AirPods Max Battery Drains Only Slightly Faster Outside of Case

[deuxani]

If you for instance take off your AirPods Max with 80% charge left, wouldn't use your headphones for 2 weeks and then suddenly want to use them... too bad, battery is dead, first charge them. While any other headphones would still be at 80% as when you turned them off two weeks ago. To some people that's a deal breaker (for me for instance). I use my headphones sometimes every day of the week, sometime not for 1 week, sometimes not for 2 weeks or longer, but every time I grab them they have enough charge to be used for hours.

Many people use their headphones every day for multiple hours. But some people enjoy the over-ear experience only on occasion (I have my regular AirPods in my ears for 8 hours per day). And for those occasions I prefer good quality, so spending €630 would be a lot, but worth it. I have the XM3's and they are great, but the plastic creaks sometimes and that's really annoying. So I would really enjoy a better build quality, but not at the expense of having to think about charging it (like my damn Apple Pencil which is always dead because I don't use it often and you can't turn it off).

 

[BeatCrazy]

Do people who actually purchased these really think they are a success because they are “sold out”? It couldn’t be that apple decided to make a small amount to test the waters could it?

Asking for a friend.

When you deal with the volumes that Apple manufactures, you don't just do a "small amount", just for fun. They have component lead times, volume commitments and other contractual obligations that reflect their scale and distribution.

 

[G5isAlive]

If you for instance take off your AirPods Max with 80% charge left, wouldn't use your headphones for 2 weeks and then suddenly want to use them... too bad, battery is dead, first charge them. While any other headphones would still be at 80% as when you turned them off two weeks ago. To some people that's a deal breaker (for me for instance). I use my headphones sometimes every day of the week, sometime not for 1 week, sometimes not for 2 weeks or longer, but every time I grab them they have enough charge to be used for hours.

Many people use their headphones every day for multiple hours. But some people enjoy the over-ear experience only on occasion (I have my regular AirPods in my ears for 8 hours per day). And for those occasions I prefer good quality, so spending €630 would be a lot, but worth it. I have the XM3's and they are great, but the plastic creaks sometimes and that's really annoying. So I would really enjoy a better build quality, but not at the expense of having to think about charging it (like my damn Apple Pencil which is always dead because I don't use it often and you can't turn it off).

I feel your pain, hence why I applaud MR for giving us actual data and not just waving hands in the air like many are doing. It remains to be seen just how much slower it is in the case versus just taking it off and sitting them down.. to get really accurate numbers that you can project out for a month, you really need to take several days of measurements, and I am not willing to leaving mine in the case for that long! But I am hopeful that if out of the case has the potential to give me 10 days, while it's connected to five of my devices, then maybe, just maybe I will get a month in the case with everything disconnected. Time will tell. Pun intended.

 

[BeatCrazy]

If you for instance take off your AirPods Max with 80% charge left, wouldn't use your headphones for 2 weeks and then suddenly want to use them... too bad, battery is dead, first charge them. While any other headphones would still be at 80% as when you turned them off two weeks ago. To some people that's a deal breaker (for me for instance). I use my headphones sometimes every day of the week, sometime not for 1 week, sometimes not for 2 weeks or longer, but every time I grab them they have enough charge to be used for hours.

No. After two hours (or putting them in a case), the battery level stays consistent, i.e. at the same level of drain that my other headphones with an off-button stay. Will they last a full year without draining to 0%? I dunno. But think of them more like how much your iPhone drains when "off" after a couple of weeks. Might lose 10% after two weeks of being off.

 

[axantas]

Not a bad idea. What if they make long pressing the Digital Crown to power off?

...I guess, it would not really interfere or destroy their concept of usability. But I do not know, what "long press" on the crown now does - if it does nothing - use the empty spot.

 

[NMBob]

Fixed. Easy peasy. You can even turn off one side or the other if the battery is getting low.

 

[dontwalkhand]

Put a power button on it and it won't drain at all. What a stupid design.

It also has plenty of buttons, just make it so you can press and hold down the Digital Crown to turn it off. Sheesh Apple.

 

[JGIGS]

Put a power button on it and it won't drain at all. What a stupid design.

Or at least provide a better case that automatically starts charging them when you put them back in like the rest of the Airpods line up.

 

[VermontsFinest]

I’m waiting for mines to be delivered, so far every one who bought it is saying it’s pretty good, and of course it’s not for everyone neither!
I think simplymac have space grey on stock, so technically not sold out yet!

Hope you like them!

 

[sideshowuniqueuser]

Find his head in the “Find my” app, presumably

Ha ha, I'm still giggling at this.

 

[derekamoss]

What do you plan to do with the ultra wide band chip? 🤔

Better audio immersion for porn. it's to bad it's hard to wear these with VR goggles 🥽

 

[jlseattle]

It's idiotic they couldn't figure out that hey when no audio is coming through for a while put them to sleep. Wake up when someone puts on audio.

 

[vmistery]

Do I want to have to press a power button every time I want to turn them on and off, OR do I want to have to charge more often? I think I'd rather have an instant on device that I have to plug in every few uses. But I'll find out IRL whenever my headphones finally ship....

Doesn’t seem like it would be too much of a hardship to offer both options? If you’re someone like me you can go several days / weeks without using headphones or have a few different ones it seems sensible to want to preserve the battery health by reducing the amount of charges it has to have. For you the convenience is more important and by the sounds of it will use them more often. I also don’t really want to come back after a week away and find them dead as I don’t like leaving them in charge either!

 

[deuxani]

No. After two hours (or putting them in a case), the battery level stays consistent, i.e. at the same level of drain that my other headphones with an off-button stay. Will they last a full year without draining to 0%? I dunno. But think of them more like how much your iPhone drains when "off" after a couple of weeks. Might lose 10% after two weeks of being off.

According to the article it drains 1% per 4 hours when in the case, so that’s 6% in 24 hours, that’s a little over 2 weeks for your battery to go from 100% to 0% when not in use. That wouldn’t happen with an actual off button.

 

[Amazing Iceman]

Thank you MR, you just saved me $549 +Tax.
I think I'll wait for version 2.

 

[baryon]

Wait so the case doesn't even charge the headphones, it just tells the headphones to go to sleep, that's it? That's... a bit dumb? Might as well make them be able to fold up so they'd take up less space or something.

Also I guess it wouldn't be that difficult to automatically put them to sleep based on accelerometer data. If they're sitting out on a table for hours, they could just go to sleep without you even doing anything, then turn back on when you pick them up.

 

[Matti_]

Do I want to have to press a power button every time I want to turn them on and off, OR do I want to have to charge more often? I think I'd rather have an instant on device that I have to plug in every few uses. But I'll find out IRL whenever my headphones finally ship....

Me too. I‘ll get mine end of january hopefully. Then I will test it. But this article made me a little bit disappointed. I would mean that I will have to charge them about twice a week even when not in use maybe. So I will have to charge them more often before I can use them. An on/off function would have been better for real life use, especially when the headphones’s battery will drain faster in some month because it gets older. But I will see.

Does someone know how the iPhone reacts to an incoming call while connected to the AirPods Max while not in use? When it rings, does the sound will come from the iPhone or the AirPods Max?

 

[Matti_]

Wait so the case doesn't even charge the headphones, it just tells the headphones to go to sleep, that's it? That's... a bit dumb? Might as well make them be able to fold up so they'd take up less space or something.

Also I guess it wouldn't be that difficult to automatically put them to sleep based on accelerometer data. If they're sitting out on a table for hours, they could just go to sleep without you even doing anything, then turn back on when you pick them up.

The case is really reduced to a little peace of „something“. More design than useability. I am scared that the case does not prevent it from scratches and dust when the headphones with case are in my bag or when I am on travel

 

[stormyuklondon1]

I have a pair of sennhieser momentum 3’s. Once you take them off and ‘collapse’ them they turn off. As you uncollapse them, they turn on and connect. By the time they’re on my head, they’re ready to accept a signal. No need to put them in a case.. Surely these could do the same?

 

[kaycrystal626]

Sometimes I don't understand Apple's design. How hard is it to put an on/off button.

 

[Matti_]

I have a pair of sennhieser momentum 3’s. Once you take them off and ‘collapse’ them they turn off. As you uncollapse them, they turn on and connect. By the time they’re on my head, they’re ready to accept a signal. Surely these could do the same?

Looks like sennheiser has the best solution. No power button neede and still turning completely off

 

[Tauron]

Which devices are compatible with these headphones? I have an iPod Classic and a MacBook...no USB C on the Mac. . Kinda know I'm screwed but want to be sure.

 

[Herrpod]

Looks like sennheiser has the best solution. No power button neede and still turning completely off

Apple uses this same exact method with the Beats Solo Pro. Fold it, it's off. Unfold it, it connects immediately to the last device it was used on.

 

[Rafagon]

You can power them off, 9to5mac has revealed: https://9to5mac.com/2020/12/17/how-to-switch-off-airpods-max/

 

[EedyBeedyBeeps]

Which devices are compatible with these headphones? I have an iPod Classic and a MacBook...no USB C on the Mac. . Kinda know I'm screwed but want to be sure.

Not sure if this answers your question, and I don't have the headphones yet: Apple has a 1.2m Lightning-to-3.5mm Audio Jack cable available separately.