As Apple prepares for its big special event of the year, news comes at 10 a.m. on Monday, September 9th that an unexpected product will be announced: second-generation Apple AirPods Max.
Is Apple about to update its AirPods Max?
After declaring just a few days ago that the Apple AirPods Max would not be seen at the keynote to introduce the iPhone 16 series, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman now claimed in a post on X that new over-ear headphones would be introduced.
If this is true, this would be the first update to the headphones, which were first released almost four years ago – so a new version is long overdue, some would say.
Gurman said, “I expect Apple to launch new AirPods Max headphones tomorrow with better noise cancellation, adaptive audio, and USB-C. They will launch alongside the low-end AirPods 4. This is consistent with my reporting for months, but contradicts the low inventory levels in stores.”
Although Gurman says this is consistent with his reporting, many of his recent comments have veered away from the AirPods Max 2 announcement. Perhaps his knowledge has improved recently. Either way, it’s exciting, as the prospect of newer, better over-ears is on the way.
As Gurman says, a new version is less likely when inventory levels are high — and recent price cuts suggest there’s enough stock for everyone.
But the timing makes sense: nearly four years is a long time for Apple to leave a major product without updating it. Switching to USB-C is a no-brainer. AirPods Pro have already switched to it, and the new AirPods 4 will surely launch with it.
This would have left the AirPods Max as the only headphones with a Lightning connector.
Better noise cancellation is also pleasing, although this is no surprise considering how long it has been since the last headphones came onto the market.
In short, the stock history suggests Gurman is wrong, but I hope he’s right. We can certainly also expect new colors for the new second-generation AirPods Max when they arrive.
Given Apple’s recent color choices for other products, I expect the understated, subtle color palette to stay. We’ll find out soon enough.
