In the recent edition of Mark Gurman’s Power On newsletter, it was revealed that Apple has no significant plans to update the AirPods Max following the launch of the USB-C model this year. If you were hoping for a major update featuring a newer chip or enhanced noise cancellation, it looks like you’ll be disappointed.
The AirPods Max debuted at a premium price of $549 in December 2020 and have remained largely untouched for almost four years. The recent introduction of a USB-C version in September 2024 brought a few new color options, but no substantial upgrades like the H2 chip or adaptive audio were included.
Gurman notes that the AirPods Max at their current price point aren’t generating enough sales to warrant further investment from Apple:
These headphones aren’t selling well enough to merit significant development costs, yet they haven’t flopped so severely as to warrant discontinuation. If you’ve frequented high-end gyms in cities like Los Angeles or New York, you’ll notice that these $550 headphones still have a target audience, despite their steep price and outdated features.
According to Gurman, Apple is likely to keep the AirPods Max in their existing state for the “foreseeable future,” which means it could be a few years before a refreshed model arrives.
It seems logical for Apple to lower the price of the AirPods Max to boost sales, but the company currently lacks a strong incentive to do so.
One can only hope that the AirPods Max won’t linger on Apple’s website for the next four years as the original version did, but the outlook suggests that this could very well happen.
What are your thoughts on the AirPods Max as they stand now? Share your opinions in the comments.
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