Apple intros its new AirPods Max headphones: no big upgrades, but we now have USB-C

Apple has hosted its unveiling event for not just the new iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max smartphones, but slightly upgraded AirPods Max headphones have been unleashed.

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The new Apple AirPods Max headphones don't do anything new technologically, but the company has removed the Lightning port and upgraded to USB-C connectivity for the new AirPods Max headphones. Those wanting some upgrades -- myself included, as an AirPods Max owner, the only Apple product I own -- will be disappointed, but the move to USB-C is welcomed.

Apple's new AirPods Max headphones also receive support for Personalized Spatial Audio, which will arrive with the upcoming iOS 18 software update that will unleash Apple Intelligence onto the iPhone, ready for the new iPhone 16 family of smartphones. Inside, there is reportedly no upgrade in hardware with the same internal components as the current-gen AirPods Max headphones.

Apple's new AirPods Max headphones come in new colors: midnight, starlight, blue, orange, and purple that are joining existing colors space gray, silver, sky blue, green, and pink. If you've noticed, Apple isn't referring to its new AirPods Max as the "AirPods Max 2" so let's hope there's a true successor in the works that offers some upgrades across the board (even if the higher-end headphones cost more).

The new AirPods Max are up for pre-order starting today at $549, with the headphones officially launching on September 20. As for the new iPhones, the iPhone 16 Pro 128GB starts at $999, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max 256GB starts at $1199.