The AirPods Max have not been revised since release in December 2020, while the AirPods Pro have received numerous hardware and software.
Previously, Bloomberg reported that Apple was planning to update the AirPods Max, adding USB-C support and new color options next year. We assumed that this would also be an opportunity to incorporate the features of the AirPods Pro. However, it looks like that won't be happening.
In the latest edition of Mark Gurman's Power On newsletter, it's reported that Apple has no major update planned for the AirPods Max. In fact, the update is set to be so minor that the generation number won't even change. Gurman suggests that Apple's plans could "possibly" change.
See more: How to manually switch AirPods to another device in iOS 17
However, it seems that the motivation for the hardware will mainly be to comply with European Commission regulations, which mandate the use of USB-C for charging accessories such as headphones. At the moment, the AirPods Max exclusively feature Apple's Lightning port.
Gurman compares the upcoming upgrade to the USB-C AirPods Max that Apple introduced in September. These feature the same internal chipset as the Lightning AirPods Pro 2nd generation.
If this information is true, then it means that the AirPods Max will continue to use the H1 chip instead of the H2. This means that they will not be able to support the advanced software features that were released for the AirPods Pro via iOS 17, such as Adaptive Audio, Conversational Awareness, Personalized Volume, and support for controlling Siri via wake-up.
Users hoping for improvements to Apple's $550 headphones will also be disappointed, as there will be no changes to the charging case design, the lack of a U1 chip for accurate location finding, and more.
Source: 9to5mac.com
