Supposed AirPods Max overhaul requires more than new colors

REVIEW: The AirPods Max are Apple's flagship wireless headphones, offering great sound and a sleek design that matches the high starting price. But they are far from perfect.

Internet rumors have long suggested that a successor to the original (and currently only) AirPods Max may be on the horizon, although there are still plenty of firm details about when that might happen.

Recently reports have surfaced that highlight delayed shipping times for cans in the US, while we've also noticed they've become unavailable on sites like Amazon and harder to find on Currys in the UK -United.

Typically, this could mean a new model is about to be released and retailers are getting ready to stock the new model – although some Apple analysts claim 2024 is a more likely release date. for the AirPods Max 2, that seems a bit out of place. .

Another reason for the lack of stock could be the introduction of a smaller revision of the current model – with the talking about new colors being a possibility. Apple has often introduced new colors for its products, including the iPhone, midway through product cycles, so that wouldn't be too surprising.

For me though, the AirPods Max have been out long enough to warrant a full version 2 arrival sooner rather than later, and a core color overhaul would be a little underwhelming.

I reviewed the AirPods Max around their late 2021 release and rated them highly. There's no denying that these are beautiful headphones, capable of delivering stunning sound from relatively modest sources and producing the best form of portable spatial audio I've ever heard.

In the review, I said “the AirPods Max remain a great set of headphones that still have some of the best ANC around. Spatial Audio is better than ever thanks to its inclusion in Apple Music and the industrial design has held up well since launch.

My qualms never focused on sound quality with AirPods Max – although it would be nice if they supported some high resolution codecs. Instead, I think there are a few easy tweaks that could be made in the areas of design and usability that would really tempt me to move on to a follow-up.

Comfortably, my biggest irritant with the AirPods Max is the lack of a proper on/off button. As difficult as it may seem, it is far too difficult to extinguish these cans. The idea is that they go into a sleep state when not in use, but I've found that even with a few software updates it rarely works as advertised and on too many occasions I've taken headphones in the morning, ready for my commute and found them completely drained.

This ties in with another one of my big complaints: the case. Apple's included Smart Case is again supposed to act as an off button, turning off the headphones when placed inside. Too bad then that the case is oddly designed and offers very little protection to delicate parts, such as the mesh headband. Since the AirPods Max can't be folded – like the Bose QC 45 or the Sony WH-1000XM4 – that makes storing them in a bag a little tricky.

Whether we get new colors from the current review, a bigger update, or nothing at all remains to be seen, although it's clear to me that a few small tweaks to the AirPods Max would make it an even better rival of the best. listeners.