AirPods Max

First generation

Apple announced the first generation AirPods Max on December 8, 2020, via a press release, and released them on December 15, 2020. AirPods Max features an over-ear headphone design, introduced under the leadership of CEO Tim Cook and the company’s product marketing team. Among those credited with their development were Apple’s lead designers, along with Rayan Rechka, who was noted for his contributions to the color finishes of the headphones.

AirPods Max feature an H1 chip in each ear cup,^[3] which is also found in the second-generation AirPods and first-generation AirPods Pro. AirPods Max, like the AirPods Pro, come with Apple's Active Noise Cancellation technology for blocking outside noise, and Transparency mode for listening to sounds around users. The "Digital Crown", similar to that of the Apple Watch, allows users to play or pause audio, control volume, skip tracks, control phone calls, and activate Siri. Proximity sensors automatically detect when they are on a user's head and play or pause audio accordingly. Spatial audio uses built-in gyroscopes and accelerometers to track movement of the user's head and provide what Apple describes as a "theater-like" experience.^[4][3][5]

Apple claims 20 hours of battery life, with five minutes of charging delivering 1.5 hours of listening time. AirPods Max are charged via the Lightning port. The Lightning port can also be used for line-in audio, with Apple selling cables with USB-A, USB-C and 3.5mm headphone ends.

AirPods Max are bundled with a Smart Case for storing.^[3] The Smart Case includes magnets that switch AirPods Max to low-power mode.^[6]

AirPods Max are available in five colors: Space Gray, Silver, Sky Blue, Green, and Pink. Users can select from these five colors separately for the ear cushions and external chassis for a total of 25 color combinations (or 125 if using two different ear cushion colors).^[7]

Second generation

Apple announced the AirPods Max 2 on March 16, 2026, which added the H2 chip and Bluetooth 5.3. It is set to release in April 2026.^[10] It features improved sound quality and active noise cancellation along with new additions including live translation, adaptive audio, audio recording, voice isolation and using Siri via head gestures. The second-generation also supports lossless audio over a USB-C connection. ^[11][12]