Apple would prepare two AirPods 5 for September, one of them with active noise cancellation

Apple would be preparing two versions of the AirPods 5 to present them during their September event, according to the information published by Mark Gurman. The new generation would again be divided between standard headphones and another variant with active noise cancellation, a commercial structure that the company already uses with the current AirPods 4.

The launch could occur alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, the first folding iPhone and the renewal of the Apple Watch. For now, Apple has not announced AirPods 5 nor has it detailed its design, processor, autonomy, sound quality or price.

Apple would maintain the versions with and without noise cancellation

The division into two models appeared in Apple’s basic range in September 2024. The AirPods 4 came in an entry-level version and a more expensive one with active noise cancellation. The latter also added Adaptive Audio, ambient sound mode and Conversation Detection, functions absent in the economical model.

Gurman maintains that Apple will repeat that organization with the Standard AirPods 5 and AirPods 5 with ANC. The information does not yet allow us to know if both will share a design, chip and transducers, nor what features the company will use to justify the generational leap. It has also not been confirmed whether they will retain the open format, without silicone pads, that characterizes the basic family.

The above provides a reference for how the catalog can be arranged, but its specifications should not automatically be carried over to future headphones. In Spain, the AirPods 4 came out for 149 euros and the edition with cancellation cost 199 euros. Those were the 2024 launch prices; The new report does not provide figures for its successors.

The AirPods 4 mark the point from which the renewal starts

The current generation uses the H2 chip and includes Voice Isolation, adaptive equalization and custom Spatial Audio with head tracking. Each earbud weighs 4.3 grams and both the AirPods and the case are IP54 certified against dust, sweat and splashes. That is the starting point of the renovation scheduled for September.

In autonomy, AirPods 4 offer up to five hours of playback on a charge and reach 30 hours when adding the case. The version with ANC reduces the first figure to four hours when you keep cancellation active. Its case supports USB-C, while the higher variant also incorporates Qi charging, compatibility with the Apple Watch charger and a speaker to facilitate its location using Search.

The sources that advance the AirPods 5 still They do not mention improvements in battery, microphones, connectivity or resistance. It also remains to be known whether Apple will release a processor after the H2 or maintain the current one with software adjustments, a decision that would influence the possible exclusive functions of the new generation.

AirPods with cameras form a separate project

The arrival of the AirPods 5 in 2026 would not include the cameras about which various information has appeared in recent months. Apple is working separately on headphones capable of providing visual information to Siri and its intelligence functions, but Gurman places this product in 2027. The distinction avoids attributing to the September models a feature that sources reserve for another device.

The reference to AirPods 5 would also have been found in the code of the macOS 26.7 release candidate. This appearance supports the existence of a near renovation, although an internal name does not reveal the final equipment nor does it itself guarantee the sale date. Apple can modify the calendar as long as the product has not been officially presented.

The camera project has different objectives and deadlines. The available information relates it to recognition of the environment and visual functions of Siri, while the fifth generation described now would occupy the family access step. Buyers would still be able to choose active noise cancellation without upgrading to the AirPods Pro or waiting for the model planned for next year.

The report places the next Apple event on September 9, 2026 and notes that the AirPods 5 could debut then. The expression used is “as soon as”, so the date should be treated as a forecast and not as a call confirmed by the company. The spotlight of the event would also fall on the iPhone 18 Pro and the expected folding phone.

The report also does not specify when reservations would be opened or the marketing of these headphones would begin. Until the company publishes its announcement, the price in Spain, the colors, the contents of the box and the day of arrival in stores remain unconfirmed. The available information is limited to two AirPods 5, with and without ANC, and their possible presentation on September 9.