New AirPods Max Firmware Unavailable Due to iOS 18.4 Bug, Apple Says Update 'Coming Soon'

[parameter]

100% agree. Apple is falling off a cliff sooner rather than later. Already rolling down the hill.
I don't even have Airpod Maxes, but this post just reinforces the lack of quality, testing and just pure carelessness.

Something needs to change. These types of things are happening with every release, for every product across the board and it unacceptable for such high priced devices that run that buggy software.

As others have mentioned though, everything seems to be strictly about raising their stock price for investors at this point. However at some point, investors are going to see the edge of the cliff as well and well, hopefully there will be a mass selloff, which is likely the only thing that Apple will actually notice, care about and even possibly respond to.

 

[ifxf]

I wonder if the bug was introduced because a new version of security analysis software pointed out a potential problem in this area. The management at my company just wants programmers to address these warnings even up to the last minute.

 

[SanderEvers]

Okay so this is why my AirPods Max wasn't updating. Apple really should just add a "update now" button to the UI.

 

[one more]

Does it only affect AirPods Max firmware, or also recent releases of APP2 and AP4 updates?

 

[jcshas]

Does it only affect AirPods Max firmware, or also recent releases of APP2 and AP4 updates?

MY APP2's ran the updated firmware yesterday and they seem to work just fine, so to the best of my knowledge this only affects the APM.

 

[platinumaqua]

Okay so this is why my AirPods Max wasn't updating. Apple really should just add a "update now" button to the UI.

Can't do that. Too scary for the users! /s

 

[macdaddy43]

LOL

 

[Rob1547]

The people who work on these updates and products – the ones who spend countless hours giving their best – very much care.

The people at the top – the ones more concerned with the NYSE than the end consumers – also care, but for very different reasons.

Listen to the workers, and get a new c-suite.

I'm not so sure about that. We know some of the devs have the time and ambition to sneak in a "bug" that overrode a certain persons name with the word "Racist". No matter what your beliefs, that was a complex thing to sneak into a production release that made it to millions of users... Yet we can't get firmware on Airpods....

I wouldn't be so quick to give the entire Apple software team a unilateral pass.

 

[elgipsy]

I still don’t get why the 2020 APM cannot get lossless. I do understand that the bit where you connect to a Mac it needs to be USB-C but for “normal” listening, I understand that it will be wireless… and both APM have the same specs except for the USB C and awful new colours. Something is not right at all here

 

[Jashar7]

AirPods Max users have been left unable to download Apple's new firmware update bringing lossless and low-latency audio support to the headphones, owing to a software bug with iOS 18.4, MacRumors can confirm.

Apple officially announced the new feature support for AirPods Max last week. Then on Monday, Apple released an AirPods Max (USB-C) firmware update version 7E99 in tandem with the rollout of iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS Sequoia 15.4 software updates for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. However, since then, AirPods Max owners have not been able to successfully update their devices due to an unspecified conflict with the firmware and Apple's latest software.

The AirPods Max firmware was supposed to enable lossless and low-latency audio support as part of the broader software releases. "With this update, AirPods Max will unlock 24-bit, 48 kHz lossless audio, preserving the integrity of original recordings and allowing listeners to experience music the way the artist created it in the studio," said Apple in a press release. "Lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio enable music creators to fully utilize AirPods Max throughout their entire professional workflow on Logic Pro and other music creation apps."

However, after Apple indicated the firmware was available for download, user reports of problems slowly began to trickle in. As it stands, there's no sign that anyone has been able to install the firmware.

It's still not clear what Apple has done in iOS/iPadOS 18.4 and macOS Sequoia 15.4 to cause the issue, but all the indications are that Apple will need to release a point update to its platforms to correct the bug. On its AirPods firmware support page, Apple currently lists the unobtainable firmware version 7E99 for AirPods Max as "coming soon."

Article Link: New AirPods Max Firmware Unavailable Due to iOS 18.4 Bug, Apple Says Update 'Coming Soon'

Not only AirPods Max but there is a whole new annoying bug on safari where downloading something the Dynamic Island for some reason even after it’s done thinks something it’s being downloaded still… You have to restart the device to fix it, wtf is even going on with Apple

 

[turbineseaplane]

As others have mentioned though, everything seems to be strictly about raising their stock price for investors at this point.

Glad folks are taking note

 

[wilee]

they just need to admit airpods have firmware updates and make the process more obvious and clear

at least, like apple watches have

 

[attohs]

My post labeling this as Embarrassing was deleted. Why? Now MacRumors is being embarrassing.

Restore my post. Nothing more needed to be said about this.

 

[attohs]

Good word for it. The question is, do they feel embarrassed? I don’t see Tim Cook as they type to barge into a room and flip a table, but dang, someone needs to do something.

MacRumors deleted this entire thread you are replying to. Why is this website suddenly removing posts critical of Apple?

 

[votdfak]

This is the problem when founders move on. Happened at Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Apple, countless others.

We all hate Meta but it's an interesting counter-example that Zuck is still around, and recently made the company put back something resembling what people used to like about Facebook. One of the few remaining examples of the founder still being at an enormous company and having the reach all the way up and down the org chart to get things done.

When managers take over, they act like managers and not founders. Apparently Cook and Federighi don't get their hands dirty anymore.

Talking about Meta and Zuck, Ray Ban Metas are my favorite gadget at the moment. Just spent 2 1/2 months on the beach and used them everyday.

 

[mactracker]

FYI: iOS 18.5 Developer Beta 1 has been released, but it does not resolve the update bug. You still won't be able to update your AirPods Max.

 

[CarAnalogy]

Talking about Meta and Zuck, Ray Ban Metas are my favorite gadget at the moment. Just spent 2 1/2 months on the beach and used them everyday.

Yeah that’s the thing. I don’t like a lot of what Meta represents, and a lot of tactics he has used. But it’s hard to argue with the results he is getting, compared to other similar efforts.

 

[Mr. Rod]

FYI: iOS 18.5 Developer Beta 1 has been released, but it does not resolve the update bug. You still won't be able to update your AirPods Max.

Hotfixes are usually included in minor versions. It's expected to be merged into the later 18.5 betas during or after the imminent 18.4.1 release.

 

[UnbreakableAlex]

Tim Cook needs to step down. Not updating my devices now.

 

[hagar]

No this again. Do a double blind test. No one will hear the difference!

 

[mxrider88]

The incompetence is real. They have more bugs than apps.

 

[dtuck90]

I can’t help but think Apple panicked after cancelling the Siri updates so needed a big feature for 18.4 and rush released this

 

[netsped]

Maybe they delayed the update until iJustine and the other "tech" youtubers add more WOWs to their videos.

Or they realized that the 2 persons that can hear a difference don't even own AirPods Max.

Get your act together Apple, can't even imagine the amount of bugs a full iOS redesign will bring to the table.

😂

 

[netsped]

I can’t help but think Apple panicked after cancelling the Siri updates so needed a big feature for 18.4 and rush released this

This si NOT a big feature.

 

[jcshas]

Hoping someone clarify, if my APM (USB C) are wired to my MacBook Pro via the Apple USB C to 3.5mm adapter, and Apple music shows I'm streaming lossless 24-bit/96 kHz ALAC, will the upcoming APM firmware result in even higher resolution?