The most anticipated headset for technophiles, the Apple AirPods Max 2, successor to the very premium and technological AirPods Max, should also allow Apple to correct its few errors. We think in the first place of the shameful dedicated cover, which is unanimous (but not in its favour) as it combines with a certain brilliance the absence of protection and ergonomics close to zero. A beautiful planting in good standing of the apple brand. But precisely this accessory will be completely revised in version 2, if we are to believe the rumors of the specialized site Patently Apple. And that’s not the only rumor of the lot.
A new cover that… Protects
The main problem with the first cover planned by Apple for its AirPods Max? The structure is absolutely not protective for the helmet, except for some parts of the aluminum shells. A patent filed by the manufacturer seems to show that the new version will finally cover the entire helmet, as any cover should do. This information is more than likely, since Apple never locks itself too long in such big mistakes (although the Mac butterfly keyboard has lasted a few years).
But even more, this new cover could incorporate a magnetic opening and closing system, a bit like the cases of the AirPods Pro and AirPods 3. On the other hand, Apple would reiterate one of the oddities of its first model, namely the absence of true extinction. Indeed, although the AirPods Max goes to fast sleep if needed, it cannot turn off. Its storage in the cover allows it to switch to an ultra low consumption mode (a kind of very pronounced standby), but no more.
Finally modernity for codecs?
A second rumour, more interesting for audiophiles, also appeared recently, notably via iOS12 Beta information. Whether for the future AirPods Pro 2 headphones or the future AirPods Max 2 headphones, compatibility with the LC3 Bluetooth codec is mentioned. As a reminder, this new generation codec, with an adaptive bitrate (codec that can go from less than 96 kbps to around 500 kbps in its classic mode), is on paper infinitely more efficient than SBC, AAC and even Classic aptX. It presents itself as a competitor to the AptX Adaptive, but open (not subject to Qualcomm) and more flexible on the bitrate. Clearly, the future of Bluetooth goes through this type of optimized codec.
On the other hand, if the LC3 was developed to become the standardized and mandatory codec of the future Bluetooth LE Audio standard, Apple’s headphones and earphones will probably not be immediately compatible with the latter. The LC3 could therefore be implemented, but used through the classic Bluetooth Classic protocol.
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