We’re also a fan of the color options, which include space gray, silver, sky blue, green and pink. There’s a rumor that before Apple releases the second-gen AirPods Max, we’ll get refreshed colors for the current-gen model. We could eventually see these rumored colors come to the AirPods Max 2. Two key developments impacting these headphones since 2020 are the launch of lossless Apple Music streaming, and the EU’s common charger ruling demanding all portable gadgets use USB-C instead of anything proprietary. The former isn’t supported by Apple’s most expensive headphones, and the latter means it won’t be able to sell them in Europe in their current form after December 2024. In the meantime, we’ve also had some other premium, Apple-made headphones in the form of the Beats Studio Pro. Finally, there’s a reason to suspect that the AirPods Max 2 could get touch controls. A patent application suggests Apple is working on a way to process gestures on a touch-sensitive surface. Many headphones and wireless earbuds have intuitive touch controls, so it would make sense that they could come on the next version of AirPods Max. Apple AirPods Max 2: What we want to see

Yet another patent (spotting a trend?) explains that Apple is working on new optical audio transmission technology. It’s a fancy new alternative to Bluetooth, which would allow Apple to deliver lossless audio wirelessly. Other alternatives for lossless audio support include an AirPlay-esque feature. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo seems to think we'll get the AirPods Max 2 in 2024 or possibly 2025, meaning the current headphones would be at least three years old by the time they get replaced. When Apple added USB-C charging to its 2nd generation AirPods Pro earphones, it also promised lossless streaming support from the upcoming Vision Pro mixed reality headset – suggesting we’re a little closer to seeing the tech on other devices. The original, Lightning-equipped AirPods Pro 2nd gen also came with an H2 chip that offered Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, improved noise cancellation and a conversation boost feature for those with hearing challenges to follow conversations more clearly. These are all things we’d love to see on the AirPods Max 2. AirPods Max 2: potential release date and priceAs Apple moves away from its proprietary Lightning connections towards the more universal USB-C, the one rumour was can be certain of is that a USB-C charging connection will appear on the AirPods Max 2. During the 12 September Apple Event, the company announced that USB-C connections will be featured on the upcoming iPhone 15 as well as the new charging cases for the existing AirPods Pro 2, which only strengthens the idea that USB-C is the new standard for Apple products going forward.

According to a patent Apple holds, the company is working on touch controls rather than the Digital Crown. Apparently, this feature was intended for AirPods Max the first time around, but Apple couldn’t get it quite right. Assuming Apple is working on this again, expect the loss of the Digital Crown to be a big design differentiator.

Will there be an Apple AirPods Max 2 series?

Compatible hardware and software required. Works with compatible content in supported apps. Not all content available in Dolby Atmos. iPhone with TrueDepth camera required to create a personal profile for Spatial Audio, which will sync across Apple devices running the latest operating system software, including iOS, iPadOS, macOS and tvOS. Until we learn more about the AirPods Max 2, we’ve made a list of the features we hope the AirPods Max 2 will offer compared to the original AirPods Max: Apple is renowned for its sleek designs, but it really pulled out all the stops for its first pair of over-ears. From pristine anodised aluminium ear cups to a perfectly-weighted steel headband, we found that AirPods Max makes some of the best wireless headphones feel cheap by comparison. We think this is quite late for AirPods Max 2 and we’re quite convinced that the reality is somewhere in between. If we had to bet on it, we’d say that late 2023 is still a likely scenario – despite them not arriving alongside the iPhone 15 in September. Touch controls could soon be revamped, too, with Patently Apple reporting that Apple has filed a patent for touch controls for upcoming models, although whether this will be implemented for the new Max 2 model is not yet clear. A touch-responsive surface would certainly be something we'd welcome to the party, though, so fingers crossed.