If designing a smartphone application literally called “Apple Wallet” weren’t clue enough of what Apple is after, the tech giant released new evidence this Christmas season: a set of $550 headphones, which comes with a storage case that makes the whole thing look like a designer handbag.
The AirPods Max debuted last week with the standard Apple marketing copy. They’re “perfect.” They’re “exhilarating.” They’re even “magic.” That’s just like every pricey Apple product, from the Apple Watch to the iPad. And just like every new gadget that comes out of Apple, buyers might reasonably expect that the AirPods Max come with a disappointingly short lifespan.
If you’re an iPhone loyalist, the pattern is familiar. You purchase the latest model, it works like a charm for a year (perhaps two), and then Apple releases a software update that turns it into a clunky, glitchy brick of a handheld device. You’re forced to either get yet a newer model with hardware that’s more supportive or bear with the lagging speeds and crashing apps. Old Apple hardware with new software also tends to mean devices that once paired seamlessly no longer do.
Apple Watches from 2015 have a difficult time syncing with apps on an iPhone from 2019. AirPods from 2017 are quick to disconnect spontaneously from iPhones with software from 2019. Apple critics call it “planned obsolescence,” a suggestion that the company deliberately creates its products and releases its software in such a way that forces users to upgrade routinely — that is, buy more expensive stuff.
To be fair, Apple forces no one to buy its products. But when customers do, they presumably expect that a $550 set of headphones will last beyond the next major iPhone software and hardware upgrades, which, depending on the timing of the purchase, could come within days.
If that’s not a concern for you, enjoy your new headphones and the accompanying handbag.
