In this writer’s opinion, the AirPods Max is the least exciting upgrade in this lineup, with only superficial changes. While USB-C is much appreciated, some other design changes such as a new Smart Case would have been interesting. Additional audio improvements to better match the capabilities of the AirPods Pro 2 would have also been welcomed.
Notably, the AirPods Max still use the H1 chip. That’s a bummer compared to the AirPods, which have moved on to the more capable H2 chip. Considering its $549 price point, it feels weak that the premium product doesn’t benefit from the latest advancements. In light of Sonos’ app issues, particularly related to its Sonos Ace headphones, the headphone segment is surely in need of a bit of a change for more competition.
Apple did not announce any other Mac related updates at this event, choosing to focus only on the Watch, AirPods, and iPhone. Apple Intelligence in iOS 18 and Siri will apparently add to these headphones’ future capabilities with intelligent assistance. Those features eventually release later in 2024, making most of the AirPods upgrades more hardware focused.
All of the new AirPods 4 will be available on September 20th, with pre-orders opening now on Apple’s website