{"id":129454,"date":"2020-12-09T12:38:16","date_gmt":"2020-12-09T09:38:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/the-airpods-max-case-is-an-abomination-and-an-insult\/"},"modified":"2020-12-09T12:38:16","modified_gmt":"2020-12-09T09:38:16","slug":"the-airpods-max-case-is-an-abomination-and-an-insult","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-airpods-max-case-is-an-abomination-and-an-insult\/","title":{"rendered":"#The AirPods Max case is an abomination and an insult"},"content":{"rendered":"

“#The AirPods Max case is an abomination and an insult<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

\n Yesterday, App<\/a>le announced the long rumored AirPods Max, its high-end over-ear headphones. The jury is still out on the cans \u2014 they have to be heard to be believed, as it were \u2014 but to me, two things were immedia<\/a>tely apparent. The first, is the $550 price tag is silly. The second, is the AirPods Max case is both an abomination and an insult.<\/p>\n

I briefly covered both of these issues in the announcement piece yesterday. I always expected the AirPods Max to be pricey, maybe not this<\/em> pricey, but that didn\u2019t shock me too much. The AirPods Max case did though. And, since writing the article, I haven\u2019t been able to stop thinking about them.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s talk about\u00a0why.<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been using over-ear headphones daily for around 16 years now, and every single pair I\u2019ve used have come with a case that covers their entirety. There\u2019s a reason for this: you often have to carry the cans in some sort of bag when you\u2019re not using them. And, as any human being who has used a bag knows, there\u2019s often other stuff in that bag. This ranges all the way from large objects that can scuff sensitive objects like headphones, to tiny bits of grit that can get into the delicate parts of sensitive objects like headphones.<\/p>\n

Having something that covers the headphones is a tried and trusted way of avoiding damage. I can\u2019t believe I had to write that. And it\u2019s because Apple\u00a0has gone another way with its AirPods Max case.<\/p>\n

Rather than providing something that could adequately protect the tech, the company instead decided to provide what effectively amounts to technology<\/a> lingerie: a soft material that only barely covers the vital parts. Just have a look at the AirPods Max case and imagine how this would fare rolling around in your backpack:<\/p>\n

\"apple
<\/a>Look at how the headphone arm hinges and the digital crown are open to basically anything potentially coming in contact with them. This is also asking for the headband to be scuffed to fuck.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Aesthetics-wise, I don\u2019t have a big issue with the AirPods Max case. Although the memes calling it a bra<\/a>, eye mask<\/a>, or purse<\/a> are gently amusing, I think the overall vibe is fine.<\/p>\n

The issue is the design completely ignores practicality.<\/p>\n

I can only see two logical reasons for this. The first ties in with the price tag. Apple obviously wants the AirPods Max to be a luxury product. In other words, screw concerns about how people will actually use them, these are a product designed to be\u00a0seen<\/em>, something more of a class indicator, than a technological companion. If you consider the AirPods Max case in this light, its design makes more sense.<\/p>\n

Think of it this way: if you see someone walking down the street holding these, you\u2019ll immediately know what they are. It\u2019s free marketing.<\/p>\n

The second reason is all about upselling. Over the past few years, Apple has shifted its strategy from just trying to sell new people new products, to targeting its existing customers with services and upgrades.<\/p>\n

This is why it does shitty things, like removing the wall charger from its new iPhones without offering the customer any discounts. To appease investors, Apple has to grow. And to grow it has to sell people more shit. And the AirPods Max case follows this philosophy. In fact, we\u2019re \u201clucky\u201d Apple actually included one in the first place, but it won\u2019t be long until we see an\u00a0AirPods Max Pro Smart Case hit the market. Believe.<\/p>\n

It\u2019ll have some sort of premium covering (maybe a faux-leather?), might include a clever way to charge the headphones, and will probably cost at least $75. Yay.<\/p>\n

All this, friends, is why the AirPods Max case is an abomination and an insult. It fails to do the most basic things you\u2019d expect of a case, and, by falling at this ankle height hurdle, it shows us how little Apple thinks of its customers.<\/p>\n

Did you know we have a news<\/a>letter all about consumer tech? It\u2019s called Plugged In \u2013
\n and you can subscribe to it right here<\/a>.
\n <\/i><\/p>\n

\n Published December 9, 2020 \u2014 09:38 UTC\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n