AirPods Max 2: New Features And Release Date

AirPods Max 2: Today marks the two-year anniversary of Apple’s release of the AirPods Max, but details regarding a possible sequel have been scant. Two years ago today, the AirPods Max finally started shipping to customers after months of speculation.

However, the device is beginning to show its age, as the second-generation AirPods Pro includes a number of features that the AirPods Max does not, such as Adaptive Transparency, IPX4-rated sweat and water resistance, skin-detect sensors, and the U1 chip for Precision Finding with Find My. 

There have been remarkably few speculations concerning the next-generation AirPods Max, despite the fact that many of the features above appear likely to be included. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported in May of 2021 that Apple was not actively developing a successor to the AirPods Max, and rumors of a new color scheme for the original model had since died down.

AirPods Max 2 New Features

Gurman stated in October that the next iteration of AirPods Max would incorporate USB-C and would be released “around 2024.”

We have no certain rumors from reputable sources regarding what else the new model could offer outside this one function, but there is some evidence that could provide interesting indicators about what to expect.

In 2020, Gurman revealed that the AirPods Max (then rumored to be dubbed “AirPods Studio”) had been plagued by issues throughout development, including a too-tight headband, which had caused several delays and a reduction in features. Some of the features that were cut from the original AirPods Max potentially make it onto the second generation model.

It was speculated that, like Apple Watch bands, the AirPods Max would feature removable headbands and earcups, allowing for a high degree of personalization. Bloomberg projected that Apple would abandon the idea of a replaceable headband to speed up production in the face of these delays and development concerns.

The finished form of AirPods Max is proof of this idea. AirPods Max doesn’t require any disassembly for the headband to be removed. Users can do this by removing the magnetic ear cushions, folding the earcups flat, and inserting a SIM card ejector tool into a small hole in the headset’s metal dome, just above the speaker.

When you take off the cups, you’ll find a tiny Lightning-style connector on each side of the headband for charging and maybe data transfer between the cups. This mechanism for disassembling the headband may have been carried over from the original, more modular design of AirPods Max. Ear cushions are magnetically detachable and interchangeable for a change of style.

It was also speculated that the earcups of the AirPods Max will feature touchpads for controls and left/right ear recognition so that the headphones could be worn backward. The Apple Watch’s Digital Crown appears to have taken its position in the final version.

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An allegedly cheaper sports-focused version of the AirPods Max was reportedly speculated to be on the way. According to information consistently leaked by Jon Prosser, AirPods Max will be available in a “sports-like variant” for $350 and a “luxury variant” for $599.

Prosser’s $599 price was not too far off the final $549 AirPods Max retail price, but the “sports variant” with a lower price tag of $350 is yet to be released. This cheaper alternative to the AirPods Max is still a possibility for a future release by Apple. 1

In light of the foregoing, it is possible that the second-generation AirPods Max will include the following improvements:

Rumored for AirPods Max 2 Specifically