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NEW YORK: Apple on Tuesday (Dec. 8) unveiled its new AirPods Max, a set of wireless over-ear headphones at $ 549 each, more expensive than some of its other popular phone and tablet products, to a degree that it will likely drive sales in the December holiday period.
The new AirPods, which will have a battery life of up to 20 hours, will ship starting next Tuesday, Apple said.
Because on-ear headphones create a seal around the ear, they are capable of delivering higher audio quality than internal devices and are still the standard form factor in professional studios. The AirPods Max model will compete with high-end headphones like Bose’s Noise Canceling 700 units, which sell for $ 340 with holiday discounts.
Priced at $ 549, the AirPods Max earbuds are more expensive than Apple’s base iPhone, iPad, and Watch models. The company also said Tuesday that the price of its entry-level AirPods on-ear model and AirPods Pro model would remain the same at $ 159 and $ 249, respectively.
The company said the AirPods Max contains nine microphones and two of its H1 chips, Apple’s custom-designed audio processor. The microphones help reduce wind noise in phone calls, provide noise cancellation, and also adjust audio levels in real time using microphones inside the headphones.
AirPods Max contains nine microphones and two of its H1 chips, Apple’s custom-designed audio processor. (Image: Apple)
The company’s latest quarter results showed sales spike in its accessories unit, even as revenue from its flagship iPhones fell 20.7 percent, the steepest quarterly drop in two years. For the company’s fiscal 2020, accessories sales were up 16 percent to $ 53.8 billion, while iPhone sales were down 3 percent to $ 137.8 billion.
Apple had launched its newest range of iPhones with faster 5G connectivity in October, a month after its usual September launch, due to delays related to the pandemic.
The company also said that Apple Fitness +, its $ 10-per-month fitness subscription service, will launch on December 14. Shares of Pelton Interactive Inc, which also offers virtual fitness classes, fell 2 percent before going public.
