Adapted by:
Javier Lacort
Senior WriterI write long-form content at Xataka about the intersection between technology, business and society. I also host the daily Spanish podcast Loop infinito (Infinite Loop), where we analyze Apple news and put it into perspective.
Karen Alfaro
WriterCommunications professional with a decade of experience as a copywriter, proofreader, and editor. As a travel and science journalist, I've collaborated with several print and digital outlets around the world. I'm passionate about culture, music, food, history, and innovative technologies.
Apple announced that the AirPods Max with a USB-C port will receive a software update in April, allowing them to play lossless and ultra-low latency audio.
However, this feature, long-awaited since the arrival of lossless on Apple Music in 2021, will only work when used wired. In other words, the $549 wireless headphones must be physically tethered to a device to achieve maximum sound quality. This is technically understandable but paradoxical.
The irony. In 2020, Apple launched the AirPods Max with the promise of “high-fidelity audio.” But just five months later, the company introduced lossless audio in Apple Music, and these premium headphones couldn’t play it—not even wired—due to the decision to use Lightning instead of USB-C or a 3.5mm jack.
Four years and one port change later, that capability finally arrives. However, it alters the nature of the product: Users must give up wireless freedom, the very feature they pay a premium for.
Between the lines. This move says a lot about Apple today. Once defined by its obsession with detail and consistency, the company now allows its divisions to operate with disconnected priorities.
- The USB-C port enables all-digital transmission, eliminating the technical problem of Lightning. But this solution, while technically correct, arrives late and fragmented. Why not include this capability from the start of the USB-C version? Why announce it now, months later?
- Apple even created its own wireless protocol for lossless audio with the Vision Pro, so why not extend it to the iPhone and Mac? The answer likely has more to do with product schedules and resource allocation than pure technology limitations.
Background. Apple’s decisions about high-quality audio reflect a business strategy rather than an absolute commitment to excellence. Lossless audio in Apple Music was primarily a competitive response to rival services, not a crusade for audio quality. If it were the second, Apple would have planned a proper solution for its premium devices from the start instead of adding patches over the years.
Meanwhile, the fragmentation of the ecosystem is growing:
- The AirPods Pro 2 offer lossless audio, but only with the Vision Pro.
- The AirPods Max now do, but only with a cable and the USB-C version.
The consistency of experience—the “it just works” that defined Apple for years—is fading. This may be a consequence of its expanding catalog, which has shifted from minimalism to calculated maximalism. Sometimes, inconsistent maximalism.
What’s next? Apple is subtly repositioning the AirPods Max with this announcement. Its press release highlights “significant enhancements to songwriting, beat making, production, and mixing,” focusing on Logic Pro workflows. This new focus on audio professionals suggests a strategic shift:
- The premium consumer segment hasn’t responded as expected.
- The company must differentiate itself from competitors offering similar features at lower prices.
- It seeks a niche where it can justify the higher price.
The big question. Is this fragmentation simply the inevitable cost of company and portfolio growth, or does it reflect a deeper problem? Steve Jobs’ Apple made fewer products, but each told a straightforward story and occupied a specific place in a seamlessly integrated ecosystem. Apple under CEO Tim Cook has multiplied its catalog of products and services but at the expense of some consistency.
The result: Users must painstakingly research which generation of product is compatible with which feature—the iPad and Apple Pencil situation being the prime example. This scenario contradicts the promise of simplicity that has defined Apple.
Turning point. Apple increasingly adopts a “good enough now, better later” philosophy. It releases products with incomplete features, which it later enhances through updates. This approach may work well for software, but it’s frustrating for premium hardware that users don’t replace frequently.
- This update is a belated but welcome improvement for current owners of AirPods Max with USB-C.
- For those with the Lightning version, which was on sale until seven months ago, it’s another reminder that Apple can abandon relatively new products without much hesitation.
- For potential buyers, it’s a signal to wait for a future version with better wireless capabilities.
The irony. After eliminating the iPhone’s 3.5mm jack because “the future is wireless,” Apple now reminds users they need to go back to cables for the best audio quality—specifically, one that costs $39.
The circle closes, but not in the most elegant way.
Image | Apple
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