When Apple launches a new product, it’s generally treated as a significant event. But not all Apple releases are equal, with a decent proportion consisting of a minor processor bump or a switch from one connectivity standard to another. One such non-event was the recent AirPods Max update, which replaced the Lightning port with USB-C and added some new colors, but made no effort to overhaul the headphones’ outdated feature set.
In some respects, these disappointing launches are worse than getting no update at all, because they make it that much less likely that a substantive update will follow in the near future. And sure enough, it’s now emerged that Apple has no immediate plans to release a true 2nd-gen version of the AirPods Max. The USB-C tweak is all we’re getting in the short to medium term.
The information comes from the knowledgeable Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, writing in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter. “The headphones aren’t a hot enough seller to justify pouring money into development, but they’re also not a big enough flop to kill them outright,” Gurman explains (via 9to5Mac). “If you’ve ever been to an upscale gym in Los Angeles or New York, you can see these $550 headphones have a market—even with the high price and outdated technology.”
In other words, the AirPods Max currently sit in an awkward spot where Apple has no incentive to either discontinue or update them. Gurman, in fact, believes they will continue to sit on the company’s website for as much as two more years before finally being replaced, perhaps with the sort of revolutionary update we’ve been demanding. Considering they came out in 2020, that’s a fairly disappointing state of affairs for anyone who takes their audio seriously.
For all the latest news and rumors in this space (if there are any), keep an eye on our regularly updated new AirPods superguide. If you’d like to find a bargain price on the current range, on the other hand, visit our roundup of the best Black Friday AirPods deals.
Author: David Price, Editor, Macworld
David has been writing about technology for well over two decades, and got on board the Apple hype train when covering the original iPhone launch in 2007. He is an enthusiastic Apple Watch evangelist and feels that the HomePod is misunderstood.