Is Apple Hitting Snooze on the AirPods Max?

Summary

Why is Apple taking a snooze on the AirPods Max? Last week, they announced a dazzling new set of these high-end headphones, sporting a fancy USB-C upgrade and some snazzy new colors that would make a peacock jealous. But wait—apart from changing the charging port to USB-C, they didn’t actually, you know, change anything else! And that leaves us scratching our heads like a cat in a room full of laser pointers. What gives, Apple? Let’s rewind to when the AirPods Max first strutted onto the scene in 2020. They were the flashy superstar of the headphone world, rocking all the bells and whistles found in the AirPods Pro and even flaunting a digital crown, reminiscent of a mini Apple Watch, to control the volume! They still sound like a sweet serenade, but hold onto your earbuds—everybody else seems to have upped their game! Brands like Sony and Bose aren’t just standing by; they’ve been busy crafting headphones that battle it out for top-notch sound and noise cancellation. In fact, Bose is like that overachieving kid in class who gets straight A’s—seriously, they’re killing it in noise cancellation! Despite being clad in a sky-high price tag (we’re talking $549), the AirPods Max have found their way onto the heads of many. They’re popping up in busy sidewalks, airports, and possibly even your grandma’s favorite bingo hall! TikTok even kicked off a trend of swanky AirPods Max accessories—who knew crochet was the new hotness for headphones? Through all this, plenty of knockoffs are making waves in the market too; you could say the AirPods Max have begun to breed their own little headphone clones in the wild. I think I spotted one in a Netflix drama that was definitely a pair I once owned—sorry, kiddo, they didn’t stand a chance! So, why is Apple giving the AirPods Max the quiet treatment? Are they too busy making magic with Beats to remember the Max? Maybe they just wanted to check off that EU USB-C box before the deadline—after all, who wants to get a stern letter from Europe? Maybe they think their first over-ear headphones were such a slam dunk that they might as well just pack it in and call it a day? Don’t get me wrong; I still adore these plush pillows for my ears. Connecting them to my Apple TV for late-night movie marathons or switching them from a laptop to my iPhone like it’s a magic trick is top-tier convenience. But they’re stubbornly keeping some quirks from the original package that feel a tad outdated. For instance, remember the absence of a 3.5mm jack and their knack for going into low-power mode at the most inconvenient times? Forget power buttons—these headphones are all about suspense! Plus, while the AirPods Pro have since received shiny upgrades like the H2 chip, the Max still feels like that one party guest who shows up wearing last year’s fashion. In a world where your earbuds could be a high-tech miracle, finding out the Max is still riding on original tech feels like finding a flip phone in a room full of smartphones. So, while I’m not about to hand over my wallet for a shiny new pair of AirPods Max just yet, watching them stay on the same plateau with today’s prices feels a bit like ordering a deluxe pizza with no toppings. It’s hard to digest that price tag when the competition is throwing in extras and dessert. Come on, Apple! Let’s wake up and give those AirPods Max the makeover they deserve!

Original Source: www.theverge.com