AirPods 5 battery suppliers and case chips

AirPods 5: earbud and wireless-case evidence

Sources reviewed: 2026-10-17

Selected findings from 52audio's September 20, 2026 teardown, whose packaging transcription pairs A3441 earbuds with an A3529 wireless case. Apple independently lists those models for this version. Retail SKU, sales region and batch are unconfirmed. Apple's specifications establish H2 at platform level; teardown findings are sample-specific.

• Earbud capacity and case capacity answer different questions

  A case stores energy to recharge the earbuds; it is not a larger earbud cell. Its capacity cannot be substituted for the capacity inside one earbud, and neither number alone predicts listening time. Apple publishes runtime under specific test conditions: the wireless-case version is rated for up to five hours with ANC on and up to 22 hours with its case. Those are system-level claims, separate from component identification.

  Sources: [3][1]

• H2, a wireless SoC and a microcontroller have different roles

  Apple names H2 as its headphone chip. Nordic describes nRF52832 as a multiprotocol wireless SoC; ST describes STM32L496WG as an Arm Cortex-M4 microcontroller. These device functions explain why a case can contain processors alongside the earbuds' H2. A chip's supported protocols do not prove every feature is enabled in this product, and the case chip does not establish H2's foundry or the earbuds' wireless implementation.

  Sources: [3][4][5]

• Match the case before comparing parts

  Apple lists A3529 as the wireless case, with USB-C, Apple Watch and Qi charging support and a speaker. The standard A3530 case is a separate model. Apple also states the two AirPods 5 versions are not interchangeable with the other's earbuds. Start a component comparison with those identifiers; a list headed only 'AirPods battery' can mix accessories, generations and hardware roles.

  Sources: [2][3]

Sources

1. 52audio: AirPods 5 with wireless case — first-hand teardown (Chinese) — 2026-09-20
2. Apple Support: identify AirPods and charging-case models — 2026-09-25
3. Apple: AirPods 5 technical specifications — Accessed 2026-10-17
4. Nordic: nRF52832 functions — component context, not installation proof — Accessed 2026-10-17
5. ST: STM32L496WG functions — component context, not installation proof — Accessed 2026-10-17

Seven selected organization/role records, not a full BOM or sourcing shares. Apple is a chip-design attribution. Earbud and case categories are separate; areas count records. Blank locations mean Unknown.