Apple has unveiled the second generation of its AirPods Max over-ear headphones, priced at $549, over 5 years after the initial model's 2020 debut. This new version represents the first major overhaul of the product and aims to strengthen the group's presence in the high-end headphone market, currently dominated by players such as Sony, Bose, and Sennheiser. Pre-orders will begin on March 25 in over 30 countries, with in-store availability expected early next month.
The new AirPods Max feature the Apple-designed H2 chip, already used in the latest generations of AirPods. The company claims improved active noise cancellation as well as an optimized microphone system for better sound quality and more precise voice pickup. Several more features are also offered, including Adaptive Audio and Conversation Awareness, which automatically adjust the listening experience based on the environment.
The headphones also introduce a real-time translation feature powered by Apple Intelligence, allowing for face-to-face conversation translation between different languages. The AirPods Max 2 also support high-resolution lossless audio when connected via USB-C, a feature specifically aimed at music creators and users seeking higher sound quality.
Apple Inc. specializes in the design, manufacture and marketing of computer hardware and music supports. Net sales break down by family of products and services as follows:
- telephone products (50.4%): iPhone brand;
- peripheral devices (8.6%): screens, storage systems, printers, video camera, memory cards, server, switches, etc.;
- computers (8.1%): laptops (MacBook, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro brands) and PCs (iMac, Mac mini, Mac Pro and Xserve);
- music support (6.7%): music readers iPod and iPad and accessories;
- other (26.2%): software, maintenance service and Internet access service, etc.
Net sales are distributed geographically as follows: Americas (42.8%), China/Hong Kong/Taiwan (15.5%), Japan (6.9%), Asia/Pacific (8.1%), and Europe/India/Middle East/Africa (26.7%).
This super rating is the result of a weighted average of the rankings based on the following ratings: Valuation (Composite), EPS Revisions (4 months), and Visibility (Composite). We recommend that you carefully review the associated descriptions.
Investor
Investor
This super composite rating is the result of a weighted average of the rankings based on the following ratings: Fundamentals (Composite), Valuation (Composite), EPS Revisions (1 year), and Visibility (Composite). We recommend that you carefully review the associated descriptions.
Global
Global
This composite rating is the result of an average of the rankings based on the following ratings: Fundamentals (Composite), Valuation (Composite), Financial Estimates Revisions (Composite), Consensus (Composite) and Visibility (Composite). The company must be covered by at least 4 of these 5 ratings for the calculation to be carried out. We recommend that you carefully review the associated descriptions.
Quality
Quality
This composite rating is the result of an average of rankings based on the following ratings: Returns (Composite), Profitability (Composite) and Quality of Financial Reporting (Composite), and Financial Health (Composite). The company must be covered by at least 2 of these 3 ratings for the calculation to be performed. We recommend that you carefully read the associated descriptions.
ESG MSCI
ESG MSCI
The MSCI ESG score assesses a company’s environmental, social, and governance practices relative to its industry peers. Companies are rated from CCC (laggard) to AAA (leader). This rating helps investors incorporate sustainability risks and opportunities into their investment decisions.
