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!