AirPods Max headphones unlikely to get any further upgrades

AppleInsider

Apple updated its AirPods Max with USB-C and new color options in September 2024, but is reportedly not planning any further changes to the headphones.

The latest color options for the AirPods Max. Image credit: Apple

In the recent updates to the product, Apple failed to upgrade the chip inside the AirPods Max to the H2 as it had with the AirPods Pro, meaning the headset is still not compatible with Adaptive Audio.

Bloomberg claims that that the company has "no concrete plans" to update the headphones' hardware again, at least for now. While the product does not appear to be in danger of being cancelled, there are no current plans for future revisions to the product either.

AirPods Max will continue to be made and sold, but Apple allegedly considers the sales of the headset too low to justify allocating resources to make significant hardware updates. This doesn't entirely rule out the possibility of firmware changes, but Apple's interest in the product is seen to be waning.

The AirPods Max were originally released in 2020, and apart from the recent color changes and switch to a USB-C connector, are unchanged from the original release. They feature up to 20 hours of battery life, active noise cancellation, and the "digital crown" control mechanism.

While it has been praised for its sound isolation and general reliability, there have been concerns about the tendency for sweat and other condensation to build up under the earcups after prolonged use. However, the earcups are removable for easy cleaning.



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xyzzy01

I was in the market for new headphones to replace my Airpods Max, which had become rather unstable.

If Apple had relessed a new version, I would have bought that on day one,  Due to not bothering to even update the chips inside - or even less solving some of the issues - I bought Soby WH-1000XM5 instead. They suck at naming, but their headphones are very, very good.

AppleZulu

What a peculiar headline. It’s not really supported by the article’s content, and the article’s content is dubiously framed in its own right. 

At most the article’s content is a speculation that there are no known near-term upgrades planned for the headphone. That doesn’t support the headline’s suggestion that they won’t get any upgrades, ever. 

The most significant upgrade they need is wireless lossless audio. That’s probably a fairly heavy lift that would significantly affect data transmission protocols and hardware as well as battery life. Other than that, what upgrades are really needed? 

This year’s connector change was about EU compliance and keeping the hardware the same worldwide. Any other changes are probably dependent on a host of other things in the pipeline affecting other, non-peripheral products. 

chasm

AppleZulu said:

At most the article’s content is a speculation that there are no known near-term upgrades planned for the headphone. That doesn’t support the headline’s suggestion that they won’t get any upgrades, ever. 

The most significant upgrade they need is wireless lossless audio. That’s probably a fairly heavy lift that would significantly affect data transmission protocols and hardware as well as battery life. Other than that, what upgrades are really needed?

The third paragraph of the article names the source of the report and links to it. It's from Mark Gurman's article, and while nobody is ever 100 percent correct, he's the most accurate source of future news around. Not sure how you missed that.

The report also says sales are too low of the Max for Apple to bother doing anything further with it, implying that it is zombieware (not killed off but no further changes coming) at this point. As a reminder, Apple owns Beats, and they have their own line of headphone products. The AirPods Max a) don't need to exist and b) are overpriced for what they offer.

iadlib

I HATE when Apple half asses a product with so much potential. H2 chip. A better case. Jesus. Such simple improvements would make this a much better buy. Oh and I don’t know. Price it at $399. Would be a huge holiday buy. But no. Half ass the update and keep the price high because profit margins. This is how good products die. 

ShaolinRockstar

iadlib said:

I HATE when Apple half asses a product with so much potential. H2 chip. A better case. Jesus. Such simple improvements would make this a much better buy. Oh and I don’t know. Price it at $399. Would be a huge holiday buy. But no. Half ass the update and keep the price high because profit margins. This is how good products die. 

This exactly. I have been waiting patiently for a proper update with an H2 chip. Is it really too much to ask for them to have feature parity with the AirPods Pro 2 I already own, which cost less than half as much? That is literally all they had to do. I am one of their biggest fans, but this was simply a boneheaded move.

AppleZulu

chasm said:

AppleZulu said:

At most the article’s content is a speculation that there are no known near-term upgrades planned for the headphone. That doesn’t support the headline’s suggestion that they won’t get any upgrades, ever. 

The most significant upgrade they need is wireless lossless audio. That’s probably a fairly heavy lift that would significantly affect data transmission protocols and hardware as well as battery life. Other than that, what upgrades are really needed?

The third paragraph of the article names the source of the report and links to it. It's from Mark Gurman's article, and while nobody is ever 100 percent correct, he's the most accurate source of future news around. Not sure how you missed that.

The report also says sales are too low of the Max for Apple to bother doing anything further with it, implying that it is zombieware (not killed off but no further changes coming) at this point. As a reminder, Apple owns Beats, and they have their own line of headphone products. The AirPods Max a) don't need to exist and b) are overpriced for what they offer.

Sure. Gurman is about as "accurate" as Ming Chi Kuo. 

The headline on this site is "AirPods Max headphones unlikely to get any further upgrades," which is a pretty bold, definitive statement not even supported by the summary below it. The linked info from Gurman on AirPods pro is behind a paywall, so all I can go by is the summary here, but it says, "the company has "no concrete plans" to update the headphones' hardware again, at least for now. While the product does not appear to be in danger of being cancelled, there are no current plans for future revisions to the product either." That's just the sort of ambiguity that you'd get if you have no information at all on the subject, because Apple doesn't actually share its future plans, and Gurman isn't willing to just say he has no information and doesn't know. That ambiguity doesn't match the comparative certainty suggested in the headline here.

The only thing we actually know here is that Apple retooled AirPods Max to change the connector in order to meet EU requirements, and also made that change in all other markets as well. That suggests that they're not cancelling the product, because why bother to make any changes at all if they are? If they were going to let it die, they'd quit selling it in EU now, and follow suit in the rest of the world as the supply runs out. So in reality there's at least a placeholder commitment there. Not upgrading the chip at the same time suggests other, more significant plans may be in the pipeline that make doing that at this point a poor investment.  

I'll repeat my suggestion that lossless audio may be the thing. That requires more processing power, more bandwidth, and as a result, more demand on batteries. That may make lossless audio a non-starter for AirPods Pro, so those get a new chip now as they proceed apace with new features while delivering compressed audio formats. AirPods Max, meanwhile, may be getting a different, more powerful chip, and because they're physically big, will get the batteries required to drive that chip. That's just conjecture, but would better explain the current status of the headphones than would Gurman's apparent speculation that they're just going to let the more expensive premium headphones inexplicably limp along indefinitely while the little buds race ahead. 

ashsaturday

To begin with, they, as an apple, told you that it was firmware issues, causing the units to brick constantly, everyone I talked to said that they had the units replaced at least three times, I’ve owned units over the last four years, and have had the best silence experience from them over the AirPods Pro Gen 2 because the gen 2 seem to slip around in my ear no matter which ear tip I use, thus slowly overtime allowing sound to slip in, the AirPods Max, however, never let sound slip in as they never adjust on your head. I use a silicon cover for the fabric that makes it even quieter. 

The price for the AirPods Max is sadly because Apple knew they would have to replacing units multiple times as they had failed to do appropriate firmware testing before launch, they knew that the pandemic was about to hit and needed to launch the product before. Thus allowing users to appreciate them during lockdown, by the time they got the firmware fixed however, the tarnished experience of the use cases had deterred people from purchasing them. I remained a faithful user, and after nearly countless amounts of replacements I am still a happy owner. I have a set that is outside of warranty now, but it is remaining working falsely as the firmware problems have been resolved.

Tip, prevent putting finger grease on the fabric of the head band, and you will extend the life of the canopy.  

It is very sad that they failed to put in the H2 chip when they updated to USB-C.

jeromec

ashsaturday said:

the AirPods Pro Gen 2  seem to slip around in my ear no matter which ear tip I use, thus slowly overtime allowing sound to slip in

I also have AirPods Max, which I love, despite having to have them repaired just after the end of AppleCare+.
I recently upgraded my AirPods Pro to the 2nd generation and am amazed by the progress compared to the original AirPods Pro.
While the regular original AirPods stayed firmly in my ears, I also had my AirPods Pro (gen 1 and 2) slip around.
I recently discovered Airpods Pro replacement ear tips (on amazon, Azla Xelastec, under $20 for 2 pairs) - the AirPods Pro stay much more firmly in my ears and the noise cancellation appears vastly improved.

le studios

I been using AirPods Max (Lightning) for a year. It’s the best headphones I ever had. Sounds great with Spatial Audio in movies, TV shows and music. What can I say? it just works.