Part of our iPhone 18 hub: every buy-or-wait guide for Apple's September 9 event.

AirPods 4, AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, AirPods Pro and AirPods Max lined up on a white background
Photo: Apple Newsroom press image. The AirPods 4 lineup from its September 2024 launch. AirPods 5 have not been shown.

Apple · September event · Apple shoppers

AirPods 5 vs AirPods 4: buy now or wait for September 9?

By Siddharth Kumar · Updated September 2026

AirPods 5 have not been announced, but Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports Apple plans to introduce them as early as the September 9, 2026 event, in two versions like today's AirPods 4: a standard model and one with active noise cancellation. Reports expect the prices to hold at $129 and $179, with a new H3 chip as the main change; the H3 itself is speculation rather than confirmed. AirPods 4, launched September 2024 with the H2 chip, remain on sale and typically drop in price once a successor appears. If you want the entry-level AirPods, waiting for September 9 is sensible; if you want noise cancellation for flights and commutes today, AirPods Pro 3 at $249 are the better buy either way.

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The AirPods 4 are two years old this month, which in Apple time means they are due. Bloomberg reports that Apple plans to show AirPods 5 as early as the September 9 event, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Apple's first foldable iPhone, and that the new earbuds will come in the same two flavors as today's: a plain model and one with active noise cancellation. Whether that is worth waiting for depends less on what the AirPods 5 add and more on what you need earbuds for. This guide lays out what is reported, what the AirPods 4 already do well, when the Pro model is the better answer, and a simple rule for the days before September 9.

ModelStatusChipPriceBuy
AirPods 5 (standard)Reported for Sept 9; not announcedH3 (speculated)$129 expected (unconfirmed)—
AirPods 5 with ANCReported for Sept 9; not announcedH3 (speculated)$179 expected (unconfirmed)—
AirPods 4On sale since Sept 2024H2$129 list; often discountedSee on Amazon
AirPods 4 with Active Noise CancellationOn sale since Sept 2024H2$179 list; often discountedCheck price on Amazon
AirPods Pro 3On sale since Sept 2025H2$249See on Amazon

What is reported about AirPods 5

The firmest piece is timing. Mark Gurman at Bloomberg reports Apple is planning to debut fresh AirPods as early as the September product event, and that the rollout includes AirPods 5, an update to the entry-level earbuds. The two-model structure introduced with AirPods 4, one with active noise cancellation and one without, is expected to continue. Beyond that the reporting thins out. Secondary outlets expect an H3 chip to replace the H2 and bring better audio processing and lower latency, but no one with a strong track record has confirmed a new chip, so file it under likely rather than known. Pricing is widely expected to stay at $129 and $179, which would be notable in a year when almost every other Apple price has moved up. What is not coming: the AirPods Pro with built-in cameras that leaks have described, which AppleInsider reports has slipped to 2027. AirPods 5 are an iteration, not a rethink.

What the AirPods 4 already get right

It is easy to forget how good the current model is. AirPods 4 arrived in September 2024 with the H2 chip, the same silicon as the AirPods Pro 2, in an open-ear design Apple reshaped around a large scan of ear shapes. They have Voice Isolation for calls, Personalized Spatial Audio, and a USB-C case Apple made 10 percent smaller than the previous one, with up to 30 hours of listening including the case. The $179 version adds active noise cancellation, which is unusual in an open design and works better than it has any right to, plus Conversation Awareness, a case with a speaker for Find My, and wireless charging. The realistic complaints are the ones that come with any open-ear earbud: they do not seal, so bass is lighter and noise cancellation is partial. If the AirPods 5 are an H3 refresh in the same shell, everything in this paragraph stays true of them too.

If you want noise cancellation, this is not a wait-or-buy question

Here is where a lot of people pick the wrong product. The AirPods 4 with ANC are fine for quieting an office. They are not what you want on a plane or a subway platform, because an open-ear design physically cannot block what a sealed tip blocks. For that job the answer is AirPods Pro 3, launched September 2025 at $249, with silicone tips, Apple's strongest noise cancellation, a heart-rate sensor for workouts, and better sweat and water resistance. Nothing reported about AirPods 5 changes this. They will still be open-ear. So if noise cancellation is the reason you are shopping, waiting for AirPods 5 buys you nothing; the Pro 3 is the buy today and it is not expected to be replaced at this event.

The seven-day rule

If you want entry-level AirPods and your current earbuds still work, wait. The event is September 9, and one of two good things happens: either AirPods 5 arrive at the reported $129 and $179 and you buy the newer model for the same money, or the AirPods 4 get discounted as retailers clear them, which has happened with every AirPods generation change so far. The only reason to buy AirPods 4 before September 9 is that you need earbuds today, in which case buy them at the lowest price you can find and do not feel bad; an H3 chip is not going to make a two-year-old H2 sound worse. And if you are buying as a gift for later in the year, wait regardless. The AirPods 5 will be the ones under the tree and the AirPods 4 will be cheaper than they are now.

What to watch for on September 9

Three things will tell you whether AirPods 5 are worth choosing over discounted AirPods 4. First, the chip: if Apple confirms an H3, check what it enables, since Apple typically ties new features (better Adaptive Audio, faster switching, on-device processing for Siri) to the new silicon and leaves older models out. Second, battery: the AirPods 4 are rated at up to 30 hours with the case; a meaningful gain would be a reason to pay full price rather than take a discount. Third, any health feature. Apple brought heart-rate sensing to the AirPods Pro 3 and to the Powerbeats Pro 2 before that; if it trickles down to the entry model, that is a genuine upgrade. If the announcement is just an H3 in the same body at the same price, the discounted AirPods 4 win for anyone on a budget.

Pros

  • Waiting for September 9 either gets you a newer model at the same reported price or a cheaper AirPods 4
  • Reported pricing holds at $129 and $179, unusual in a year of Apple price increases
  • AirPods 4 remain excellent for calls and casual listening on an H2 chip

Cons

  • AirPods 5 are unconfirmed; even the H3 chip is speculation
  • An open-ear design will still not block noise like the sealed AirPods Pro 3
  • The camera-equipped AirPods Pro some hoped for are reported to have slipped to 2027

The verdict

Wait for September 9 if you want standard AirPods and can. Buy AirPods Pro 3 today if you want noise cancellation for travel or commuting, because nothing reported about AirPods 5 competes with a sealed earbud. And if the September 9 announcement turns out to be a chip refresh in the same body at the same price, buy the discounted AirPods 4 without hesitation.

Who should skip this

Skip waiting if your earbuds are dead and you need a pair for Monday; AirPods 4 at a discount are a fine buy and will not feel old. Skip AirPods 5 entirely if noise cancellation is the point; open-ear buds cannot do what the AirPods Pro 3 do. And skip the whole category if you already own AirPods Pro 2 or newer; nothing reported for the entry model is an upgrade for you.

How we chose

Apple has said nothing about AirPods 5. Reports of their timing and the two-model structure come from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman; expectations of an H3 chip and unchanged pricing come from secondary reporting and are labeled as speculation. Details on AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 3 are from Apple's own product announcements (September 2024 and September 2025). We have not tested AirPods 5, because they do not yet exist outside Apple, and this article makes no claim about how they sound.

Frequently asked

When will AirPods 5 be released?

Apple has not announced them. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports Apple plans to introduce AirPods 5 as early as the September 9, 2026 event. AirPods 4 followed a similar pattern, announced September 9, 2024 and shipping September 20.

How much will AirPods 5 cost?

Reports expect the prices to stay at $129 for the standard model and $179 for the version with active noise cancellation, matching the AirPods 4. Apple has not confirmed pricing.

What is new in AirPods 5?

Reporting is thin. The main expected change is a new H3 chip replacing the H2, for better audio processing and lower latency; that chip is speculation, not confirmed. Two models, with and without noise cancellation, are expected to continue. No design overhaul has been reported.

Should I buy AirPods 4 now or wait?

If you can wait until September 9, wait. Either AirPods 5 arrive at the same reported price or AirPods 4 get discounted as stock clears. Buy AirPods 4 now only if you need earbuds immediately, and buy at the lowest price you can find.

AirPods 5 or AirPods Pro 3?

If you want noise cancellation for flights or transit, AirPods Pro 3 at $249, on sale since September 2025 with silicone tips and a heart-rate sensor. AirPods 5 are reported to keep the open-ear design, which cannot block sound the same way. The Pro 3 are not expected to be replaced at the September 9 event.

Are the AirPods Pro with cameras coming in September?

Reportedly not. AppleInsider reports the camera-equipped AirPods Pro have been pushed to 2027. The September event is expected to bring the entry-level AirPods 5 only.

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