As the AirPods Max are Apple's most high-end AirPods, it seems almost certain that the next version will contain an H2 chip in each earcup.
Thanks to the H2 chip, the second-generation AirPods Pro feature improved Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) that is up to two times more effective at blocking out unwanted noise.As the only other AirPods to offer ANC, it seems inevitable that with the H2 chip, the second-generation AirPods Max will also offer enhanced ANC.
The second-generation AirPods Pro feature an all-new Adaptive Transparency mode that allows important environmental noise like speech in, while heavily reducing unwanted environmental noise like a passing vehicle siren, construction tools, or even loud speakers at a concert.Along with improvements to ANC facilitated by the H2 chip, it seems highly likely that the second-generation AirPods Max will also feature Adaptive Transparency.
Apple's skin-detect sensor technology was first introduced on the third-generation AirPods and recently expanded to the AirPods Pro, leaving the AirPods Max as the only current-generation AirPods product without the feature.The third-generation AirPods and second-generation AirPods Pro feature IPX4-rated sweat and water resistant earbuds and charging cases.The second-generation AirPods Pro's MagSafe Charging Case features an Apple U1 chip for Precision Finding in the Find My app, much like AirTag item trackers?The current AirPods Max feature basic support for Find My, but a U1 chip in the second-generation version could enable a much more precise way to locate the headphones when they are nearby.