At Apple's recent "It’s Glowtime" event, fans hoping for a substantial update to the AirPods Max were left disappointed. While there was excitement about updates across the AirPods line, the premium AirPods Max received little more than a USB-C charging port and some fresh colors. This weak upgrade leaves the four-year-old headphones feeling out of touch in an evolving market.
What’s New?
USB-C Port: Apple replaced the old Lightning charging port with the more universal USB-C, which users have been asking for. New Colors: AirPods Max are now available in midnight, blue, purple, orange, and starlight. Personalized Spatial Audio: Expected to arrive with a future iOS 18 update.Unfortunately, that’s where the changes stop. Apple neglected to include Bluetooth 6, which would enable high-bitrate lossless audio—a feature sorely missing for audiophiles using Apple Music Classical. The headphones still run on the H1 chip, while the newer AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 feature the more powerful H2 processor, capable of Adaptive Audio and enhanced noise cancellation.
Missed Opportunities
Despite these minor tweaks, key features like lossless audio support and Adaptive Audio—already present in the AirPods Pro—are still absent. These missed improvements make the AirPods Max feel outdated compared to competitors and Apple's own product line. Even more frustrating, the price remains a hefty $549, unchanged since their 2020 debut.
While the new colors are eye-catching and the USB-C update is practical, many fans are questioning whether Apple truly cares about this product. AirPods Max remain an expensive outlier, and Apple’s unwillingness to introduce meaningful improvements makes them hard to recommend at this price point.