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There are two versions of the AirPods 5, and they are $20 apart. The earbuds themselves are exactly the same, so this really comes down to what the more expensive case gets you. Here is everything the extra $20 buys and whether I think it is worth it.
Spend the extra $20. You get wireless charging, a speaker in the case, swipe volume on the stem, and about an hour more battery.
- Charge with USB-C, a wireless pad, or an Apple Watch charger
- Case speaker so Find My can play a sound
- Swipe the stem to change volume
- About an hour more battery, 22 hours total vs 20
- Neither case attaches magnetically to MagSafe
- The $130 model is fine if you do not care about those extras
What is the same on both
The earbuds are identical. Both versions have active noise cancellation, transparency, adaptive audio, and conversation awareness. Both are IP57 rated for dust and water, both support live translation, and they sound exactly the same. Compared to the AirPods 4, both have improved low end and better noise cancellation.
There are really only three differences, and almost all of them are in the case.
Difference one: charging
You can only charge the $130 case with USB-C. The $150 wireless charging case also works on a Qi2 charging pad or an Apple Watch charger, so you get a lot more options.
For whatever reason, it still does not support MagSafe. It works on a MagSafe pad if you set it on top, but it does not magnetically attach. That is a little silly, but I am willing to let it slide since this is the cheaper AirPods model, not the AirPods Pro 3.
Difference two: the case speaker and stem volume
The $150 case has a speaker built in. If you lose your AirPods in the couch or drop them somewhere, you can play a sound from the Find My app to track them down. The $130 USB-C case does not have a speaker.
On the $150 model you can also swipe the stem to change the volume. On the $130 model you can only change the volume from your phone or with Siri.
Difference three: battery life
The $150 model gets about an hour more battery per charge: 5 hours with noise cancellation on vs 4 hours with the USB-C case, 7 hours with noise cancellation off vs 6, and 22 hours total with the case vs 20. So it is better across the board.
Side by side
| $130 AirPods 5 | $150 AirPods 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Earbuds and sound | Same | Same |
| Case charging | USB-C only | USB-C, Qi2 pad, or Apple Watch charger |
| MagSafe magnetic attach | No | No |
| Speaker in case for Find My | No | Yes |
| Volume control | Phone or Siri | Swipe the stem |
| Battery, ANC on | 4 hours | 5 hours |
| Battery, ANC off | 6 hours | 7 hours |
| Total with case | 20 hours | 22 hours |
Is the extra $20 worth it?
Honestly, I think the upgraded case is silly. Apple should have just made wireless charging standard on the AirPods 5 instead of making two versions. There was no reason to do that.
But if you are deciding which one to buy, I say spend the extra money. You get better battery life, volume on the stem, the speaker in the case, and more ways to charge. If you do not care about any of those, you can save $20 and get the cheaper one. For most people, though, those features really do come in handy.
The bottom line
The AirPods 5 sound and perform the same at $130 or $150. The extra $20 is all about the case, and I would pay it. For how they sound and how they compare to everything else, read my full AirPods 5 review, AirPods 5 vs AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4 vs AirPods 5.
