Apple introduced the AirPods Max in December 2020 as its over-the-ear headphones model in the AirPods lineup. As Apple added more hardware and software features to both AirPods and AirPods Pro, Apple pretty much neglected its most expensive headphones. We have wondered for years when Apple will finally update the Max until early this month. At Apple’s event, Apple spent about a minute of screen time announcing the first update to the Max. However, the Max just switched the Lightning port with a USB-C port and got a new paint job – that’s it! So the Max still lacks these features:
- H2 chip
- Bluetooth 5.3
- improved Active Noise Cancellation
- Adaptive Audio or Conversation Awareness
- improved sound quality
- support for Lossless via USB-C (according to posts on Reddit)
- Ultra Wide Band technology
- improved Find My support
- improved water resistance (the Max has had condensation issues)
- support for analog jacks
I could go on forever. It’s still the same design that’s not truly foldable and has that controversial Smart Case, and they still come in at $549.
Furthermore, this creates a problem because, at the same time, Apple introduced the AirPods 4, which brought many of the more modern features introduced in the AirPods Pro. This includes:
- H2 chip
- Bluetooth 5.3
- Active Noise Cancellation for the first time in a non-Pro model
- Adaptive Audio
- Conversation Awareness
- charging via USB-C or an Apple Watch charger
Consequently, the AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 are now a much better buy than the AirPods Max as they offer more features that the Max still lacks to this day. What’s even more ironic is that the most expensive model in the lineup is not the best model anymore as that title arguably goes to the Pro 2, not to mention that we’ve been seeing huge sales for the Pro 2, and hearing health features are coming to that model later this fall.
So the fact that the lower-end AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 are getting the latest technology and features ahead of the Max just adds insult to injury. If you’re in the market for any wireless headphones, you’d be much better off with either the AirPods 4 or AirPods Pro 2. For over-the-ear headphones, needless to say, there are so many headphone competitors that may be worth considering, especially the Beats Studio Pro, which is now available in matte white as an Amazon exclusive.
Since Beats has been acquired by Apple, these headphones will surely work great with Apple products, and unlike the AirPods Max, the built-in USB-C port truly supports latency-free Lossless audio. Additionally, you can still listen with the Studio Pro when connected via an auxiliary cable even when there’s no battery charge left, something that the AirPods Max cannot do. The Beats Studio Pro is available to purchase for $349, which is $200 cheaper than the AirPods Max. So the Beats Studio Pro may be the best alternative to AirPods Max we’ve ever seen yet.
The reason that Apple added USB-C on the AirPods Max was due to a policy from the EU that mandated all devices to have USB-C for charging by the end of 2024. I’m trying to stay optimistic here, but Apple may be saving its R&D costs by holding off for a real update in the future to develop more features that will be coming in the next iterative updates for the Pro and Max. Maybe we’ll see the H3 chip on those models simultaneously. The iMac skipped from the M1 to the M3 chip, so anything can happen. Until then, only time will tell if the AirPods Max will finally get the update it deserves.
