Apple Music fans who are super-excited about the just-announced lossless audio option should be aware that it won’t work with AirPods or HomePod. Not even the $549 AirPods Max.
But Apple’s headphones and smart speaker do support Spatial Audio for songs mixed in Dolby Atmos, another new feature of Apple Music.
We want to help you master Control Center, one of the most powerful and underutilized features on Apple devices. Cult of Mac’s Control Center Pro Tips series will show you how to make the most of this useful toolbox on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac.
Switching between different AirPods audio modes is simple with Control Center on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. You can activate or deactivate Transparency and active noise cancellation in just a couple of taps.
We’ll show you how.
We want to help you master Control Center, one of the most powerful and underutilized features on Apple devices. Cult of Mac’s Control Center Pro Tips series will show you how to make the most of this useful toolbox on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac.
Activate Live Listen for AirPods and Powerbeats headphones inside Control Center to make it easier to hear other people in a noisy environment. The feature is built into iPhone and iPad and easy to use.
We’ll show you how.
The setup showcased in a recent Reddit post consists of just a MacBook Air, an iPad, an iPhone and some peripherals and accessories, but it brings up a puzzling conundrum: Should you use both a MacBook and an iPad, even though their functionality overlaps to a great extent?
According to most of the comments, the answer is yes — even if it makes you feel like a sucker.
AirPods Max offers many premium features, but not wireless charging. A small German design studio dreamed up a fix. The Max Stand from Floating Pixels not only holds Apple’s new over-the-ears headphones upright, it also adds wireless charging.
Are your AirPods Max malfunctioning? Most problems can be fixed with a simple reboot or reset. We’ll show you the steps you need to follow when your pricey headphones start acting up.
After throwing in the towel on the original HomePod after just three years, Apple should stop releasing pricey, niche products.
They don’t sell well — at least not well enough to keep Apple interested, apparently — and it’s not fair to consumers who shell out big bucks, then get stuck with a product that vanishes after just one generation.
Yes, Apple says it will continue to support the full-size HomePod with software updates, even as it refocuses on the $99 HomePod mini. But the old-school HomePod is a dead-end product.
You can read the HomePod debacle as an admission of failure regarding Apple’s framing of the device as a smart speaker rather than high-end audio gear. But it’s more than that. It’s an illustration of Apple’s faltering strategy of creating premium products for niche corners of the market.
Apple’s over-the-ears headphones got a firmware update on Tuesday. It’s not clear what’s in the new software for AirPods Max because Apple never discloses that detail, but many users are hoping it’s a fix for an irritating power drain.
Redditor Singulaffect stirred up a swarm of comments recently when posting a MacBook Pro-based setup featuring an LG 21-inch 4K display but no speakers — and two sets of AirPods. But what really stole the show was a Palm Vx from 1999.
iFixit took a deep dive into AirPods Max, fully disassembling Apple’s over-the-ear headphones. What they found in the teardown was a startling number of different types of screws. But also a craftsmanship that helps justify the hefty price tag.
An augmented reality Mac powered by Apple glasses offers a glimpse of what computing might look like in the future.
Yes, it’s just a concept. But man, is it gorgeously detailed. We talked with concept designer Dominik Hofacker about his fascinating concept, and you can read all about it in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. Download it now to read on your iOS device, or get the links below.
We’ve also got the latest news and rumors on the the long-rumored Apple Car and AirTags (not to mention those Apple AR glasses that Hofacker is talking about). Plus, we’ve got how-tos and reviews (including a second take on AirPods Max and a look at the second anachronistic season of Dickinson on Apple TV+).
It’s possible to pair and use AirPods Max with non-Apple devices. All you need is a Bluetooth connection. The setup process is slightly different, but not too difficult. We’ll show you all you need to know in this quick guide.
AirPods Max are only the second Apple device to adopt Apple Watch’s brilliant Digital Crown. And you might be surprised by just how powerful that little button can be, from adjusting volume to controlling playback.
Here are four useful things you can do with the Digital Crown on AirPods Max.
I love the idea of good-sounding, comfortable, high-quality headphones. And Apple’s new AirPods Max definitely check those boxes.
They offer great sound and they’re super-comfortable to wear, even for longer periods of time. On top of that, they pack all the things that make AirPods magical in a very premium package.
But even with those awesome features, AirPods Max aren’t for everyone, and that includes me. As much as I’ve loved my AirPods and AirPods Pro, these kind of let me down.
In spite of a devastating pandemic, a moribund economy, widespread unemployment, factory and store closures, and a workforce toiling from home, Apple in 2020 had one of its best years ever.
The company released a raft of new products, saw its stock soar, enjoyed a record valuation, made record amounts of money, experimented with virtual product launches and events, released great advertising, and mostly skated through government antitrust hearings.
The company even killed off a hated product feature, to widespread plaudits from fans.
A small German design studio dreamed up an improvement to AirPods Max. The Max Stand from Floating Pixels holds Apple’s new over-the-ears headphones upright, making them easy to pick up and use. And it adds wireless charging, rather than requiring users to plug in a cable.
Apple’s AirPods Max headphones are drawing complaints from some users after drops of water formed inside the earpads after extended use. Condensation is not an uncommon problem with over-the-ear headphones, though the metal ear cups and tight fit of the Apple version might increase the amount.
Apple makes great phones, tablets, computers and smartwatches. It also makes superb commercials — and has done so for years.
What was the cream of this year’s Apple advertising crop? Check out our top 10 picks (in no particular order) below.
There are a lot of things to love about Apple’s new AirPods Max headphones, but the Smart Case isn’t one of them. Roundly panned after the high-end cans’ release, it’s just plain weird-looking. Plus, it’s not that protective or functional.
Luckily, WaterField Designs delivered what Apple didn’t. The San Francisco-based maker of luxury bags for all your tech gear just unveiled its Apple AirPods Max Shield Case — and it’s designed with input from Apple fans to make it actually, you know, smart (not to mention attractive).
‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through Apple Park
All the shutters were drawn and the offices dark.
The lunchroom was empty, the desks were all clean
All were working from home due to COVID-19.
Between AirPods Max and Apple Fitness+, this was one big week for Apple. The company continues to expand its sprawling, intertwined empire of hardware, software and services — and these new entries look like winners.
Read our dueling reviews for insight into how the high-end headphones and the subscription fitness service compare to rivals. You’ll find them, along with a load of helpful Apple how-tos and the week’s top news stories, in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. Download it now for your iOS device. Or use the links below to get to the stories on the web.
With a sleek design and some sweet Apple magic, AirPods Pro Max headphones look great, sound exciting and reward those in the Apple ecosystem.
However, the hefty $549 price tag, some quirky design decisions and some very real limitations mean they’re not right for absolutely everyone.
The new AirPods Max headphones have plenty going for them. But “easy to take apart” apparently isn’t among their positive attributes.
Our friends over at iFixit have published the first installment of their AirPods Max teardown and — while it’s too early to know for certain whether these are going to any more repairable than the significantly tinier AirPods and AirPods Pro — the early signs show that they’re not particularly easy to gain access to.
AirPods, like most wireless headphones, use Bluetooth to connect to your iPhone and other devices. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to enjoy them with older gadgets that don’t have Bluetooth connectivity baked-in.
With a simple and affordable Bluetooth dongle, you can use your AirPods with an old iPod, home stereo system, gym equipment, Nintendo Switch and other consoles, and more. If you’re looking for a guide on airpod max bluetooth pairing, check out this article for step-by-step instructions.
AirPods Max are controversial for a number of reasons. For one, there’s the $550 price tag. But the odd-looking case Apple designed for these over-the-ear headphones also drew plenty of mockery.
The designers of AirPods Max defended their creation in an interview published Thursday.