by the kind of layering you'd normally find in much pricier options.

Yes, if I switch out to my much pricier Technics buds, there's an extra ounce of detail to the intake of Flowers' breath or the inflections at the end of his new-found (to us) country vocal, but that's hardly a fair test. For an energetic listen that has you living in your head and reveling in music, these unassuming little Apple buds have really surprised me. And given my 'good, not fantastic' take on AirPods 4, I hadn't expected to like them as much as I do. Bravo, Apple.

Apple AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging review: price & release date

• $149 / £139 / AU$249
• Announced on September 9, 2026 (released September 18, 2026)

This is 2026, I don't need to tell you that there's a lot of competition at the $149 / £139 / AU$249 level for a set of wireless earbuds.

And it's not just 'traditional' sets now, open earbuds such as the similarly priced Sennheiser Accentum Clip are taking up a significant chunk of the market too. And in the over-ear arena, the also-new Sony WH-CH730N can be yours for a little more or a little less, depending on where you live (at $179 / £99.99 / AU$229).

In all honesty, Apple's closest competition here is probably its own entry-level AirPods 5, at a slightly cheaper $129 / £129 / AU$219 or possibly even its AirPods Pro 3, which will set you back a little under $249 / £219 / AU$429 now and add a heart-rate monitor, Apple's extensive Hearing Health suite and, er, ear tips…

The bulk of this review should serve to explain why I think Apple's AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging outdo the former for sound-per-pound value. And unless you want to use them for workouts or for the excellent hearing-help tech, I'd even suggest you go for these over the Pro set.

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Apple AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging review: specs

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Should I buy the Apple AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging?

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Buy them if…

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Don’t buy them if…

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Apple AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging review: also consider

How I tested Apple AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging

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• Tested using an iPhone 15 Pro (running iOS 27.2) and MacBook Pro
• Streamed Apple Music (with Spatial Audio and without) also Qobuz and Tidal
• Compared against AirPods 4, Nothing Ear (a), AirPods Pro 3 and Technics EAH-AZ100

I spent four weeks testing the AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging, using a wireless charger to recharge (they juice up very well on it, too, although of course at a slower rate compared with direct USB-C charging) and streaming Apple Music tracks, a music platform of which I was an early adopter.

As always, I used the TechRadar reference playlist, but I also listened to a lot of newer music — I don't know you, dear reader, but I know that human beings have vastly varied music tastes and all are valid here.

I've been testing audio products as my full-time job since 2019, alongside occasional freelance jobs as a performer and dancer/singer. My love of music means I will never tire of trying to find the best audio kit to suit fellow music lovers, whatever their budget. Believe me, I have been a starving artist, too. Music always helps us get through challenging times.

• Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
• First reviewed: October 2026