Apple clarifies power saving modes for AirPods Max when not in use

When Apple unveiled the AirPods Max last week, it revealed that they don’t come with an on / off power button, but rather go into “ultra-low” power mode when they come. are inserted in the included Smart Case. This has left many questions about what happens to battery life when left out of the Smart Case and not actively used. However, today Apple has provided somewhat surprising answers to these questions, suggesting that the Smart Case is not as essential for preserving battery life as many thought.

According to Apple, when the “AirPods Max” are removed but not put in their Smart Case, they enter “low power mode” after five minutes of rest. If left unaffected, they stay in this low-power mode for three days, after which the earbuds enter an “ultra-low” power state that turns off Bluetooth and their location to help conserve more of their remaining charge. From Apple’s AirPods Max support document, updated overnight:

If you set your “AirPods Max” down and leave them stationary for 5 minutes, they go into low power mode to conserve battery power. After 72 hours of shutting down the Smart Case, your “AirPods Max” goes into a low power mode that turns off Bluetooth and “Find My” to further conserve battery power.

Apple has also clarified the behavior of “AirPods Max” when placed in their Smart Case, and it turns out that the same two separate low power states are involved, but activated at different times. The first “low power mode” is immediately activated upon insertion, but the “ultra-low” power mode does not really start until after 18 hours in the Smart Case.

If you put your “AirPods Max” in the Smart Case when not in use, they immediately go into low power mode to conserve battery power. After 18 hours in the smart case, your “AirPods Max” will go into ultra-low power mode which turns off Bluetooth and “Find My” and maximizes battery life.

Based on this description of the ‘AirPods Max’ power saving modes, it would appear that the earbuds go into the same ‘low power mode’ when put on and left alone for five minutes as they do when they are placed in the Smart Case. However, the same “ultralow” power mode that activates after “AirPods Max” have been left for 18 hours in the Smart Case takes a full 72 hours to boot when left out of the case.

Before Apple provides the above information, tests conducted by MacRumors suggested that the ‌AirPods Max‌ battery only discharges slightly faster when left outside the case – a difference that is likely due to the longer time it takes for the “ultra-low” power mode to run. ‘active when the headphones are not in the Smart Case.

If we put aside the apparent arbitrariness of these sleep mode activation times, the main thing to remember is that in the short term at least, there is no real advantage in terms of savings. energy to put “ AirPods Max ” in the Smart Case instead of just putting them on a desk and not touching them. But if you don’t plan to use them again for the next 18 hours, this is when you put them in the Smart Case, otherwise the “ultra-low” power mode will take three days to complete. activate, at which time the battery will probably be discharged. to be much more meaningful.

Given the confusion that followed the power-saving features of the “AirPods Max”, some users have speculated that Apple might be able to add a power-off feature to the physical controls via a future software update. Is this something you would prefer to the current situation? Let us know in the comments.