AirPods Max 2 Is ‘Designed To Sustain Sales’ Rather Than Push The Product Forward, Report Says Apple Is Blurring The Lines Between Marketing & Innovation

A period of six years has passed since Apple introduced the first-generation AirPods Max, with the second iteration keeping every specification consistent, other than a transition from the Lightning port to USB-C, along with new paint jobs. With the newest AirPods Max 2, which has yet to go on sale, the latest report states that Apple’s newest release is more focused on production efficiency rather than innovation, with the California-based giant blurring the lines between marketing and innovation.

Calling the new wireless headphones ‘AirPods Max 2’ sets expectations for Apple’s top-end product that aren’t there, says report

Fresh details from Mark Gurman’s ‘Power On’ newsletter talk about the AirPods Max 2 not even sporting a new codename because of how minimal the changes are compared to the previous-generation AirPods Max. Despite several changes highlighted in our buying guide, those are mostly the result of Apple incorporating its new custom H2 chip into its wireless headphones. This silicon was introduced five years ago and brings better Active Noise Cancellation, audio quality, and more.

Gurman also states that the AirPods Max 2 aren’t designed to push the product forward, but to sustain sales. In fact, a 2025 report mentioned that the lack of convincing sales has prevented Apple from pursuing an improved version of its premium wireless headphones, but because the product has been entrenched in the lives of consumers, the company also doesn’t see any reason to pull the plug on it.

“The lines between marketing and innovation are clearly blurring. Like the earlier USB-C refresh, this update feels designed to sustain sales rather than push the product forward. The profitable, $549 AirPods Max sit in an awkward middle ground — not popular enough to justify major investment, but too visible and culturally embedded in gyms and on TikTok for Apple to discontinue.”

There’s also no word on whether Apple will launch a true successor down the road, but Gurman notes that a proper second-generation model should have gone further in changes by ditching the Smart Case, reducing the weight, and improving the battery life, which hasn’t gone past the 20-hour ceiling, even on the AirPods Max 2. Even with these minimal changes, consumers seem undeterred in making this their daily driver because, irrespective of whether the product is excellent or not, the ‘Apple’ brand name has a ton of weightage.

“And yet, consumers keep buying. That’s the part worth paying attention to. With Apple, it’s increasingly not about how much changes — it’s about how the changes are framed. The brand carries enormous weight, and the company’s marketing engine does the rest. Imagine if the recent product updates themselves were as impressive as the advertising.”

Also, at the time of writing, the AirPods Max with a USB-C port are going for $449.99 on retailers like Amazon, whereas with just $100 extra, you will get a significantly superior product sporting the same design and weight. Of course, if you don’t have a penchant for expensive wireless headphones, you can always opt for the AirPods Pro 3, which are significantly cheaper at $199.99 for a pair, thanks to a 20 percent discount, and will likely garner the lion’s share of Apple’s higher-end audio device shipments.

News Source: Bloomberg

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