Apple today introduced new wireless over-ear headphones called AirPods Max, and delivery estimates have already slipped into 2021 on Apple.com.
AirPods Max in all five color options, including space gray, silver, green, sky blue, and pink, are now estimated for delivery in 12-14 weeks. While the estimates could change at any time, this means the AirPods Max are currently backordered until March. (Oddly enough, faster shipping remains available with engraving, while supplies last.)
AirPods Max feature a meshed headband with a stainless steel frame that connects to memory foam ear cups. Apple says the headband is designed to distribute weight and reduce on-head pressure. Like the Apple Watch, the AirPods Max have a Digital Crown for volume control, audio playback, answering or ending phone calls, and activating Siri. There is also a noise control button for switching between Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode.
AirPods Max feature a 40-mm Apple-designed dynamic driver that is said to provide "rich, deep bass, accurate mid-ranges, and crisp, clean high-frequency extension." Each ear cup is equipped with Apple's H1 chip for "computational audio" to deliver the "highest quality listening experience possible," according to Apple.
AirPods Max feature up to 20 hours of battery life with Active Noise Cancellation and spatial audio enabled, and a five-minute charge delivers 1.5 hours of listening time.
A pair of replacement cushions retails for $69. Apple revealed a first look at the magnetically-attachable ear cushions in its introduction video shared earlier today:
While Apple has not advertised the ability to interchange ear cushions as a customization feature, it seems that users will be able to choose whatever color they like for the replacement cushions.
The replacement ear cushions are available in Silver, Black, Green, Sky Blue, and Red. Curiously, the ear cushions for the Pink AirPods Max are marked as Red cushions, while all of the other cushions match the colors of the AirPods Max exactly.
The item is currently unavailable on the Apple Store, but will likely be released soon.
Apple's newly-announcedAirPods Max over-ear headphones reportedly omitted a number of features to launch after months of delays, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Earlier in the year, a report from Bloomberg said that AirPods Max, thought at the time to be called "AirPods Studio," had suffered several development challenges leading to multiple delays and scaling back of functionality. The product failed to appear at any of the most recent three Apple events despite a plethora of rumors about the product.
In September, the design of AirPods Max leaked in a video, indicating that the launch was likely to be soon. The headphones were meant to go into production in mid-2020, but production was pushed back due to development issues, such as problems with the headband, which was found to be too tight during testing.
It was believed that AirPods Max would offer unique customizability with interchangeable headbands and earcups, repeating the concept behind Apple Watch bands. Amid these delays and frustrations, Bloomberg correctly predicted that Apple would drop the concept of a replaceable headband to accelerate production.
In addition, it was believed that AirPods Max would have touch pads for controls on the sides of the headphones. This appears to have been replaced by the Digital Crown from the Apple Watch in the final product.
After the announcement of AirPods Max earlier today, Mark Gurman mused on the fact that Apple had dropped a large number of features to get the product released at long last.
Looks like they made some changes on these to get them out the door as was deemed likely after several development set backs over the past many months — not seeing swappable bands, and Apple Watch Digital Crown instead of touch panels, and left and right sides aren’t reversible.
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) December 8, 2020
Other rumors about Apple's over-ear headphones also failed to come to fruition. Mixed-record leaker Jon Prosser repeatedly said that AirPods Max would come in a "sport-like variant" for $350 and a "luxury variant" for $599. While Prosser's $599 was not far off the final $549 price tag, the cheaper $350 "sport variant" has yet to emerge.
9to5Mac also incorrectly claimed that AirPods Max would have a "neck detection" feature and adaptive audio channels for switching between the right and left side, allowing users to use the headphones either way around.
Last week, MacRumorscorrectly predicted that Apple would announce a new product today using an AppleCare-related internal memo. With AirPods Max finally announced, it is possible that Apple may look to revisit some of these rumored features for a second iteration of the product, or shelve them entirely.
Amtrak customers who purchase trips with the Amtrak app or the Amtrak website can now pay for those fares using Apple Pay, Amtrak announced today.
Following the implementation of new mobile payment methods, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal are all are available as payment options in addition to credit cards, gift cards, and vouchers.
When checking out after choosing a route, Apple Pay can be selected, streamlining the purchase process and offering additional security.
"We know every minute counts for our customers and now purchasing tickets is as simple as the touch of a button," said Roger Harris, Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing and Revenue Officer at Amtrak. "These updates to the Amtrak app and website will offer customers enhanced flexibility and convenience as they book and pay for train tickets."
Apple Pay can be set as the default option for all future purchases, and the payment method supports purchasing tickets and modifying reservations.
Apple today introduced new wireless over-ear headphones called AirPods Max, and it has since shared the first ad for the headphones on its YouTube channel. The 90-second video is titled "Journey into Sound" and shows someone wearing AirPods Max in space.
Apple goes into more detail about the AirPods Max in a separate video narrated by company executives Evans Hankey, VP of Industrial Design, and Gary Geaves, VP of Acoustics. The video is set to the song "Empty Dancefloor" by Soulwax.
"High-fidelity audio," says Apple. "Active Noise Cancellation with Transparency mode. Spatial audio for theater-like sound that surrounds you. Stunning design with an exceptional fit. All with the effortless magic of AirPods."
For customers who don't choose to purchase AppleCare+ for AirPods Max, Apple provides a standard one-year warranty that's available on all Apple products. If the AirPods Max need service during that one year period, all work will be covered for free.
After the one-year warranty on AirPods Max has expired or the up to two-year AppleCare+ coverage has come to an end, Apple will charge a $79 fee for battery servicing.
For customers in the United Kingdom, Apple has listed the same AirPods Max out-of-warranty battery service fee as costing £309 – this is surely an error and one that Apple will no doubt correct soon.
AirPods Max cost $549 and can be ordered through Apple's online store today, with shipment dates as early as December 15.
Amazon today is discounting the 44mm Apple Watch SE by $40, bringing it down to $269.99. This sale has been automatically applied to the Space Gray aluminum model, but shipping on that version is delayed to January.
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If you're looking for a Christmas gift, you can get the same deal on the Silver and Gold 44mm Apple Watch SE after a $19.01 coupon is applied at checkout. The Gold model will be in stock on December 15 for Christmas Day delivery, but the Silver model has a warning that it may not arrive until after Christmas.
There are also a few discounts on 40mm Apple Watch SE models, including $20 off the Silver and Space Gray aluminum models. This brings the price down to $259.00, down from $279.00. For both the 40mm and 44mm sales, we've seen cheaper prices over Black Friday, but these are still solid offers if you're shopping last minute for the holidays.
Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.
Anyone who owns a pair of over-ear headphones will tell you that the weight of the headset can make a big difference to the listening experience. Especially if you're wearing headphones for several hours straight, weight starts to have a real impact on overall comfort.
Apple's new AirPods Max over-ear headphones weigh 13.6 ounces (384 grams), which might not sound like much, but that's relatively heavy compared to many premium over-ear headphones on the market. For comparison, below is a list of stated weights for some of the current market-leading rivals:
Bose Quiet Comfort 35 II – 10.93 ounces (310 grams)
Sennheiser PXC 550-II – 8 ounces (227 grams)
Sony WH-1000XM4 – 8.96 ounces (254 grams)
As you can see, Apple's AirPods Max are the heaviest in the list, and substantially heavier in most cases, with only Beyerdynamic's Amiron Wireless studio headphones approaching the same heft at 13.4 ounces (380 grams).
It'll be interesting to see how the ergonomic design of the AirPods Max compensate in this regard. Apple has used a "breathable knit mesh" for the headband, designed to distribute the weight evenly and reduce pressure, and the ear cups are cushioned with memory foam to provide comfort and a seal to improve sound quality. Whether Apple has actually managed to adequately balance the weight across the headband and cups so as to minimize wear fatigue, won't be answered until the reviews start coming in.
AirPods Max cost $549 and are available to order on Apple's website, with availability beginning December 15.
Customers who order Apple's newly announced $549 AirPods Max over-ear headphones can add AppleCare+ coverage for $59 when they buy through the Apple store.
Every AirPods Max comes with one year of hardware repair coverage through its limited warranty and up to 90 days of complimentary tech support, but additional AppleCare+ coverage gets up to two years of tech support and accidental damage coverage for the over-ear headphones from the purchase date.
AppleCare+ for AirPods Max adds up to two incidents of accidental damage protection every 12 months, each subject to a service fee of $29, plus applicable tax, and includes battery service coverage. In addition, customers get 24/7 priority access to Apple experts via chat or phone.
AirPods Max come with an included Smart Case and Lightning to USB-C Cable, and the headphones are compatible with iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Watch.
Apple today introduced new wireless over-ear headphones called AirPods Max, with key features including high-fidelity audio, Adaptive EQ, Active Noise Cancellation, and spatial audio. Priced at $549, the headphones can be ordered starting today on Apple.com and in the Apple Store app, with availability beginning December 15.
AirPods Max come in five colors, including space gray, silver, sky blue, green, and pink. Apple says the headphones feature a "breathable knit mesh" spanning the headband that distributes weight to reduce on-head pressure.
Apple says the ear cups have acoustically engineered memory foam to create an effective seal, and the telescoping stainless steel headband arms smoothly extend and then stay in place to maintain the desired fit on your head.
AirPods Max feature a 40-mm Apple-designed dynamic driver that is said to provide "rich, deep bass, accurate mid-ranges, and crisp, clean high-frequency extension." Each ear cup is equipped with Apple's H1 chip for "computational audio" to deliver the "highest quality listening experience possible," according to Apple.
Similar to the Apple Watch, AirPods Max feature a Digital Crown on one ear cup for precise volume control and the ability to play or pause audio, skip tracks, answer or end phone calls, and activate Siri voice control. There's also a noise control button for switching between Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode, which lets some outside sound in so you can interact naturally with your surroundings.
AirPods Max feature up to 20 hours of battery life with Active Noise Cancellation and spatial audio enabled — fine print reveals that Apple had volume set to 50% during its testing. Apple says a five-minute charge delivers 1.5 hours of listening time.
As with other AirPods models, AirPods Max have one-tap setup and automatic pairing with all the devices signed in to a user's iCloud account, including the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. AirPods Max have built-in optical and position sensors that automatically detect when the headphones are on someone's head. Once in place, AirPods Max play audio and can pause once removed, or when the user lifts one ear cup.
Apple's announcement provides more details on audio features:
- Adaptive EQ: AirPods Max use Adaptive EQ to adjust the sound to the fit and seal of the ear cushions by measuring the sound signal delivered to a user and adjusting the low and mid-frequencies in real time — bringing rich audio that captures every detail.
- Active Noise Cancellation: AirPods Max deliver immersive sound through Active Noise Cancellation so users can focus on what they are listening to. Each ear cup features three outward-facing microphones to detect environmental noise, while one microphone inside the ear cup monitors the sound reaching the listener's ear. Using computational audio, noise cancellation continuously adapts to the headphone fit and movement in real time.
- Transparency Mode: With AirPods Max, users can switch to Transparency mode to simultaneously listen to music while hearing the environment around them — ensuring everything, including a user's own voice, sounds natural while audio plays perfectly. Switching between Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode can be done with a single press using the noise control button.
- Spatial Audio: AirPods Max use spatial audio with dynamic head tracking to place sounds virtually anywhere in a space — delivering an immersive, theaterlike experience for content recorded in 5.1, 7.1, and Dolby Atmos. Using the gyroscope and accelerometer in AirPods Max and iPhone or iPad, spatial audio tracks the motion of a user's head as well as the device, compares the motion data, then remaps the sound field so it stays anchored to the device, even as the user's head moves.
For phone calls and Siri commands, beam-forming microphones help to block out ambient noise and focus on the user's voice.
AirPods Max come with a carrying case called the "Smart Case" and a Lightning to USB-C cable in the box. Apple says the Smart Case puts the AirPods Max in an ultra-low power state that helps to preserve battery charge when not in use.
AirPods Max are launching in the United States and more than 25 other countries and regions, with shipments set to begin arriving to customers on Tuesday, December 15. AirPods Max can be ordered on Apple.com starting today.
Apple has today announced that its fitness subcription service, Apple Fitness+, is set to launch on Monday, December 14.
Apple Fitness+ syncs information from your Apple Watch with the workout video on an Apple TV, iPad, or iPhone. This allows users to see their heart rate, calories burned, and activity rings as they follow the moves from the instructors on screen.
Fitness+ includes workouts for yoga, cycling, dance, strength, core, HIIT, rowing, and more. Apple noted that many of the workouts do not need any equipment, and at most just require a set of dumbbells.
The service will be refreshed with new workouts every week. Users will also be able to choose custom music while exercising, with options that sync with Apple Music.
Fitness+ will be located in the Fitness app on iOS, and there will be a new app for the Apple TV. The service costs $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year. Apple is offering three free months of Apple Fitness+ with new Apple Watch purchases. It is also part of the Apple One Premier bundle for $29.99.
Apple Fitness+ will launch in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand on Monday, December 14.
Cloudflare has today announced that it has developed a new internet protocol, in collaboration with engineers from Apple and Fastly, focused on privacy (via TechCrunch).
The protocol, dubbed "Oblivious DNS-over-HTTPS," or "ODoH," makes it more difficult for internet service providers to know which websites users have visited.
When visiting a website, browsers use a DNS resolver to convert web addresses into machine-readable IP addresses to locate where the page is located. However, this is an unencrypted process and ISPs can see the DNS query and conclude which websites their users have visited. Internet service providers are also able to sell this information to advertisers.
Innovations such as DNS-over-HTTPS, or DoH, have added encryption to DNS queries. While this may dissuade bad actors who may wish to hijack DNS queries to point victims to malicious websites, DNS resolvers are still able to see which websites are being visited.
ODoH decouples DNS queries from individual users, so the DNS resolver cannot know which websites have been visited. This is achieved by encrypting the DNS query before passing it through a proxy server. This way, the proxy cannot see the query and the DNS resolver cannot see who originally sent it.
"What ODoH is meant to do is separate the information about who is making the query and what the query is," said Cloudflare's head of research, Nick Sullivan.
Page loading times and browsing speeds are said to be "practically indistinguishable" when using the ODoH protocol, according to Sullivan.
However, ODoH is only able to ensure privacy when the proxy and the DNS resolver are not controlled by the same entity. This means that ODoH will depend on companies offering to run proxies, otherwise the "separation of knowledge is broken."
While a few unnamed partner organizations are already running proxies, allowing early adopters to use ODoH using Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1 DNS resolver, the vast majority of users will have to wait until the technology is directly baked into browsers and operating systems.
Though it will likely first need to be certified as a standard by the Internet Engineering Task Force, considering that Apple was directly involved in developing the technology, it is not unreasonable to expect Apple to be among the first to integrate it in the future.
Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi has warned developers to "play by the rules" as they relate to Apple's upcoming anti-tracking policy for iOS 14, or their apps could be removed from the App Store.
Starting early next year, iOS 14 will require apps to get opt-in permission from users to collect their random advertising identifier, which advertisers use to deliver personalized ads and track how effective their campaigns were. While it was originally supposed to arrive with iOS 14 earlier this year, Apple postponed the feature until early 2021 to give developers more time to accommodate it.
Major app developers and ad networks like Facebook have since spoken out against the feature, claiming that Apple's anti-tracking efforts are anticompetitive and will impact small businesses. Apple says that it is concerned about users being tracked without their consent and having their data bundled and resold by advertising networks. Tracking across apps and websites owned by multiple companies and data sold by data brokers can be "invasive and "creepy," according to Apple.
Although Apple has delayed introduction of the new policy, all apps will be expected to abide by Apple's App Tracking Transparency Rules once they come into effect. Speaking to The Telegraph, Federighi said:
"There will be policy enforcement. Any form or mechanism of tracking a user for advertising or for providing information to data brokers will have to ask for permissions. Failure to do so is a violation of App Store policy… and are grounds for having an app removed."
Federighi also emphasized that Apple expects advertisers to adapt to the change, and suggested that social media platforms had no choice but to conform to the new policy: "The largest players understand they have to play by the rules here," he told The Telegraph, adding that despite inevitable "spirited debate," he believed they would work to find a solution.
Adobe has been working to bring its Creative Cloud apps to Apple's new Macs. Adobe announced the release of Photoshop Beta for Apple silicon last month and says it is working on a native version of Lightroom Classic for Apple silicon that will be released next year.
Earlier versions of the photo-editing app worked on M1 Macs, but had to be run via Apple's Rosetta software, which translates made-for-Intel x86 code to allow it to work on machines powered by Apple silicon.
The professional photo editing software is free to download, but requires a $9.99 monthly subscription via Apple's in-app purchase system after a one-week trial. 1TB of cloud storage is included with a subscription.
In addition, Adobe Photoshop for iPadOS got a quick update today that fixes a critical bug that caused file import and brush problems.
Adobe on Monday also updated Lightroom for iPad. Version 6.1.0 of the app allows users to access to new Discover edits and Learn tutorials through widgets.
A federal judge on Monday blocked the Trump administration's attempt to ban new downloads of TikTok in the United States, the latest defeat in the White House's efforts to outlaw the app in the country (via TechCrunch).
President Trump in August signed an executive order that would officially ban any U.S. transactions with TikTok if its Chinese parent ByteDance did not reach a deal to divest it to a U.S. company. Commerce Department officials later said they were taking the unprecedented step of banning the app because of the risks posed by its data collection practices and Chinese ownership.
On Monday, however, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols in Washington concluded that President Trump had overstepped his authority in using his emergency economic powers to try to put the wildly popular app out of business.
Nichols wrote that the government "likely exceeded IEEPA's [the International Emergency Economic Powers Act] express limitations as part of an agency action that was arbitrary and capricious." Nichols is a Trump appointee and the second federal judge to rule against the president's ban.
Should the order have gone into effect, Apple and Google could have been forced to remove TikTok from their respective app stores, and users who already have the app installed would no longer receive updates. However, in October, a federal judge granted TikTok a preliminary injunction that temporarily halted the banning order while TikTok owner ByteDance sought a way to divest the app's U.S. operations to an American-based company.
ByteDance's deadline to divest itself of the social media app TikTok elapsed on Monday, but talks are set to continue with the U.S. government about a sale without another deadline extension. ByteDance has reached a proposed deal with Oracle and Walmart that would divest it of the social media app and create a new U.S.-based company called TikTok Global.
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Last week, MacRumorsshared details on an Apple internal memo informing Apple Authorized Service Providers about potential AppleCare-related changes planned for Tuesday, December 8, which hints at a new product release on that day.
A mockup of what the AirPods Studio headphones might look like
Since then, there's been speculation about what product Apple could be announcing, and today, there are hints that Apple could perhaps be planning to unveil the long-awaited over-ear high-end "AirPods Studio" headphones.
The AppleTrack website claims to have "exclusive" information from "multiple sources familiar with the matter" that Apple will be launching the AirPods Studio tomorrow morning. AppleTrack doesn't have an established track record for rumors as of yet and it is not clear if the information is accurate.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today also reminded users about an October article he wrote that said "Apple is still planning to announce high-end, noise-canceling over-ear headphones," which perhaps suggests an upcoming launch. Leaker L0vetodream said earlier in November that Apple is planning to launch an unspecified "Christmas surprise" that's "good for winter" in December, but he did not clarify what product he was talking about.
An icon found in the iOS 14.3 beta features a design that resembles how the AirPods Studio headphones have been described, and that's also perhaps a hint that Apple is gearing up for a launch. There's still no clear evidence that AirPods Studio are coming before the end of the year, however, and Apple could also hold them until 2021.
Rumors suggested Apple would release the AirPods Studio earlier in the year, but the fall 2020 production date was allegedly pushed back because of problems with the headband, which some testers found to be too tight.
It's possible that Apple has been able to overcome the issues that delayed the launch of the AirPods Studio, and the headphones could be ready for release. The AirPods Studio are expected to feature Active Noise Cancellation functionality, removable ear cups, a retro-style design, and more, with details available in our AirPods Studio roundup.
macOS Big Sur has been out for about a month now, but macOS releases never get quite as much attention as iOS releases, so there may still be some features that you're not aware of. In our latest YouTube video, we rounded up some useful but lesser known macOS Big Sur tips that are worth checking out.
AirPods Auto Switching - With macOS Big Sur and iOS/iPadOS 14, your AirPods will swap automatically to the device that you're using at the current time, with no need to manually change the device you're using them with. AirPods will work with iPhone, iPad, or Mac you're actively using and listening to audio on. It mostly works, but this feature seems to sometimes be buggy.
Drag and Drop Menu Bar Icons - If you open up the Control Center, you can click and drag on any of the options to add it to the menu bar. So if you want Do Not Disturb to have a one-click menu bar toggle, just drag it to the menu bar from Control Center. This works for Now Playing, AirDrop, DND, and more.
Enhanced Voice Memos - When you use Voice Memos in Big Sur, there's a new option to automatically reduce background noise and echo with a single click, useful when you're recording lectures or meetings. You can also use Smart Folders for improved organization.
4K YouTube Videos - YouTube videos can be watched in 4K HDR in macOS Big Sur because the OS supports YouTube's VP9 codec. Note that 4K YouTube options are going to be limited to newer Macs by default, but there's a trick to enable them on older Macs. Enable the Develop menu in Safari settings, select Experimental Features, and make sure both VP9 Decoder and VP9 SW Decoder on Battery are enabled.
Resize Widgets - macOS Big Sur has a new widget interface, and if you right click on any widget that has sizing options, you can choose a new size.
Silent Notifications - On any incoming notification in the Today center, if you right click you can select "Deliver Quietly." This setting will prevent future notifications from that app from popping up on your screen, but you'll see them in the notifications list.
Message Effects - Messages in Big Sur is a lot more like the Messages app on iOS devices. You can use Message Effects to enhance messages, find GIFs and insert photos. Just click on the little "A" on the left of the text bar to see a dropdown list of the options.
Disable Tinting - Want a Dark Mode that's even darker or a Light Mode that's brighter? That's possible if you turn off window tinting. Open up System Preferences, choose General, and uncheck "allow wallpaper tinting in windows." With this disabled, windows won't be affected by the wallpaper that you're using.
Shortly after the new iPhone 12 models launched without power adapters, Samsung shared an ad mocking Apple for not including a charging accessory. That commentary hasn't aged well, however, as there's more proof that Samsung too is planning to ditch power adapters for its next-generation smartphones.
Rumors in June and October suggested the upcoming Galaxy S21 devices would not include a power adapter or headphones in the box, which has apparently been confirmed through regulatory information.
A filing with Brazilian regulatory agency ANATEL that was discovered by Tecnoblog (via 9to5Mac) approves the new Galaxy smartphone models for sale. The documentation has few details about the new devices, but it apparently confirms that none of the three new smartphones that are coming will be sold with charger or headphones.
By removing the power adapter and headphones, Samsung will be following in the footsteps of Apple. None of the iPhone 12 models come with a power adapter or EarPods in the box, instead shipping with just a USB-C to Lightning cable. Apple said that the accessories were eliminated for environmental reasons, but there has been speculation suggesting Apple removed the power adapter and EarPods to cut costs due to the expense of the 5G chips used in the new iPhones.
Samsung too may be planning to stop selling headphones and power adapters alongside new Galaxy smartphones in order to save some cash, offering the accessories as a standalone purchase like Apple does.
In the past, Samsung has mocked Apple's design and product decisions before doing the exact same thing. When Apple removed the headphone jack from the iPhone 7 in 2016, for example, Samsung made fun of the iPhone before eliminating the headphone jack from the Galaxy S8.
Samsung's new smartphones are expected to debut in January with new camera modules with up to four rear cameras, higher capacity batteries, faster chips, and more.
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