Exclusive | Apple Ceases ‘AirPods Max Sport’ Development, Begins Working on ‘AirPods Max 2’
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Apple released the AirPods Max in December of 2020 for $550. As you know, they are expensive headphones. I tried them a few times, and they are amazing – the sound is crystal clear, there is no distortion, and they are incredibly comfortable.
That said, Apple has done an almost perfect job with these headphones, but many people end up passing on the AirPods Max due to the price..
The Cupertino-based company realized it made a great product (but at an unusual price for the market).
Before Apple released the AirPods Max, nobody ever considered “premium” wireless headphones would cost more than $349, which was the standard. For that reason, Apple focused on a cheaper version of the AirPods Max: AirPods Max Sport.
Enter AirPods Max Sport
The company wanted to release something similar to the AirPods Max but priced between $349 and $399.
Apple tried to do so by using cheaper materials and removing a few features, but the development didn’t go as planned.
The team working on this eventually gave up and offered Beats to continue developing these cheaper AirPods Max, redesign them, and release them under the Beats brand. But after some talks with a few sources, I can confidently say that Beats has also stopped development.
Both Apple and Beats understand AirPods is a premium brand, and the AirPods Max are the most premium wireless headphones at a consumer level. The release of some “AirPods Max Sport” would affect the AirPods Max sales, and it would probably affect the value of “AirPods” as a brand.
However, not everything is bad news. Some people related to the matter have told me that Apple plans to begin developing the AirPods Max 2 soon, and these sources suggest it could start as soon as in August. Let me tell you what I know about the AirPods Max 2.
AirPods Max 2
As far as I know, Apple plans to remove the crown used on the current model in favor of a touch control system.
I also know Apple plans to include its own protocol to substitute Bluetooth and solve the limitations Bluetooth causes. This protocol will work the same way on the AirPods Pro 2, and I’ve heard Apple plans to collect data from them to use it in the development of the AirPods Max 2.
Apple also wants to improve the battery life and Active Noise Cancellation.
However, the company isn’t worried about the drivers because the ones in the current AirPods Max are outstanding, and using its own protocol will improve the sound a lot.
My sources suggest the AirPods Max could be ready to ship between Q1 and Q2 of 2023. However, this could be delayed due to many factors like supply chain issues or Apple intentionally postponing the launch. I’ll let you know if I hear an update on this matter.
Don’t expect these new headphones to cost less than $550.
Let me know in the comments below if you plan on buying these new AirPods Max 2. I hope you found this article helpful. As always, I hope you have a fantastic day.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]
