Apple AirPods Max were launched globally earlier this week, and in India, they are priced at Rs. 59,900. The premium wireless headphones from Apple are already listed on the company’s online stores globally, including in India. However, depending on the colour option you want, shipping times for the headphones can go up to 14 weeks, suggesting that some of these models won’t ship to customers before March 2021. Although for now, most colour options in India are listed with shipping times of 2-3 weeks, suggesting that stock issues are limited to only some colours.
Apple AirPods Max shipping timelines
A quick check on the AirPods Max listing on the Apple online store in India shows that all five colour options for the headphones are available to order immediately. However, shipping times vary depending on the colour choice; Space Gray, Silver, and Pink ship in 2-3 weeks and green ships in 3-4 weeks. But the Sky Blue ships in 12-14 weeks, which means that users shouldn’t expect deliveries till at least March 2021.
Globally, these shipping times are different, depending on the market. A report by 9to5Mac states that shipping times for Green, Sky Blue, and Pink are 12-14 weeks in the US, while Australia has more reasonable shipping times of around nine business days for most colours and up to five weeks for the Sky Blue variant. That said, the headphones are expected to arrive in retail stores on December 15 and interested buyers should be able to buy them directly from that date onwards.
Apple AirPods Max specifications and features
The Apple AirPods Max have machined aluminium earcups, and are said to be attached to a unique suspension system that flexes with the stainless-steel headband, which is covered with a breathable knit mesh canopy, to fit a wide range of head sizes. The earcups of the AirPods Max have an “acoustically optimised” net that surrounds the magnetically attached cushions. Apple says that the combination of material provides a superior passive seal for a better noise-canceling experience.
The new headphones are fitted with custom 40mm dynamic drivers from Apple and its proprietary H1 chip. The AirPods Max have a total of nine microphones, eight of which assist the Active Noise Cancellation function to block noise from all directions. It has a single-button-press Transparency mode similar to what Apple’s true wireless stereo (TWS) earphones, the AirPods Pro, also feature. The wireless headphones connect using Bluetooth v5.
The AirPods Max have spatial audio with dynamic head tracking, which essentially uses accelerometer and gyroscope sensors to track head movement and optimise sound in real-time. They also have optical and position sensors to detect when the pair is removed from ears to pause the sound.
Apart from a dedicated noise control button to switch between ANC and Transparency modes, the AirPods Max have a digital crown on top of the right ear cup to play/ pause/ skip tracks, activate Siri, and, most importantly, control volume with precision. The wireless headphones claim to deliver up to 20 hours of listening time on a single charge with ANC enabled. According to Apple, five minutes of charging provides around an hour and a half of listening time.
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