AirPods 4 vs. AirPods 5: Is there any benefit to buying last-gen?

Apple's new AirPods 5 are an anomaly.

In a year where tech prices are rising across the board , the latest AirPods were announced at last week's Apple keynote event with a shocking feature: a lower price point than the previous generation.

So what's the catch? Well, therein lies the anomaly — there really isn't one.

In fact, Apple added more features to the new earbuds, and again, they cost less than the AirPods 4 .

Below, you'll find the breakdown of exactly how the AirPods 5 reign superior.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods 5 $124.99 at Amazon $129 Save $4.01 Pre-order Here Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods 4 $99 at Amazon $129 Save $30 Get Deal As a note, Mashable's team is still working its way through testing the new earbuds, so an updated head-to-head comparison is in the pipeline.

In the meantime, this is how the new AirPods 5 stack up against the previous generation in specs, features, and design. (And if you're curious about how this comparison is between the AirPods 5 and Pro 3, you can check out our full breakdown .) AirPods 4 vs.

AirPods 5: Price The AirPods 5 are here.

How do they stack up? Credit: Apple Both the AirPods 4 and AirPods 5 have two models: a budget and a more mid-tier option.

The big change in the AirPods 5, however, is that both models have active noise cancellation .

In the AirPods 4, the main reason to spring for the more expensive model is the ANC.

Between the two budget models, Apple kept the prices flat, but for the AirPods 5, it slashed the price of the more expensive model by $30.

The full price breakdown is as follows: AirPods 4 — $129 AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation — $179 AirPods 5 — $129 AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case — $149 It is worth noting that the AirPods 4 without ANC frequently drop down to $99 (as they are at the time of writing ).

The AirPods 4 with ANC can often be found on sale for $149.