Apple announces AirPods Max headphones – and they’re very expensive

Apple has just announced the all-new AirPods Max, a new over-ear offering that uses advanced software to create a quality listening experience. The sleek headphones are designed to deliver all the best features of AirPods Pro, including high-fidelity audio, active noise cancellation, Adaptive EQ, transparency mode, audio sharing, and spatial audio (and Dolby Atmos support), with an over-ear design. Equally impressive is the design, with a breathable knit mesh canopy that reduces on-head pressure, a sturdy stainless steel headband frame, a novel mechanism that evenly distributes ear cup pressure for an effective seal, and a Digital Crown that is borrowed from Apple Watch, for precise control over volume. Designed by Apple to provide exceptional acoustic performance, the AirPods max comes in five colors: space gray, silver, sky blue, green, and pink.

When will the AirPods Max be available?

The Apple AirPods Max are available to order today (Tuesday 8th December) from the Apple Store app in the UK and in more than 25 other countries and regions. The headphones start shipping on Tuesday, December 15.

How much do the AirPods Max cost?

Previous rumors had indicated that the headphones could cost around the same as headphones from Bose, Sennheiser, and Sony. However, in recent months there’s been speculation that the AirPods over-ears could cost more than that, and indeed they do – the AirPods Max cost £549.

There was no mention of the sports variant also thought to be in development, which if rumors were true, would have cost £349.

Finally, we’re getting a pair of AirPod headphones in different colors. The AirPods Max will be made available in five different colors and they are space grey, silver, sky blue, green, and pink. For keeping the headphones safe when out and about, there’s a slim Smart Case that puts the AirPods Max in an ultra-low-power mode to preserve battery. That suggests to us that the headphones don’t fully turn off.

Tags: Apple