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The Morning After: Apple's surprise AirPods Max refresh

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Why This Matters

Apple's surprise update to the AirPods Max introduces the first significant refresh since 2020, featuring the new H2 chip for improved performance and noise cancellation. This update underscores Apple's ongoing commitment to enhancing premium audio devices, even amid a busy product launch cycle. For consumers, it offers a high-end headphone option with improved features, maintaining its premium price point.

Key Takeaways

You may have a little Apple fatigue after last week's barrage of Macs, iPhones and iPads. The company wasn't done, however. Surprise! Here is an updated pair of AirPods Max. It's a predictable surprise, perhaps, but one I wasn't expecting after so many other new devices.

It's also the first true update. The AirPods Max 2 look identical to their predecessor, but now have an H2 chip. First, the AirPods Pro 2 improve noise cancellation by 50 percent and add support for Adaptive Audio and Live Translation. It's a much-needed update for headphones that, barring a USB-C option, haven't changed since 2020.

They're still priced at $549. In Apple's recent press images for its cheapest MacBook ever, a child was using AirPods Max while working on their $599 MacBook Neo. Love it.

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The new headphones are up for pre-order on March 25 and will ship in early April.

– Mat Smith

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