Apple has revealed one more surprise before the end of the year, as today the company announced its over-ear take on AirPods, the AirPods Max. The noise-cancelling headphones come with a price tag of $549 and will officially hit shelves on December 15. Pre-orders begin today.
The AirPods Max feature what Apple calls a “custom acoustic design” intended to give listeners high-quality audio with comfort to match. The headphones come with a “breathable knit mesh canopy” that spans the headband and is supported by stainless steel frame to reduce on-head pressure and distribute weight. The ear cups are made out of “acoustically engineered” memory foam ear cushions that are detachable via magnets. The headphones automatically pause when removed from a listener’s ears.
The AirPods Max are clearly Apple’s answer to demand for an over-ear version of the AirPods. The company has brought over several features that were first included in the AirPods line, including features such as adaptive EQ, transparency mode, spatial audio, and audio sharing. The company also included a feature that first debuted in the Apple Watch –the Digital Crown – a physical dial which enables users to easily control volume, pause or play, and skip tracks, as well as activate a number of other features on their device.
The headphones also come in five colors: space gray, silver, sky blue, green, and pink. They have a 20-hour battery life and are charged with Apple’s Lightning connector. Apple is releasing a “smart case” that stores the headphones and puts them in a low power state as well.
With its new AirPods Max, Apple will compete with other high-end headphone manufacturers such as Bose, Sony, Bowers, AKG, and Sennheiser, among others. The AirPods Max are more expensive than most of its competitors while not offering anything new or revolutionary, but Apple’s brand recognition alone will likely be enough to sell high amounts of the new product.
Source: Apple