One of the major concerns brought up by consumers regarding the newly released Apple AirPods Max is its battery life conservation. This is mainly due to the fact that the brand’s first over-ear headset lacks a power button that enables users to do just that. In a recently published article on its support page, Apple assures that there is nothing to worry about in terms of battery.
As you may recall from our report regarding its launch, the new AirPods Max is capable of lasting up to 20 hours when in use with Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) or Transparency Mode enabled. Apple explains that when left idle on its own for as little as five minutes, the headset will activate its Low Power mode which uses less battery power while maintaining a Bluetooth connection with a user’s iPhone. Although concerning, the constant connection is intended to allow users to immediately use the audio device when required, without needing to pair it again to their phones.
The company added that even without placing it into the provided charging case, the AirPods Max is capable of lasting 72 hours on idle with Low Power mode activated. Exceeding this threshold will then trigger an even more aggressive power saving feature that disables its Bluetooth connectivity, as well as the Find My function. However, it was not detailed on how much longer the headphones will last in this mode. Apple claims that the 72-hour period is intended to allow users to track the headphones if lost or stolen.
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Meanwhile, setting the audio device into its charging case will immediately activate the Low Power mode. Should the case run out of charges, the AirPods Max would enter the aggressive power saving mode after 18 hours, conserving more power when compared to the 72-hour threshold on its own.
So even without a power button, the new AirPods Max is capable of managing its own battery consumption as efficiently as possible until it is plugged in for charging. While that sounds convenient on paper, this feature might not sit well with most users who are used to traditional approaches found in most audio devices and other electronic devices that are available in the market. At least before it somehow becomes a new norm for wireless devices later down the line.
(Source: Apple [Support page])
