It’s not often I’m left bemused by an Apple launch, but the recent unveiling of the AirPods 5, its latest ‘open’ wireless earbuds, has left me scratching my head. It just doesn’t make any sense.
You see, the AirPods 5, like AirPods 4 before them, come in two flavours. But unlike the previous generation, which were clearly distinguishable by price (there was £50/$50 between AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with ANC) and by the cheaper model's lack of noise-cancelling, they have more in common this time around.
Both pairs now offer the same ANC, the same acoustic architecture, the same H2 chip, the same sound modes and the same IP57 rating. And there was nothing said during Apple’s video event to suggest they won’t share the same sound quality.
And this time around, there is only £20/$20 between the two models. Spending that little bit extra gets you better battery life and more useful features, so you can hopefully see where I’m coming from?
Maybe I’m a sucker for specs, but the AirPods 5 Wireless Charging Case as they’re known (and doesn’t that name just roll off the tongue?), just seem the obvious buy.
To me at least, it feels like you’re actually getting shortchanged if you go for the standard AirPods 5 model. And the fact that the cheaper model can only muster four hours of battery life per charge is verging on the laughable in this day and age, as one of my colleagues has already pointed out.
Having the volume swipe feature on the force sensor on the pricier model shouldn’t be underestimated either. This gives usability a big boost and is something I use all the time on my ageing AirPods Pro 2.
So why is Apple offering both? Now, who am I to question Apple’s business plan - they seem to be doing a pretty good job of making money without my input – but is it really cost-effective to be selling two pairs of earbuds so similar in price when one pair is at a disadvantage? I can't wait to get both pairs into our test room to find out which pair is the better buy.
What do you think? If you’re an Apple fan, do you find the cheaper pair of AirPods appealing, or would you rather just spend a tiny bit extra to get the all-singing, all-dancing model? Let us know in the comments below.
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