Upgraded, cheaper AirPods have noise cancelling, sound and controls to rival many plugged-in buds but without tips

Apple’s latest AirPods set a new standard for open-fit buds with upgraded noise cancelling that now rivals many plugged-in designs of the same price.

The AirPods 5 have the same design the popular AirPods 4 offering an option for those that do not like silicone ear tips used by most noise cancelling earbuds. They come in two versions, with or without a wireless charging case and swipe controls, costing from £119 (€149/$129/A$219) – £10 cheaper than the launch price of their predecessors.

Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3, SBC, AAC, H2 chip

Battery life: four or five hours with ANC (22 hours with case)

Water resistance: IP57 (up to 1 metre for 30 minutes)

Earbud dimensions: 30.2 x 18.3 x 18.1mm

Earbud weight: 4.3g each

Charging case dimensions: 46.2 x 50.1 x 21.2mm

Charging case weight: 32.3g/34.7g

Case charging: USB-C or wireless (Qi or Watch)

This is disturbing:

…a team of security researchers at UC San Diego, who found that a model of aftermarket car alarm known as the KARR Security System, installed in more than 2 million vehicles across the US by their estimate, can let any hacker within Bluetooth range send radio commands to silently unlock the car at will, turn off its alarm, honk the car’s horn or flash its lights, or even disable its ignition and leave a driver stranded.