The AirPods Max are, despite Apple's best efforts, an old pair of headphones. We first saw the Lightning model over five years ago, and then the USB-C version only changed the colors and added a new charging port in 2024. We still await the AirPods Max 2.
So what do I think we'll see out of the AirPods Max, and why have we not seen them yet? And perhaps most importantly, what do we want from Apple's next pair of the best noise-canceling headphones?
AriPods Max 2: Where are they?
The AirPods Max 2 have long been rumored. Instead, all we got so far has been the USB-C version of the AirPods Max, launched to placate the EU and its need for a universal charging standard.
Sure, we also got the USB-C listening mode and some lovely new colors, but there was no way you could call them any kind of sequel. They were a stopgap, to keep us happy until the next version comes along.
So when can we expect them? Good question. Now that Apple has launched the USB-C version, I'm not sure we'll be seeing them any time soon. After all, there were 4 years between the Lightning and USB-C versions, so the timeline could well be that long again.
Having said that, I'd like to cast our minds back to the USB-C version of the AirPods Pro 2. They launched a mere year or so after the Lightning version, only to be replaced again another year later by the AirPods Pro 3. Perhaps, then, we could have a similar situation with the AirPods Max 2, and we're only a few months out from a new version.
One can hope.
Why hasn't Apple launched them?
This is a pertinent question. Mark Gurman of Bloomberg believes that it's because the AirPods Max have not been successful enough to warrant a new version, but they're selling well enough to justify leaving them on shelves. That suggests we may not see a new version at all.
There is some degree of "they're still great" that comes into play as well. Despite some points showing their age, like the 20 hour battery life, the current AirPods Max are still top performers. The ANC can hang with the best of them from Sony and Bose, and the sound is still some of the best around.
The true reason, however, remains a mystery.
What do I want from the AirPods Max 2?
As much as I like the AirPods Max (and despite my many criticisms of the headphones), there is some work to be done to make them even better. For one, while the headband is comfortable and extremely cool looking, it loses its elasticity with age.
My Lightning pair has become loose and saggy, and when I wear them, the two metal arms that support the fabric rest on the top of my head. My USB-C version has survived better so far, but it still leaves me worried for the future.
Strengthen that material, and we're onto a winner. When it's taught, there's little more comfortable atop your head — let's see it stay that way.
There are likely hundreds of thousands of words written about the abominable case that comes packed with the AirPods Max — some of them mine — so I won't labor the point too much. Only that it is bad, and I don't like it.
Some form of proper case with the next version would be very welcome, with a way to not only actually protect the headphones but store something like a cable. And make it out of something that doesn't gather dust and grease within a femtosecond.
Then there's the obvious: Battery life. 20 hours is just not enough, no matter how you slice it. The competition can last longer than the AirPods Max, sometimes over twice as long, so I'd like to see at least 30 hours of life in the next model.
There's one thing that really needs to stay, though. The incredible, tactile controls that are a joy to use. There are few control methods built into a pair of headphones that even come close to the dial and button combo on the AirPods Max. If that's gone from the AirPods Max 2, I'll riot.
You have been warned, Apple.
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