🎧 Apple is reportedly launching new AirPods next month
📱 AirPods 5 could arrive alongside the iPhone Fold and iPhone 18 Pro
🔇 The company will offer a model with ANC and one without, just like AirPods 4
💰 They’ll be less expensive than the rumored AirPods Pro with cameras
🤷♂️ It’s not clear what kind of upgrades are in store for the earbuds
Apple has a ton of products coming out before the end of the year, and it sounds like one of them could be a new pair of AirPods. Mark Gurman at Bloomberg shared a report in which he details new devices in the company’s pipeline, and he says the upcoming AirPods 5 are on the table for a 2026 launch.
According to Gurman, the new AirPods 5 will be direct successors to the AirPods 4 from 2024, complete with two different models: one with ANC, and one without. These aren’t the new AirPods with cameras, however; despite those leaking in an early version of macOS, Apple isn’t expected to release them until 2027. Plus, they’ll technically be AirPods Pro, not standard AirPods.
As far as upgrades are concerned, Gurman doesn’t mention anything specific regarding the AirPods 5. We can assume Apple will improved sound quality and ANC with new internal upgrades, but we don’t know anything for sure yet. We also don’t know what they’ll look like, although given that AirPods rarely see a design refresh, it’s safe to say they should look the same as they do now.
Apple will likely announce the new AirPods 5 next month alongside the iPhone Fold and iPhone 18 Pro, two of the biggest upgrades to the iPhone family in generations. In addition, we also expect the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 to make an appearance at the same time. It sounds Apple is going to have a very busy September, if all this pans out.
Max Buondonno is an editor at The Shortcut and co-host of The Shortcut Live. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.