There is a reason Apple has kept regular AirPods around even as the Pro line has become more feature-packed. Not everyone wants silicone tips sitting inside their ears. For plenty of people, the open fit is more comfortable, more hygienic and easier to wear for hours.
The trade-off used to be obvious. You chose regular AirPods for comfort and convenience, while the Pro models handled serious noise cancellation, richer sound and Apple’s premium features.
The AirPods 5 make that choice less straightforward.
They start at ₹14,900, but I have been using the ₹17,900 model with the Wireless Charging Case. It brings Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency mode, Personalised Spatial Audio, Conversation Awareness, Live Translation and the usual Apple ecosystem tricks. The pricier version also gets volume swipes, better battery life, wireless charging and a speaker-equipped case for Find My.
What I wanted to know was simple: can Apple’s open-fit earbuds now offer enough of the Pro experience without making me wear silicone tips?
Apple AirPods 5 Review: Design
Apple has not tried to reinvent the look of its standard AirPods. The AirPods 5 retain the familiar white finish, compact stems and rounded buds. They sit at the opening of the ear canal instead of sealing it, which remains their biggest strength and weakness.
The upside is comfort. At 4.3g each, the buds barely register once they are in place. I could wear them through work calls, a commute, music sessions and podcasts without getting that closed-off sensation many in-ear earbuds create.
That is the appeal of the regular AirPods line. They feel present without feeling intrusive.
The charging case is equally easy to live with. It is small enough to disappear into a jeans pocket, and the Wireless Charging Case version remains just as portable despite being slightly heavier. It can charge through USB-C, a Qi wireless charger or an Apple Watch charger. Apple has also added a speaker to the case, which makes Find My far more practical when it disappears under a sofa or gets buried in a bag.
Both the case and earbuds are rated IP57 for dust, sweat and water resistance. I had no hesitation using them through a workout, in light rain or on my daily commute.
But this design only works if it works for your ears.
There are no interchangeable tips or stabilising wings. Apple gives you one shape, and your ears decide the rest. Mine were comfortable and stayed secure while walking or doing light exercise. During a more intense workout, or while nodding along too enthusiastically to Metallica, one of the buds could work loose.
That does not make the AirPods 5 badly designed. It is simply the cost of an open fit. But it is worth trying them before committing, because the fit affects comfort, sound and ANC.
Apple AirPods 5 Review: Connectivity, Features and Controls
The AirPods 5 are not just earbuds. They are another part of Apple’s ecosystem.
Pairing took seconds. I opened the lid beside my iPhone, tapped the prompt, and the AirPods were ready. Once linked to my Apple Account, they were available across my other Apple devices too. Moving from music on my iPhone to a video on my Mac felt effortless, which remains one of those small Apple conveniences that is easy to take for granted.
The AirPods controls are spread between the earbuds, Control Centre and the AirPods settings page. From there, I could switch listening modes, control Spatial Audio, enable Voice Isolation, manage Conversation Awareness and configure Siri.
The stems use force sensors for the basics. A single press plays or pauses media, answers a call or mutes the microphone. Two presses skip forward, three presses go back, and a long press changes listening modes.
The Wireless Charging Case model adds swipe gestures for volume. Slide up on the stem to increase volume and down to lower it. It took a little practice because the stems are short, but it became convenient when I was walking or working away from my phone.
I still think Apple should have included this feature on both variants.
The AirPods 5 also support Siri Interactions, which lets you respond to some prompts with a nod or head shake. There is Live Translation too, although its usefulness depends on having a compatible Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone and the right language support.
You can pair the AirPods 5 with an Android phone, laptop or other Bluetooth device. But they make little sense outside Apple’s ecosystem. The music will still play, but you lose automatic switching, deeper controls and many of the smart features that make the experience special.
Apple AirPods 5 Review: Audio Performance
Open-fit earbuds usually ask you to accept a compromise with audio quality. Without a seal, it is harder to retain bass, isolate outside noise and create a consistently immersive sound.
The AirPods 5 handle those limitations far better than I expected.
Apple uses a custom high-excursion driver, high-dynamic-range amplifier, Adaptive EQ and a new acoustic system that adjusts playback according to the fit. It sounds technical, but the result is simple: when the earbuds sit properly, they sound surprisingly complete.
I found the presentation clean and confident. On Ghost’s Mary On A Cross, the vocal remained prominent without pushing the guitars and drums into the background. There was enough texture in the mix to make the song feel layered, rather than flattened into a single wall of sound.
They also worked well for podcasts and YouTube videos. Voices remained clear, but never became sharp enough to cause fatigue through longer listening sessions.
Bass is where I expected the AirPods 5 to feel limited. Instead, it was better controlled than I anticipated. The beat on The Weeknd’s Starboy had enough presence to make the track enjoyable, and the low end did not spill into the vocals or blur the rest of the mix.
The AirPods Pro 3 still deliver deeper bass and more physical impact. Their silicone tips create the seal needed for that. But the AirPods 5 never sounded weak or hollow to me, which is impressive for earbuds built around an open fit.
The tuning is also sensible. Apple has not exaggerated bass to create an instant wow factor, nor has it pushed treble too aggressively. The result is a pair of earbuds I could listen to for long stretches without feeling the need to take them out.
Spatial Audio remains more useful for films and shows than music, at least for me. I would not enable it for every track. But on Dolby Atmos content, Personalised Spatial Audio and head tracking add a welcome sense of width on an iPhone, iPad or Mac.
Apple AirPods 5 Review: ANC
The most significant upgrade here is Active Noise Cancellation.
Apple says the AirPods 5 can cancel up to 1.5 times more noise than AirPods 4 with ANC. I cannot verify that number, but the improvement is easy to notice in day-to-day use.
The AirPods 5 reduce the constant background sounds that make a busy day tiring. Air-conditioners, traffic rumble, office chatter and the drone of public transport become less distracting. I did not need to raise the volume as much to hear a podcast clearly or enjoy music.
This is especially impressive because the earbuds do not seal your ears.
They cannot remove sharp sounds, loud voices or higher frequencies as effectively as the AirPods Pro 3. The Pro model has a physical advantage because silicone tips block external sound before ANC processing even begins.
Still, the AirPods 5 make a café, office or commute noticeably calmer. They do not create complete silence, but they reduce enough noise to change how comfortably you can listen.
Fit matters here too. The more securely the earbuds sit, the better the ANC feels. A loose fit lets more outside sound in, making the noise cancellation less convincing.
Transparency mode is excellent. Because the buds are already open, the effect feels natural rather than artificially amplified. I could hear someone talking to me, stay alert around traffic or listen for an announcement without removing an earbud.
Calls are another strong area. Voice Isolation kept my voice clear, and callers had no complaints about hearing me. I also liked that I could hear my own voice normally during calls, instead of feeling like I was speaking from inside a sealed space.
Apple AirPods 5 Review: Battery Life and Charging
The Wireless Charging Case version is rated for up to five hours of listening with ANC enabled and seven hours with noise control disabled. The case takes total ANC listening time to 22 hours, while a five-minute charge can provide around an hour of playback.
That worked well for my routine. I could use them during the commute, at work and later in the evening without constantly worrying about the battery.
The ₹14,900 model is cheaper, but the compromise feels too steep. It offers four hours of ANC playback, charges only through USB-C and misses out on the volume swipes and case’s speaker for the Find My feature.
For an additional ₹3,000, the ₹17,900 version is simply more complete. You get better endurance, easier charging and more useful controls without changing the earbuds themselves.
Apple AirPods 5 Review: Should You Buy Them?
The AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case are the most convincing regular AirPods Apple has made.
They are not a replacement for AirPods Pro 3. The Pro model remains better if you need the strongest ANC, a secure in-ear fit, deeper bass or health features such as heart-rate tracking.
But the AirPods 5 make a strong case for themselves.
They offer genuinely good sound, excellent calls, effective ANC for an open-fit design, capable Transparency mode and all the Apple features that make the ecosystem easy to live in. Most importantly, they deliver all of this in a lightweight form that never feels intrusive.
If you dislike silicone tips but still want premium Apple earbuds, these are the pair to consider. Just make sure the fit works for you, and spend the extra ₹3,000 for the Wireless Charging Case.
