The patent, which was filed by Apple in June 2017 and approved today by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (opens in new tab), blatantly says that it’s “an enclosure for an electronic device such as a pair of headphones that may be provided with a housing” (i.e. a cool carrying case). While there’s no product pictures to go alongside the patent — only diagrams — it’s clear to see that Apple is likely ditching the half enclosure it used with the AirPods Max for a full-on carrying case that protects the entirety of the headphones. Hopefully, this is the case we’re getting with the AirPods Max 2. What Apple looks to be keeping the same between the two cases, however, is the use of magnets to hold the case closed. Compared to other popular headphones like the Sony WH-1000XM5 and Bose QuietComfort 45 that still use zippered carrying cases, that’s a unique feature.
Still no word on other specs, however
The recently surfaced patent gives us a better idea of what to expect from the AirPods Max 2, but it’s not the complete picture. At this point, we’re still not sure what Apple is going to do about the AirPods Max’s lack of Hi-Res Audio support, a huge sore spot for audiophiles. We have some thoughts about what we’d like to see from the AirPods Max 2 — a better carrying case chief among them — but without official confirmation from Apple itself it’s all just conjecture and wishful thinking at this point. So when will we have some firm answers? Chances are good we could see them at the Apple September hardware event that lands sometime in early fall. If we don’t see them then, well, we might be waiting awhile. Need a pair of great noise-cancelling headphones while you wait? Check out the original AirPods Max, Sony WH-1000XM5 and the Bose QuietComfort 45 on our best noise canceling headphones (opens in new tab) list.
