AirPods Max Will Not See Any ‘Meaningful’ Upgrades Due to Low Sales, Says Mark Gurman

Apple was expected to launch AirPods Max 2 at its September event, however, that did not happen. Instead, it introduced a refreshed version of the original AirPods Max headphones with a USB Type-C port replacing the proprietary Lightning port, in line with the company's other devices. However, the Cupertino-based tech giant does not have plans to introduce a big revamp to its over-ear headphones due to relatively low sales of the device, according to a report.

No Plans for Refreshed AirPods Max

Bloomberg analyst Mark Gurman detailed the rumours surrounding Apple AirPods Max in the latest edition of the Power On newsletter. The company is said to have no plans to upgrade its over-ear headphones with additions such as improved active noise cancellation (ANC), a larger battery life, or a new chip. This is because the headphones aren't a “hot enough seller” that investment into the development of a new version may take place. However, Apple does not have plans to shelve them as they are not a “big enough flop” either, as per the report.

Although the AirPods Max received a USB Type-C port and a fresh coat of paint with new colourways in September this year, the feature set largely remains the same. This is despite the company introducing new capabilities for its listening devices such as Adaptive Audio which is exclusive to the AirPods Pro (2nd generation) despite costing Rs. 35,000 less than its flagship over-ear headphones.

The AirPods Max also miss out on the newer H2 chip which powers the AirPods Pro (2nd generation) and a conversation awareness feature available on recent AirPods models. The latter can detect when someone speaks and automatically lower the media volume.

As per Gurman, the AirPods Max are expected to be available in the market in their current form for the “foreseeable future”. Notably, AirPods Max are priced at Rs. 59,900 in India.