AirPods Max Begin Shipping to Customers Ahead of December 15 Launch - MacRumors
Skip to Content

AirPods Max Begin Shipping to Customers Ahead of December 15 Launch

by

Apple last week announced the AirPods Max, the first Apple-branded over-ear headphones. Now, AirPods Max preorders are beginning to ship to customers around the world ahead of the December 15 launch date.

airpods max b
Although several orders for the headphones are still in the "Processing" or "Preparing to Ship" stages, one MacRumors reader has shared a screenshot of an AirPods Max order marked as "Shipped" on Apple's online store.

Priced at $549, AirPods Max have a mesh headband with a stainless steel frame that connects to memory foam ear cups. The headphones offer several features including high-fidelity audio, Adaptive EQ, Active Noise Cancellation, and spatial audio. Many reviewers have been impressed by the sound quality of the headphones.

AirPods Max will be available starting on December 15 in the United States and over 25 markets worldwide, according to Apple. Delivery estimates for all five AirPods Max colors have already slipped into 2021 on Apple.com, suggesting that either Apple is facing supply constraints or demand for the headphones is quite high.

Waiting for your AirPods Max? Be sure to track your shipment in the MacRumors forums.

Related Roundup: AirPods Max 2
Buyer's Guide: AirPods Max (Buy Now)
Related Forum: AirPods

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.4 Adds Two New Features to CarPlay

Tuesday March 24, 2026 1:55 pm PDT by
iOS 26.4 was released today, and it includes a couple of new features for CarPlay: an Ambient Music widget and support for voice-based chatbot apps. To update your iPhone 11 or newer to iOS 26.4, open the Settings app and tap on General → Software Update. CarPlay will automatically offer the new features so long as the iPhone connected to your vehicle is running iOS 26.4 or later....
Read Full Article • 25 comments
Apple Business hero

Apple Unveils 'Apple Business' All-in-One Platform

Tuesday March 24, 2026 8:53 am PDT by
Apple today announced Apple Business, a new all-in-one platform that unifies device management, productivity tools, and customer outreach features. The service is designed to be a consolidated replacement for several of Apple's existing business-focused offerings, including Apple Business Essentials, Apple Business Manager, and Apple Business Connect. It provides organizations with a single...
Read Full Article • 46 comments
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 3, AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Tuesday March 24, 2026 12:31 pm PDT by
Apple today released new firmware for the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and the AirPods 4. The firmware has a version number of 8B39, up from 8B34 on the AirPods Pro 3, 8B28 on the AirPods Pro 2, and 8B21 on the AirPods 4. There is no word on what's included in the firmware, but Apple has a support document with limited notes. Most updates are limited to bug fixes and performance...
Read Full Article • 85 comments

Top Rated Comments

jz0309 Avatar
jz0309
69 months ago
Congrats to those who've ordered them ... looking forward to some real life reviews
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
trhoffmann Avatar
trhoffmann
69 months ago

You can buy 4.5 shares of AAPL for this....just sayin'.
Or sell 5 shares to buy them with AppleCare+.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ds6778 Avatar
Ds6778
69 months ago
Every time is see “AirPods Max,” I cringe. I’m sure they will sound amazing and will be great at noise cancellation. I just can’t wrap my mind around this “strategy.” Had they priced it for $399 or less, they would have dominated the Bose/Sony market IMO. I also could have overlooked the lack of a case and a way to power them off. $550? Not sure who they're targeting here. I doubt they will be $200-$275 better than Sony or Bose offerings. Even if they are “better,” it’s still a stretch given how much more they are.

On a side rant, can we get rid of the “Max” nomenclature? “Max” is just so cheesy, it’s like Apple is letting an 8 year old come up with these names. “Super mega-awesome Pro-Max XDR PROMAX Super Edition Plus!”

I guess another rant, why are these even called AirPods? The first thing I think of when I hear “AirPods” is compact, wireless, in ear headphones, not massive, heavy cans.
I wish Apple would just make their Pro lineup and than SE versions. Keep it simple.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
smithrh Avatar
smithrh
69 months ago
Definitely feels like there was some sort of two-step embargo here -

a) You can talk about the headphones, how they feel, packaging, etc

(units ship)

b) ...now you can talk about how they sound


I suspect the performance will be decent or even better. But this delay in reviews of how they sound is really frustrating.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
newyorksole Avatar
newyorksole
69 months ago

Maybe you don’t understand or paying attention to the audio segment, because $550 is not a ‘crazy price’. What it comes down to, is some don’t have an appreciation for spending money on headphones when they don’t care about the aspects of sound dynamics, but if you want something of quality sound and well constructed, then you look at products that are in the segment what Apple is charging in comparison to Bose, Klipsch, Sennheiser, ect. Why is no one calling those prices crazy? Now Apple is considered ‘crazy’ for releasing a pair of $550 headphones? They’re right in line with the other competitors.
It’s only crazy because it’s Apple and everyone feels like Apple owes them something for some odd reason. Everyone is saying they would “totally buy these if they were $300/$400”. Just goes to show they are highly sought after, but even with alleged great sound and superior build quality, the masses think Apple should give them away for free.

It’s just really weird honestly Lol.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheDailyApple Avatar
TheDailyApple
69 months ago
They’d have to soundly beat the Sony XM4s to be worth it at that price.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments