AIRPODS MAX: ALL THE SOUND TECH YOU CAN GET

Apple may not have hosted an all-bells, all whistles event to show off its new headphones, but it didn’t need to: the company’s letting the sound speak for itself.

After a year of speculation, Apple lifted the lid on AirPods Max online, with its $549 over-ear headphones offering breathtaking high-fidelity audio combined with the magic of AirPods. Designed for professional musicians and audiophiles, Apple’s ready to claim the headphone crown.

THE ULTIMATE PERSONAL LISTENING EXPERIENCE

Since the introduction of AirPods back in December 2016, Apple’s wearable technology division has exploded in popularity, and recent analysis suggests that the Cupertino company managed to ship more than $9 billion worth of AirPods and AirPods Pro in 2019. That’s without mentioning the continued brand power of its Beats headphones range, which cost the company a cool $3 billion and helped it launch the successful Apple Music, a service that is continuing to boom. Fast-forward to 2020, and Apple was ready to take AirPods to the next level. We’d previously heard Apple planned to release AirPods Studio, a highend version of its AirPods to compete against rivals such as Sony and Bose, and though there’s been a name change since the initial rumors, those were indeed true. Apple appears to want to pivot its Beats sub-brand towards the budget-conscious consumer, AirPods towards the general consumer, and now AirPods Max towards those looking to invest in a premium audio experience. Being able to cater to virtually every shopper - from its $50 Beats Flex headphones, an entry-level product released alongside the iPhone 12, which shipped without EarPods for the first time - to the new $549 AirPods Max, and there’s something for everyone, helping Apple add another product category to add to its swelling product portfolio.