Surprise! Another Apple drop!

Back in 2020, Apple launched its AirPods Max over-the-ear headphones — to a massive chorus of shrugs.

Yeah, they sounded great, and the active noise cancellation rivaled the best in class, but oh, my, the price!

At $549, they cost almost double the price of competing cans.

While AirPods overall are a massive business for Apple, AirPods Max looked like a bust.

Apple doesn’t reveal AirPods sales by type. But one indicator that the Max model is lagging is the number of hardware updates it received. In the six years since their launch, the headphones received only a minor update: charging via USB-C.

Until today!

Today’s surprise drop of the AirPods Max 2 — with better sound and ANC — indicates that the headphones have some life in them yet.

And maybe it’s just me, and/or the city I live in (San Francisco), but I notice AirPods Max everywhere these days. Everyone seems to be wearing them. They definitely aren’t a bust in this town.

And before you scoff, note that Apple added a special feature for professional musicians that Apple says is exclusive to AirPods Max 2.

Also in today’s newsletter:

Cult of Mac writer D. Griffin Jones has been busting his tail reviewing some of Apple’s new offerings. Here are his hands-on reviews of the new MacBook Neo (ab fab), the Studio Display XDR (peerless) and the iPhone 17e (ungimped). He also took some very nice pics.
This is beyond hilarious: Lots of pundits celebrated the departure of Apple’s former head UI designer Alan Dye because of Liquid Glass. But it turns out that a major driving force behind the controversial redesign was the guy who took over!
🔥 DEAL OF THE DAY: This handsome and well-made 10K power bank from Belkin is a nice 25% off today. And the pink model’s on sale, too. Both pack an integrated USB-C cable.
Apple’s only movie in contention for an Oscar won only one gong, in a relatively minor category. I saw it; it was 👌, and I didn’t really notice the Oscar-winning part. Maybe if I’d been wearing AirPods Max …

— Leander Kahney, EIC.

AirPods Max 2 pack AI-powered listening and stronger noise cancellation

H2-chip-powered AirPods Max 2 enhance sound quality and noise cancellation and bring new features like Adaptive Audio and Live Translation.

^{Hands-on reviews}

The MacBook Neo is the fantastic new Mac for the masses [Review]

This will be a lot of people’s first Mac, and they’ll be very happy. A hands-on review of the MacBook Neo leaves us highly impressed.

The Studio Display XDR is the final boss of all Mac displays [Review]

Apple’s new flagship desktop display stands high in a class of its own.

The iPhone 17e, now a solid budget phone with minimal compromise [Review]

Slight upgrades make all the difference.

^{A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team}

Price drop: Upgrade to Windows 11 Pro for $9.97

Why pay list price for Microsoft software? This Windows 11 sale allows you to upgrade your PC to Windows 11 Pro for just $9.97.

Liquid Glass is here to stay

There's zero chance that Apple pulls Liquid Glass out of iOS 27. The new iPhone user interface will be around for years. Here's why.

‘F1: The Movie’ takes home Apple TV's only Oscar

After four nominations, "F1: The Movie" takes home an Oscar for best sound — another honor for the smash-hit racing flick starring Brad Pitt.

^{A message from}^{the Cult of Mac Deals team}

Get lifetime AI investing advice for 85% off

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Hands-on with MacBook Neo and more [Cult of Mac podcast No. 11]

This week on the "Cult of Mac" podcast: Griffin shows off Apple's new Studio Display XDR, iPhone 17e and not one but two MacBook Neos.

Today in Apple history: iPad gets an eye-dazzling Retina display

On March 16, 2012, Apple introduced the third-generation iPad. The short-lived iPad 3 became the first tablet to come with a Retina display.

Cult of Mac’s buyback program

We pay top dollar for used Apple gear

Sell your old iPhone, iPad, MacBook and more through Cult of Mac. Free shipping, fast payment!

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Tweets of the day

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One more thing ...

❝

People with passion can change the world for the better.

— Steve Jobs, 1997.

Today’s poll

AirPods Max: Yea or nay?

Results from last Friday’s poll: Should Apple make a Mac Neo? What about other Neo products?

Best reader comments

Subscribe to The Weekender — Get the week's best Apple news, reviews and how-tos from Cult of Mac, every Saturday morning. Our readers say: "Thank you guys for always posting cool stuff" -- Vaughn Nevins. "Very informative" -- Kenly Xavier.