Last year you had to pick: AirPods 4 without noise cancelling, or pay more for AirPods 4 with it. That split is gone. Every AirPods 5 has ANC, and Apple's number is that it removes up to 50 per cent more outside noise than the AirPods 4 with ANC did. There's a new speaker design inside, Apple calls it a multiport acoustic architecture, borrowed from the AirPods Pro 3, plus a newer Adaptive EQ. Apple also says the fit is better across a wider range of ears, which was always the problem with open-style AirPods and noise cancelling: they don't seal, so the cancelling only does so much.

That 'best in class' line Apple keeps using is worth a look. The footnote says Apple tested them in July against the bestselling open-ear wireless earbuds on the market at the time. So it's a claim against one competitor, chosen by Apple, in Apple's testing. Might well be true. Not independent.

What the extra A$30 gets you

The A$249 model has the wireless charging case, which works on Apple Watch chargers, Qi pads and USB-C, and it gets the force sensor with volume swipe on the stem, which is the first time that's been on the non-Pro AirPods. Apple quotes five hours of listening with ANC on for this model, an hour more than the AirPods 4 with ANC, and 22 hours with the case. Apple doesn't give a separate battery figure for the A$219 model in the release, so I'm not going to guess one.

The rest

Transparency mode is improved, Adaptive Audio blends the two modes automatically, Conversation Awareness drops the volume when you start talking, and you can nod or shake your head to answer Siri. Live Translation, where you hear the other person in your language, now works across the whole AirPods range. Dust, sweat and water resistance is improved, though Apple gives no IP figure in the release. And the new Siri AI works hands-free through them once iOS 27 lands on Tuesday 15 September.

Both models are made with 40 per cent recycled material, if you care about that, and the case is 70 per cent recycled plastic.