Apple is not planning any major upgrades to AirPods Max anytime soon. The company plans to keep the headphones around in its current iteration for the “foreseeable future.”
No major AirPods Max upgrade coming soon
The AirPods Max debuted in December 2020 for $549. They received a minor refresh in September 2024, with Apple swapping the Lightning connector to USB-C and new colors. Despite the refresh arriving four years later, it did not bring any other meaningful improvements to sound quality or features.
Unlike the AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro (2nd gen), the AirPods Max still uses an H1 chip and not the newer H2 chip. While the headphones provided decent sound quality and ANC at launch, that’s not the case four years later. Bose and Sony have surpassed Apple’s premium headphones, making it difficult to justify the steep $549 price tag.
Sadly, if you were expecting Apple to launch the AirPods Max 2 to replace its aging premium headphones, that apparently won’t happen.
In the latest edition of the Power On newsletter, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman says Apple has no “real plan to meaningfully update AirPods Max.” Seemingly, the headphones are not selling in big numbers that the company can justify pouring money into developing a new model. On the flip side, it is also not a flop that Apple discontinues them.
Apple should reduce the AirPods Max price
Given the scenario, Apple is content with selling the AirPods Max in their current iteration. This is despite competing products from Bose, Sony, and others delivering better performance and experience.
The only strength of the AirPods Max is its seamless integration with other devices in Apple’s ecosystem. Otherwise, you are better off buying premium headphones from other brands.
With no updates in sight, Apple should consider making the AirPods Max cheaper. While still expensive, a $100 price cut would justify the headset’s price and performance, especially for an Apple product.
