So Apple is finally updating the regular AirPods. Not the Pro ones, not the Max ones — the entry-level ones that most people actually buy.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is planning to announce AirPods 5 at its September 9 event, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and that foldable iPhone everyone keeps talking about. Two versions: a standard model and one with active noise cancellation. Same split as AirPods 4.
Honestly? I didn’t see this coming quite this soon. AirPods 4 came out in September 2024. That’s only two years, and Apple usually stretches the non-Pro line to three. But here we are.
Here’s what actually matters: ANC is coming down to the regular AirPods line. Before this, if you wanted noise cancellation, you paid up for the Pro model. Now you’ll have the choice inside the cheaper lineup. That’s a bigger deal than it sounds, because the gap between “regular AirPods” and “AirPods Pro” is shrinking.
Wait, I think I should back up a bit. The two models have internal codenames B868M and B868E — the same pattern as AirPods 4’s B768M and B768E. The “M” is likely the standard version, the “E” probably the one with ANC. Apple hasn’t confirmed any of it, but the code doesn’t lie.
What about actual upgrades? Not much is known yet. The rumor mill says they’ll get an H3 chip — Apple’s next audio processor — which should mean better sound and lower latency. Some reports mention a possible body temperature sensor. Honestly, that sounds like Pro territory to me. Apple usually keeps health features for the premium tier.
Price-wise, expect around $129 for the base model and $179 for the ANC version. Apple didn’t raise prices when memory costs went up in June, so there’s a decent chance they hold the line here.
But the camera AirPods aren’t coming
Here’s where I get a bit skeptical.
The camera-equipped AirPods — the ones with Visual Intelligence and Siri integration that everyone got excited about when that macOS 26.7 video leaked — aren’t arriving until 2027. Gurman confirmed it. Apple is reportedly working on two separate camera-AirPods projects internally, and neither is ready for prime time. Software issues, hardware challenges, the whole thing pushed back.
I went through what Apple’s code actually revealed about how those camera AirPods would work when the leak first landed. Short version: the cameras aren’t for taking photos. They’re for giving Siri eyes. Each earbud has its own sensor, they capture synchronized images, and there’s on-device processing so it isn’t shipping everything to the cloud.
But that’s 2027 stuff. Maybe later. The AirPods 5 launching next month are just normal earbuds with a chip upgrade and an ANC option.
To be fair, that makes sense. Apple needs something to sell this fall. The camera AirPods aren’t ready, the regular AirPods are due for a refresh, so we get a modest update that adds choice without rocking the boat.
So is the ANC version actually worth it?
That depends on one thing that never shows up in a spec sheet: the seal.
AirPods Pro have silicone tips that plug your ear canal. Regular AirPods sit in your ear without sealing it. Noise cancellation is far easier when you’ve physically blocked the outside world with a rubber tip, because the electronics only have to clean up what leaks through. Put the same ANC feature into an open-fit earbud and it can only do so much. It’ll take the edge off a plane engine and an air conditioner. It will not silence a crying baby two rows behind you the way Pro earbuds do.
So the honest framing isn’t “$179 instead of $250, same feature.” It’s “some noise cancellation, in a shape that can’t seal.”
Is it worth waiting for? If you’re still on AirPods from 2022 or earlier, yes. The ANC version is a real upgrade if you commute or work somewhere loud. If you already have AirPods 4? Probably skip it — this doesn’t sound like a big leap.
The bigger question is whether this eats into AirPods Pro sales. Why pay $250 for Pro 3 when the regular line has ANC for $179? My guess is Apple keeps the meaningful stuff exclusive to Pro: better sound, stronger ANC, the health sensors, and eventually the cameras. But the gap is closing, and that’s the actual story here — not the earbuds.
I’m still not sure how I feel about the camera ones. Siri seeing what you see is a genuinely useful idea. But wearing cameras on your ears is going to raise some eyebrows — privacy concerns, people nearby not knowing whether they’re being “seen,” all of it. Apple supposedly added a status light that comes on when the cameras are active. Still. We’ll see.
Anyway — AirPods 5 next month. Camera AirPods next year. That’s the short version.
I’ll probably pick up the ANC version and see how it compares to my Pro 2s. We’ll see what happens.
