Apple’s aging first-gen AirPods are due for a successor. Here’s everything we know about the highly anticipated AirPods Max 2.
Apple introduced its first-ever pair of wireless headphones, AirPods Max, in December 2020. This makes the AirPods Max almost three and a half years old and an ideal candidate for an update.
As the AirPods Max is the oldest product in the AirPods lineup, anticipation for the successor is growing daily. Incidentally, we’ve started hearing murmurs about the upcoming AirPods Max 2, though most of these can be credited to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
According to Gurman, Apple will launch the AirPods Max 2 later this year. Since he hasn’t shared details about the upcoming premium headphones from Apple, we scoured the internet to bring everything you must know about the AirPods Max 2.
AirPods Max 2: Release speculation
We expect the AirPods Max to be launched in September 2024 alongside the iPhone 16 lineup. While Apple has not officially confirmed anything, rumors suggest that the second-gen AirPods Max will arrive in late 2024.
In his 2023 year-end note, Mark Gurman said, “company’s wearables business — including the upcoming Vision Pro, AirPods, and Apple Watch — that take center stage. The Vision Pro marks a new category for Apple, while the earbuds and smartwatch are poised to get some of their biggest upgrades ever.”
In another article, he anticipated the company would overhaul all the AirPods, including the pair of cans. He said, “A new version of the AirPods Max headphones is coming in 2024 as well.”
(4/5)The next-generation AirPods will likely begin mass shipments in 2H24 or 1H25, including more affordable AirPods (with Apple targeting a price of $99) and new AirPods Max, which will be assembled by Luxshare ICT and Hon Teng.
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) January 12, 2023
Another known Apple Analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, concurred with Gurman and claimed that the new edition of AirPods Max will likely launch in 2024 alongside an affordable pair of AirPods.
AirPods Max 2: Expected price
As of now, there are not many AirPods Max 2 price rumors. However, looking at the premium price tag of $549 of the AirPods Max, it seems unlikely that Apple will increase the price.
AirPods Max 2: Rumored design & features
Apple’s AirPods Max scores heavily on design and build quality. The Aluminum build puts the headphones in a league of its own. Though these metallic cans are heavy, they’re built to last.
It is unlikely that Apple will tinker with the build material or even the design. Some early rumors suggested that the Max 2 might be available in more color options. Though we like the exciting colors in which the AirPods Max is available, who would say no to more choices?
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In various articles, Mark Gurman has mentioned that the AirPods Max 2 will come with a USB-C charging port. Considering almost all Apple products now have USB C, it’ll be no surprise if the AirPods Max 2 also gets one.
Besides this, Apple might improve the battery performance, and noise cancellation performance and add support for high-resolution audio codecs on the next-gen AirPods Max.
AirPods Max 2: What can we expect
While the original AirPods Max is a great product, 4 years is a long period for any tech product to show signs of aging.
For starters, we hope that Apple reconsiders the price of these headphones. At $549, the AirPods Max is a serious investment and is out of the reach of many. An aggressive pricing could mean that more users will be able to experience the technology and the audio quality it offers.
We expect Apple not to change the design of the headphones. However, it may need a new and more powerful H2 chip under the hood. This chip is responsible for features like Adaptive Audio, improved noise cancellation, and more.
Though AirPods Max is compatible with the Find My app, adding the U2 Ultra-Wideband chip will help users get the precise location of these premium headphones if lost.
We also expect Apple to add touch controls to the AirPods Max. While touch controls have a bigger learning curve, they are convenient and can be found on all premium headphones.
We’d also hope that the AirPods Max 2 have the new aptX Lossless Audio codec, and it would be great if it came with support for wired streaming.
Moreover, the AirPods Max cannot be turned off manually. It goes into a deep sleep mode if left idle before turning off automatically. It would be great if Apple added a power button to turn off the headphones instantly when not in use. This will reduce the idle time battery drain and help add some extra listening time.
Last but not least, we hope Apple updates the carry case that came with the AirPods Max. This case offers very little protection to the headphones and leaves the headphone band sticking out. It does not even protect the headphones from accidental water splashes.