AirPods Max 2: Release Date Rumors, Lossless Audio, New Case, Price, MagSafe, and More – Game Revolution
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Fans are wondering when and if AirPods Max 2 is coming out. The first-gen model came out a year and a half ago, and its design has received mixed reviews. Most are happy with their build quality and battery life, but the Smart Case, lack of lossless audio support, and high price have many holding out hope for a revision that’ll address these issues. We’ll take a look at what we know about the second generation of AirPods Max and what its new specs might look like below.
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Apple is notorious for withholding launch info until the last minute. So, we have no idea what the release date of AirPods Max second generation will be. However, a Bloomberg newsletter quotes analyst Mark Gurman predicting an Autumn 2022 launch. Both the AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro released in the third quarter of the year, so we wouldn’t be surprised if that info is accurate.
The AirPods Pro is over two years old, and the AirPods Max will be celebrating their second birthday in December. That’s ancient in the tech world, so it’s almost a given that Apple will be refreshing both lines.
In the time since the AirPods Max was released, Apple started offering lossless audio through Apple music. Ironically, Apple’s top-of-the-line headphones don’t support lossless audio wirelessly. Its Bluetooth connection uses AAC files at a max of 256kbps. That’s high enough fidelity that most people won’t be able to tell the difference, but people (rightfully) expect better out of a $550 headset.
We’ll likely see the second generation AirPods Max include technology that will allow users to play lossless audio wirelessly (at least when connected to an Apple device). We also assume that it’ll include higher-end drivers to take advantage of this.
The one aspect of the AirPods Max’s design that is almost universally hated is the Smart Case. There’s no way to put the unit in low power mode outside of placing them into the flimsy Smart Case, which many have equated to looking like a bra. Given how widely panned it was, we doubt it’ll be included with the second-generation device.
We guess that Apple will allow users to enter low-power mode via the controls on the headset in the AirPods Max 2. If a case is included, it will probably be of a more traditional design. Still, we wouldn’t be surprised if it releases without one.
Apple is slowly dropping the Lightning port on Mac and higher-end devices. We’ve seen the iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad Mini switch to USB-C, and we could see the same thing happening with the AirPods Max. We bet that it’ll continue to use whatever port the latest iPhone is using. So, if the iPhone 14 uses Lightning, the second-gen AirPods Max likely will as well.
The AirPods Max is an expensive pair of headphones, and with inflation on the rise, we doubt that’s going to change. We assume that AirPods Max 2 will stick with the same $549 price tag as the first generation. However, we might see Apple continue production of the original model and drop its price. It would make sense to get something in the $350-450 range for those who want something with more punch than the AirPods Pro but aren’t looking to drop more than half a grand on it.
The AirPods Pro got a refresh in late 2021 and now includes a MagSafe case. However, the AirPods Max likely won’t have wireless charging unless they get a significant redesign since they’re metal. Apple could get really out there by making the shell glass or ceramic, but that might be too much even for it.
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via Inferse.com https://www.inferse.com
May 13, 2022 at 06:45AM