When Apple unveiled AirPods Max last week, it was found that they don’t come with a power button, but instead go into an “ultra-low” power mode when placed in the included Smart Case. That raised a lot of questions about what happens to battery life if they are left out of the Smart Case and not actively used. Today, however, Apple has provided some somewhat surprising answers to those questions, suggesting that the Smart Case isn’t as essential to extending battery life as many thought.
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According to Apple, when “AirPods Max” are removed but not put in their Smart Case, they go into a “power-saving mode” after five minutes of idle time. If left untouched, they stay in this power-saving mode for three days, after which the headphones go into an “ultra-low” power state that turns off Bluetooth and their Find My location to further conserve their remaining charge. From Apple’s AirPods Max Support Document, Updated Overnight:
If you put your AirPods Max down and let them sit still for 5 minutes, they will go into a power saving mode to conserve battery life. After 72 hours of idling from the Smart Case, your AirPods Max will go into a lower power consumption mode that turns off Bluetooth and Find My to further conserve battery power.
Apple has also clarified how “AirPods Max” behaves when placed in their Smart Case, and it turns out that they are the same two different low power states, but turned on at different times. The first “low power mode” is activated immediately upon insertion, but the “ultralow” power mode is only actually activated after 18 hours in the Smart Case.
If you place your AirPods Max in the Smart Case when not in use, they will immediately go into a power saving mode to conserve battery life. After 18 hours in the Smart Case, your AirPods Max will transition to ultra-low power consumption that disables Bluetooth and Find My, maximizing battery life.
Based on this description of AirPods Max power saving modes, it appears that the headphones will go into the same “power saving mode” when put down and left alone for five minutes as when placed in the Smart Case. However, the same “ultra-low” power mode that activates after AirPods Max 18 has been in the Smart Case for 18 hours, takes 72 hours to take effect if left out of the case.
Before Apple provided the above information, tests were conducted by MacRumors suggested that the AirPods Max battery would only drain slightly faster if left outside the case – a difference likely due to the longer time it takes for “ultra-low” power mode to activate when the headphones are not in the Smart Case .
Aside from the seeming randomness of these sleep mode activation times, the main point is that there is no real short-term energy-saving benefit to be gained by putting AirPods Max in the Smart Case instead of just putting them on a desk and not touching On. But if you don’t plan on using them again for the next 18 hours, put them in the Smart Case, otherwise it will take three days for ‘ultra-low’ power mode to activate, which will likely drain the battery. are much more important.
Given the confusion that followed the AirPods Max power-saving features, some users have speculated that Apple might be able to add a shutdown feature to the physical controls via a future software update. Is that something you prefer than the current situation? Let us know in the comments.