Delivery estimates for the AirPods Max are well into January for most colors, which means there's no chance for orders placed now to arrive in time for the December holidays, but as it turns out, you can get AirPods Max quicker if you choose an engraving.
In the pink color, for example, AirPods Max with an engraving can be delivered between December 30 and January 7, while without an engraving, the shipment estimate is 12 to 14 weeks. The green version will deliver between January 21 and 28 with an engraving instead of the 12 to 14 week estimate, and in blue, adding an engraving cuts the wait by a month.
Silver and space gray AirPods Max are still delivering at the end of December, so adding an engraving only cuts a couple of days off of the shipping time. Engravings can include anything from a single emoji to up to 14 characters.
It's not entirely clear why AirPods Max headphones with engravings are shipping out faster, but it seems that Apple has separate stock set aside for people who choose the headphones with an engraving and without, which explains the shorter shipping times.
It's also possible that Apple will soon have in-store AirPods Max stock, with pickup options that will be available more quickly than waiting for a shipment. AirPods Max are priced starting at $549 and the first deliveries will start on December 15.
Note that there seems to be some confusion over whether Apple products with engravings can be returned to Apple. Apple may not have allowed these returns in the past, but there is no language in Apple's return policy about engravings and Apple's support staff has confirmed that engraved items can be returned.
Sunday February 1, 2026 10:08 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon.
In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis.
In his Powe...
Sunday February 1, 2026 12:31 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models.
"All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...
Sunday February 1, 2026 5:42 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips alongside macOS 26.3, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
"Apple's faster MacBook Pros are planned for the macOS 26.3 release cycle," wrote Gurman, in his Power On newsletter today.
"I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated for the macOS 26.3 software cycle, which runs from...
Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by Joe Rossignol
We are still waiting for the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate to come out, so the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week or two away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April.
Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far.
iOS 26.3
iPhone to Android Transfer Tool
iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
Saturday January 31, 2026 10:51 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple recently updated its online store with a new ordering process for Macs, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro.
There used to be a handful of standard configurations available for each Mac, but now you must configure a Mac entirely from scratch on a feature-by-feature basis. In other words, ordering a new Mac now works much like ordering an...
I think a lot of people don't understand the scale that Apple operates on. There's not a room with a bunch of AirPod Max boxes and if someone orders an engraving, an Apple employe comes by, takes a box …
These are most definitely at different places and have separate stock. So the ones in the place(s) for delivery without engraving are already sold out for months, the other place(s) not so much.
Any word on whether the Smart Case is vegan or not? Bloomberg reported that it's leather but there's no evidence of this in the press release or the product page.
