In 2020, Apple got itself in some hot water in the EU thanks to its proprietary charging connector, the Lighting port. To avoid massive fines, Apple had to change its devices to feature a USB-C port instead, and since then, it's been slowly releasing (and re-releasing) devices with the port. In some cases, it's used the opportunity to bring some great updates, like the AirPods Pro 2.
Then there's the recently announced AirPods Max.
As iterative as iterative gets
During Apple's recent Glowtime event, we got a great picture of the new AirPods 4 and all their new features. We saw the new Apple Watch Series 10, and its sleek new design. Then we saw the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro, some of the biggest updates to the iPhone formula for some time. In the midst of it all sat the AirPods Max — not the AirPods Max 2, as we'd expected, just the AirPods Max.
What was new with the AirPods Max? There was the USB-C port on the bottom of the right earcup, for one, and then came the new colors. You can now buy the AirPods Max in Midnight, Starlight, Blue, Purple, and Orange, which replace the current lineup of Green, Pink, Silver, Sky Blue, and Space Grey. Beyond the colors and the USB-C port? Nothing.
Interestingly, Apple hasn't called them the AirPods Max 2; instead, it sees it as a USB-C refresh for the headphones rather than a completely new pair.
What where we hoping for?
The USB-C port was a given — Apple had to update that part lest it bring the ire of the European Commission down upon itself. There were some improvements we were looking forward to seeing, however, that didn't materialize.
There were rumors that there would be better noise canceling, for example, along with better sound quality. A new case would have been nice as well, given that the one you get in the box is, to this day, woeful. The AirPods Max update is a shame, because Apple had a chance to update the four-year-old headphones that it didn't take, a chance to make them a better user experience.
Instead, we've got orange headphones. I'm not going to lie, there is part of me that really likes the new range of colors, (the orange in particular, if you hadn't already guessed) but I'd still have liked to see a proper update to what could be some of the best noise-canceling headphones around.
For now, the AirPods Max and their new colors are the only way to grab a pair from Apple — but it just means we'll have to wait what feels like even longer for a proper update.
More from Tom's Guide
- Apple AirPods Max 2: Everything we know so far
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- Forget AirPods Max 2 — these new headphones have titanium drivers
