Apple's AirPods Max have been out for some time now, first appearing in 2020 with their metal chassis and exemplary noise canceling. Since then, they've been dethroned by some alternative stellar options, held back by their heavy weight and mind-bogglingly woeful carrying slip-case thing.
Thankfully, it looks like Apple has finally seen fit to refresh the aging AirPods Max with a potential appearance at Apple's Glowtime event, which, at the time of writing, is only mere hours away.
Where's this new case then, Apple?
Mark Gurman has once again taken to his Power-on newsletter with details about the upcoming event, and includes news about the new AirPods Models. Beyond the two new versions of the AirPods 4, he also mentions what's going to be coming to the AirPods Max 2, and this time around, there's little to be excited about.
There's the expected 'better noise canceling and improved sound quality', along with an expected upgrade to USB-C from the previous Lighting connector. Beyond that, however, there's not much — this one seems to be largely an iterative update, rather than a massive one that shakes up the AirPods Max formula.
That, for a number of reasons, is a shame. Where other headphones that have been released since the AirPods Max's first appearance have brought some much-needed feature changes and new looks to premium wireless headphones, Apple's lighter touch feels like it's not going to do much to encourage what could be a $549 purchase.
Apple's lighter touch feels like it's not going to do much to encourage what could be a $549 purchase.
For one, there's the aforementioned carrying slip-case that really needs an update. At the moment, it's more a method of just putting the headphones into sleep mode rather than protecting them when you put them in a bag or suitcase. Instead, I'd have liked to have seen Apple bring a proper hard case to the table, one that would really protect your expensive AirPods.
New colors would have been nice as well, and they have been rumored to appear in the past. The AirPods Max are already one of the most colorful products in Apple's entire lineup, so an extra shade could make choosing your new pair of headphones even more fun — although I can imagine that new color being black, to match the recently released MacBook Pro M3 Pro.
Apple will be trying to make sure that the AirPods Max 2 are some of the best wireless headphones that money can buy — but the jury remains out, while we wait to get them in our hands.
