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1258186

Cancelled
Feb 5, 2021
813
1,009
And yet, they're selling very well. Seems Apple knows more about pricing strategy than you.
Are they selling “really well”? Do you have any sales numbers for the AirPods Max? Everyone thought the HomePod was selling well until it was axed due to poor sales. I would be very surprised if the AirPods Max are selling any better.
 

darkinners

macrumors member
Mar 15, 2013
85
30
Please apple, if you haven't been making 2nd gen Airpods Max yet, at least make a new smart case that's actually a case and do not require rotating the earcups, so it won't scratch the aluminium so easily and easier to store in more EDC bags.

I love everything about the Airpods Max including the sound but the current smart case is beyond stupid.
 

Lestdog

macrumors regular
Jan 16, 2008
214
314
AirPod Max - we can
You know what? I have the Sony WH-1000XM4, and while they're certainly decent headphones, the buttons are one of the most annoying parts of it. Especially the ON/OFF button. They take ages to turn on and off, and make annoying beeping and "bluetooth connected!" talking noises while doing so. In terms of usability, having them turn on automatically when you pick them up and put them on is a big improvement.

I plan to buy the AirPods Max soon. The only thing putting me off a bit is the price.
huh I’ve tried to be annoyed by those features on my XM4 but I just can’t. You know what’s annoying? Not being to fold up my headphones ? into a compact travel case. Noise canceling headphones on an airplane is a beautiful thing.
 

jprmercado

macrumors regular
Jun 12, 2012
226
635
Something like AirPods Max should be on a 2-3 year cycle and not a yearly product. There really isn’t that much you can do to a headphone other than redesign the look, extend battery life and improve sound quality.

In the case of the AirPods Max I feel the only thing would be to implement a new connection protocol that allows for uncompressed audio to playback on the headphones wirelessly (IE you have the headphones buffer the audio stream.) The other thing they could do is add a proper case and get rid of the headphone diaper.
I agree on the upgrade cycle. And it does appear to be nothing out of the ordinary for Apple’s audio products.

I bought the Powerbeats Pro in 2019, and there has been no word of an update since then, but a new set of colors was recently released. Might take a while for the next Airpods Max to be refreshed, if I’m comparing it to the Powerbeats Pro.

Upgrade cycles don’t necessarily indicate the success of a product; Apple just has different timelines for each of their offerings.

My Airpods Max literally just arrived yesterday. Odd how supplies are still constrained; I don’t know if I should read into that, but the Powerbeats Pro was similarly constrained for a while here in my home country too.

I really love the Airpods Max. I’ve never had a product with ANC before, so I’m entranced. The sound is great—it’s a clean, full sound, just like the Powerbeats Pro’s, except with a bigger soundstage. The only thing I’m not a fan of is the price [and the case, fine], but other than that, I think it’s a solid product. Still keeping my beloved Audio Technica ATH-M50xBT, though!
 

johnmarki

macrumors 6502
May 13, 2020
295
786
I cant imagine a time where Apple updates the design/iteration for these in the next 2-3 years. I really wouldn't be surprised if these dont get a second generation at all, similar to HomePod and HiFi. New colors? Maybe...but even that sounds a little out there for me. I could see a completely new product that fills the Airpods Max sector with a radically "new" design and feature set after several years. Not because they aren't a good product, but because Apple seems to do this with "Premium" Audio devices throughout its history.
 

ignatius345

macrumors 604
Aug 20, 2015
7,026
11,562
This is not designed for the general public, it is for the money-is-not-an-issue niche.
Oh please. They’re a couple hundred dollars more than much of the competition.

I bought a pair in January, and it was a splurge but it was worth it. I spend hours a day using them and the noise cancellation is incredible at isolating me from extraneous noise.
 
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DummyFool

macrumors regular
Jan 15, 2020
245
385
Funny arguments here. It's a flop, it's not a flop. It will be a flop if not enough peoples buy them but that does not say much about the quality of the product, it's more about the design decisions they took. They will be great headphones for some and totally uninteresting to others.

Personally, they are not for me, too expensive, too bulky and I don't like the look they have. Apple never has been afraid to take controversial design decisions. Sadly for me most of them have not been to my liking in the past few years. The only Apple product I still find genuinely pretty is the iPad Pro.
 
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Lemon Olive

Suspended
Nov 30, 2020
1,208
1,324
Called it a few months ago ;)

That's what you get when you design products in a vacuum chamber and take 4 years to release a one-off expensive something that doesn't even have an ON/OFF button.

PS. And it's a shame, because the AirPods line overall has massive appeal and potential. Is there any more proof to Apple's aimlessness in product direction?
Same here. As soon as it was launched it had the feeling of a long overdue product that would have been cancelled if not for how much money they had already sunk into it. This run is intended merely to recoup costs.
 

Lemon Olive

Suspended
Nov 30, 2020
1,208
1,324
Oh please. They’re a couple hundred dollars more than much of the competition.

I bought a pair in January, and it was a splurge but it was worth it. I spend hours a day using them and the noise cancellation is incredible at isolating me from extraneous noise.
Any product that is twice the price of every other equivalent for no measurable reason is in a world of its own.
 

Ethosik

Contributor
Oct 21, 2009
7,833
6,762
The AirPods Max aren't anything like the HomePod. The HomePod was a home speaker that didn't do much more than the competition and you couldn't even use Spotify.

I love mine, I waited ages to buy them because of the price, but for those who have iPads, Phone and Mac the ease in which you can go from one device to the other is so good, I wouldn't consider 'normal' bluetooth headphones again.
Plus, the fact that the AirPods Mac works with anything Bluetooth means it’s automatically better than the HomePod by miles. I can ACTUALLY use my AirPods in Windows where I can’t use my HomePod in Windows.
 

Student of Life

macrumors 6502a
Oct 13, 2020
692
746
Any product that is twice the price of every other equivalent for no measurable reason is in a world of its own.
No measurable to you. That’s ok. To some it is. I have no clue where you are getting the twice the price from. I think it’s 50 to 100 over priced but that’s Apple lol.
 
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