Apple introduced AirPods Max in 2020, and the company’s premium headphones have gone almost four years without an update. On Monday, Apple finally announced some news for AirPods Max – but unfortunately, it’s not all that exciting. That’s because the “new” USB-C AirPods Max have pretty much the same hardware as the original version.
AirPods Max with USB-C keep the same hardware as before
Apple spent some time at its “It’s Glowtime” event on Monday talking about AirPods Max after introducing the new AirPods 4. At the keynote, Apple pointed out that AirPods Max now have a USB-C port instead of Lightning for charging and will be available in new colors.
Given that Apple had just announced the entry-level AirPods 4 with the same H2 chip as the second-generation AirPods Pro 2, which provides better active noise cancellation, some people believed that the H2 chip was also coming to AirPods Max. But that’s not the case.
Except for the USB-C port and new colors, the AirPods Max hardware remains the same as the original model. This means that users probably won’t notice any improvements in sound quality or ANC capabilities. Even internally, iOS treats the new AirPods Max as a revised version or “1.2” rather than a new generation.
Apple’s website confirms that the new AirPods Max feature the same H1 chip as the version introduced in 2020. On another webpage, Apple says that AirPods Max have “2x more Active Noise Cancellation,” but the fine print on the page makes it clear that this is a comparison with the new AirPods 4 (which don’t have silicone tips).
Of course, having USB-C is a welcome change (especially if Apple allows Lossless audio pass-through), but many customers were frustrated that Apple didn’t bring more upgrades to its premium headphones.
The new AirPods Max with USB-C are now available for pre-order at the same price of $549 as before. However, if you don’t mind the new colors or USB-C, you can buy the AirPods Max with Lightning for $100 less.
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