AirPods 5 Preorders Open at $124.99 After Amazon Applies a First-Time $5 Discount

The earbuds carry a list price of $129, a figure TechRadar called surprisingly low for a product with active noise cancellation. The publication said the $5 reduction is modest in absolute terms but is the best preorder price available for the new model and predicted it will expire once the AirPods 5 go on sale officially on Friday.

Apple says the AirPods 5 use a new acoustic architecture that cuts noise by 50 percent more than the AirPods 4 while the company describes the active noise cancellation as industry-leading. The earbuds also deliver richer and more detailed sound with more dynamic personalized spatial audio, a more durable build, live translation, hands-free access to Siri AI, and up to five hours of playback on a single charge with noise cancellation switched on.

TechRadar also pointed to older Apple audio products that remain discounted. The AirPods 4 with a wireless charging case are listed at $149, and the wired EarPods with a Lightning connector are priced at $14.88; a USB-C version of the same earphones is offered at $16.99 for users of newer iPhones. The publication noted that the Lightning model works with devices that use that connector, including the iPhone 14 and earlier models.