It has been nearly four years since Apple released the AirPods Max, so an update to the over-ear headphones is highly anticipated.
Below, we recap the latest rumors about the AirPods Max.
As a refresher, Apple released the AirPods Max in December 2020, after announcing them in a press release shared on the Apple Newsroom website. The headphones have not received any hardware upgrades since, leading some customers to hold off on their purchase and hope that Apple will eventually release AirPods Max 2.
Unfortunately, rumors suggest that AirPods Max 2 are not coming any time soon, with only minor revisions expected for the headphones later this year.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that Apple is planning to update the AirPods Max in late 2024 with a USB-C charging port, instead of the current Lightning port, and he said new color options are also a possibility for the headphones. Beyond that, Gurman said Apple is planning no other changes for the revised AirPods Max, to the point that he expects the updated headphones to still be considered first-generation AirPods Max.
If the information shared by Gurman is accurate, that means the AirPods Max would not be updated with the H2 chip that debuted in the second-generation AirPods Pro a few years ago. As a result, the AirPods Max would miss out on Adaptive Audio features, along with longer battery life afforded by the H2 chip's increased power efficiency.
In the event Apple ever does release AirPods Max 2, plausible upgrades include the H2 chip, longer battery life, improved active noise cancellation, a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip with support for Precision Finding in the Find My app, Bluetooth 5.3, and a redesigned carrying case.
Gurman said the AirPods Max would be updated in late 2024, but it is unclear exactly when. Apple recently announced that it will be holding a media event on September 9, where it is expected to unveil fourth-generation AirPods alongside new iPhones and Apple Watches, but it is unclear if the revised AirPods Max will also be introduced then.
AirPods Max are regularly $549 in the U.S., but Amazon has the headphones on sale for $399 in all color options, including Green, Pink, Silver, Sky Blue, and Space Gray.
