Apple’s forthcoming iOS 18.4 update could bring some new features, including some cool goodies for your AirPods Max headphones.
Apple has announced that the update will bring lossless audio and ulta-low latency audio to AirPods Max. The update is set to arrive in April, according to the company.
Per Apple’s press release:
“With this update, AirPods Max will unlock 24-bit, 48 kHz lossless audio, preserving the integrity of original recordings and allowing listeners to experience music the way the artist created it in the studio. Lossless audio also extends to Personalized Spatial Audio to deliver a more sonically accurate, uncompressed, and immersive experience, and users can enjoy more than 100 million songs in lossless audio with Apple Music.
Lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio enable music creators to fully utilize AirPods Max throughout their entire professional workflow on Logic Pro and other music creation apps. Using the USB-C cable, AirPods Max will become the only headphones that enable musicians to both create and mix in Personalized Spatial Audio with head tracking.1 By delivering lossless, high-resolution digital audio with low latency, artists can seamlessly record and mix with AirPods Max without compromising fidelity.”
Apple’s AirPods Max headphones were introduced in December 2020 and updated in September 2024. While the units have been in Apple’s product lineup for years, Apple does not regularly update them, so this update should be a welcome change for fans of the over-ear noise-canceling headphones.
The new features will arrive as part of a free firmware update with iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS Sequoia 15.4 for AirPods Max with USB-C.
Apple also said that today it is making a USB-C to 3.5mm audio cable available to buy for $39 from its online store, Apple Store app, and authorized resellers. The cable lets users connect AirPods Max to 3.5mm audio sources like airplane audio ports or connect their iPhone or iPad to speakers or car stereos with 3.5mm inputs.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.