Earlier this morning, via a press release, Apple unveiled an update to its premium and only headphones, the AirPods Max 2. At first glance, they look identical to the current versions of the headphones—even down to the $550 price tag—but the changes are internal and should create an even better audio experience.
The biggest change is the addition of Apple’s H2 chip, which was introduced with the AirPods Pro 2 and is powering the new features on board. The new chip offers improved active noise cancellation, a more natural-sounding transparency mode, mics that focus on your voice and reduce background noise during phone calls, automatically lowers volume when someone is talking nearby, and AI-assisted live translation.
The AirPods Max 2 also sports a new camera remote feature, which allows you to capture photos and videos using the digital crown. It also supports higher-quality lossless audio via a USB-C cable and boasts 20 hours of battery life on a single charge. You can respond to Siri by nodding your head for yes and shaking it for no.
Apple essentially gave its newest headphones all of the cool features from the AirPods Pro 3, which is a good thing. Unfortunately, there’s still no Power button, the Smart Case still exists, and the color options of midnight, starlight, orange, purple, and blue remain the same. Pre-orders begin on March 25 and officially go on sale sometime in early April.
