Most leakers and analysts agree that we’ll see an up to date mannequin of Apple’s premium AirPods Max over-ear headphones this 12 months. Nonetheless, the consensus has usually been that they’ll be a minor refresh at greatest, primarily meant to modify them over from Lightning to USB-C and catch the specs up for 2024.
Nonetheless, a brand new rumor means that the 2024 mannequin might be much more of a letdown than we’d feared. Whereas no person expects a serious redesign — no less than not past the potential of some new colorways — the hope has been that Apple would carry them as much as the usual of the second-generation AirPods Professional launched in 2022.
Proper now, the key sauce in Apple’s flagship AirPods Professional is the corporate’s H2 chip, which delivers considerably higher energetic noise cancellation (ANC) and powers new iOS 17 options like Adaptive Audio, which incorporates Adaptive Noise Management and Dialog Consciousness.
It was disappointing when the AirPods Max have been neglected of the iOS 17 get together, however it wasn’t fully shocking. The over-ears could also be Apple’s most costly headphones, however they have been over two years outdated and nonetheless used the H1 chip that debuted with the second-generation AirPods in early 2019.
It’s been eighteen months since Apple launched any new AirPods fashions — final fall’s USB-C replace to the 2022 AirPods Professional however — so, understandably, every little thing else has fallen behind the H2 chip. Nonetheless, by all stories, 2024 is predicted to be chock-full of latest AirPods, with probably two new ‘AirPods 4’ fashions set to reach alongside the refreshed AirPods Max.
Whether or not these new AirPods 4 will get the H2 chip is anyone’s guess proper now, but when they do, they could go away the 2024 AirPods Max even additional behind the curve. In a submit on Weibo noticed by MacRumors, leaker “Setsuna Digital” (aka On the spot Digital) claims that this 12 months’s AirPods Max will nonetheless use Apple’s H1 chip.
Whereas the leaker doesn’t have a protracted observe file, their stories have been fairly correct. Final 12 months, they precisely predicted the yellow iPhone 14 and that the Apple Watch Sequence 9 wouldn’t get any vital {hardware} modifications in addition to the brand new S9 chip. They have been additionally principally proper about Spatial Video recording coming to the iPhone 15 Professional, though they believed it will herald the arrival of the iPhone Extremely as an alternative.
Nonetheless, this has a hoop of fact to it. In December, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman mentioned they aren’t a large enough vendor for Apple to sink vital cash into a brand new mannequin.
Apple additionally seems to be to breathe new life into the AirPods Max headphones. The cans don’t promote nicely sufficient for the corporate to put money into fully new {hardware} or software program options, however Apple is planning a mannequin that trades within the Lightning charger for USB-C and doubtlessly provides new colours.
Mark Gurman
Nonetheless, it’s controversial whether or not merely putting in a pair of H2 chips within the AirPods Max (the present mannequin makes use of two H1 chips — one in every earcup) counts as an “fully new {hardware}” function. The actual inform right here will probably be what Apple decides to do with its “AirPods 4,” because it appears inconceivable that it will go away the $549 AirPods Max three years old-fashioned; it’d as nicely not hassle releasing a brand new mannequin in any respect, particularly now that the Beats Studio Professional have taken up their mantle.
The underside line is that we’ll have to attend and see, however like most rumors, this could all be taken with a wholesome dose of salt. Apple might nonetheless shock us, as unlikely as that sounds.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]