Rumors surrounding the AirPods 4 and AirPods Max 2 have been swirling since late last year, but a slew of new rumors corroborated by multiple sources indicate that a 2024 release date is definite

The rumors come from leaked sources Mark Gurman of Bloomberg and Weibo's "Instant Digital" (from MacRumors) Both sources state that the over-ear and in-ear headphones will still be available later this year, but the latter source claims that changes to the AirPods Max 2 will be minimal at best

Both sources agree that both the AirPods 4 and AirPods Max 2 will switch from a Lightning-based connector to USB-C, a change that Apple is being forced to make by new compliance laws enforced by the EU but Instant Digital also claims that the AirPods Max 2 will continue to use the older H1 wireless chip, rather than the H2 chip seen in the AirPods Pro 2

Why it matters: without the H2 chip, the AirPods Max 2 will lose one of the biggest features added to the AirPods Pro 2 in 2023: personalized volume control, conversation recognition, and Adaptive Audio, because it would lose such features Without this chip, the AirPods Max 2 would not only lack Adaptive Audio, but may also not receive future firmware updates

While the leak from Instant Digital sounds a bit worrisome, we are not giving up on the AirPods Max 2 The original AirPods Max is on our best headphones list for a good reason, and given the high level of user support, it seems unlikely that Apple will make a serious blunder with its successor

However, if Gurman files a report to the same effect within the next few weeks, our view may change For now, however, we try to remain optimistic

In fact, Apple has good reason to spec out over-the-ear wireless headphones The price is high, but given its feature set, the price is justified 13]

The good news is that according to Gurman's earlier report, the AirPods 4 are due for some major improvements, including improved sound quality as well as a new design for a better fit This means The fourth generation AirPods may also include active noise cancellation and, of course, a new charging case

So when will we get official confirmation from Apple on these rumors? We expect it to be around the time of the iPhone 16 launch in September Apple has until the end of the year to comply with the EU's Universal Charging Standards Act, so the switch from Lightning to USB-C will have to be made by then

Looking for a great USB-C wireless earpiece before then, check out our guide to the best earbuds of 2024