Third-Party AirPods Max Solutions Seek to Address Smart Case Criticisms

The first third-party cases and hangers for AirPods Max containing magnets, that allow users to avoid using Apple's Smart Case, are now available for purchase.

waterfield design airpods max

Apple's Smart Case contains magnets that put ‌AirPods Max‌ into a low power mode to preserve battery life. After 18 hours in the Smart Case, the ‌AirPods Max‌ go into an ultra-low power mode that turns off Bluetooth and Find My.

‌AirPods Max‌ have no power button, with Apple instead relying on different power modes and the Smart Case to preserve battery life. Yet the Smart Case has come under fire for its design, which some customers have criticized for offering very little protection and being impractical, and without using it, ‌AirPods Max‌ take longer to enter its low-power state.

waterfield design airpods max case 2

Amid these criticisms, third-party companies have begun presenting solutions to address the criticisms of the Smart Case. WaterField Designs' protective "Shield Case" for ‌AirPods Max‌, unlike Apple's Smart Case which only partially covers each ‌AirPods Max‌ ear cup, cradles the entire headset in an ultra-plush interior and offers three layers of protection. There is also an interior pocket to carry a charging brick, waterproof zippers, and a loop to attach the case to a carabiner.

The WaterField Shield Case contains a "Magnetic Leather Butterfly" that puts ‌AirPods Max‌ into their low power mode without Apple's Smart Case, but it is also possible to fold down these magnets to put ‌AirPods Max‌ together with their Smart Case into the Shield Case too.

air hanger for airpods max

On Etsy, a 3D-printed ‌AirPods Max‌ "Air Hanger" similarly uses magnets to put the headphones into low power mode without the Smart Case. The wall-mounted hanger allows ‌AirPods Max‌ to be hung at any band length, with a curved lip to prevent the headphones from sliding off.

The WaterField Designs Shield Case for ‌AirPods Max‌ is available now in a range of colors for $99. The Air Hanger is available on Etsy for $34.95.

Related Roundup: AirPods Max
Buyer's Guide: AirPods Max (Caution)
Related Forum: AirPods

Top Rated Comments

carlhancock Avatar
38 months ago
"Nobody would buy a $99 case for $550 headphones..."

* Me checking the Waterfield site and seeing the the first 6 batches are already sold out in every color *

When will the "Nobody would buy..." or "Who's gonna buy..." crowd understand that just because they wouldn't buy these things doesn't mean there isn't a market?

The AirPods Max are selling. The 3rd party cases and stands will sell too.

There is clearly a market for it.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Costino1 Avatar
38 months ago
I can't think of any other time where Apple's customers had to rush out and create their own solution to solve a problem created by Apple. I hope Apple views this (the case) as a failure and stops with simply using aesthetics instead of function.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
oneteam Avatar
38 months ago
I like Waterfield, but that case is horrendous.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jz0309 Avatar
38 months ago

I like Waterfield, but that case is horrendous.
looks better than Apple's smart case still
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kabeyun Avatar
38 months ago
What few people around here understood (because after all, it’s more fun to be outraged) is that this is exactly what Apple planned from the beginning. Third party accessories are a rich part of the gizmo world and they deliberately left room for great cases made by other companies. It’s a good thing to support one’s accessory community. This is as true for AirPods Max as it is for nearly every other portable product Apple makes.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WhoDaKat Avatar
38 months ago

I can't think of any other time where Apple's customers had to rush out and create their own solution to solve a problem created by Apple. I hope Apple views this (the case) as a failure and stops with simply using aesthetics instead of function.
No one has to rush out and do anything LOL! Mine are working just fine without anything but the smart case.

“I hope Apple views this (the case) as a failure and stops simply using aesthetics instead of function.”

According to the case designers function was the driving factor as they wanted it to take up as little room as possible and it does take up less room than any other over the ear headphones case I’ve ever seen.

Don’t hate.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 17

iOS 17.2 Will Add These 12 New Features to Your iPhone

Friday December 1, 2023 12:19 pm PST by
iOS 17.2 has been in beta testing for over a month, and it should be released to all users in a few more weeks. The software update includes many new features and changes for iPhones, including the dozen that we have highlighted below. iOS 17.2 is expected to be released to the public in mid-December. To learn about even more features coming in the update, check out our full list. Journal ...
anker new xmas 1

Anker's Cyber Week Sale Enters Final Days With Up to 60% Off Sitewide

Friday December 1, 2023 12:05 pm PST by
Anker's Black Friday/Cyber Week event is entering its final days this weekend, and it's still offering up to 60 percent off sitewide. There are also a few "mystery boxes" that can include hundreds of dollars in savings, if you're willing to risk not knowing what you're buying ahead of time. All of these sales will end on December 3. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Anker. When you...
General Apps Messages

Green Bubbles on iPhone to Gain These 7 New Features Next Year

Thursday November 30, 2023 9:00 am PST by
Earlier this month, Apple announced that it will finally support RCS in the Messages app on the iPhone starting later next year. This change will result in several improvements to the messaging experience between iPhones and Android devices. RCS will become the new default standard for messaging between iPhones and Android devices, but these conversations will still have green bubbles like...
top stories 2dec2023

Top Stories: iOS 17.1.2 Released, NameDrop Misinformation, and More

Saturday December 2, 2023 6:00 am PST by
Apple employees are back to work following a Thanksgiving break, and that means this week saw a number of new operating system updates for both public release and beta testing. This week also saw some misinformation about Apple's new NameDrop feature making the rounds, while Apple and Goldman Sachs appear to be on the verge of a break-up in their Apple Card and savings account partnership,...
instagram messenger

Instagram and Facebook Messenger Chats to Disconnect This Month

Tuesday December 5, 2023 1:57 am PST by
Meta has revealed plans to end Instagram users' ability to chat with Facebook accounts later this month, rolling back a feature that it introduced over three years ago. In September 2020, Meta (then Facebook) announced it was merging its Facebook Messenger service with Instagram direct messaging, allowing Instagram users to chat with Facebook users and vice versa using the same platform....
iphone 5g mmwave

Apple's Work on 6G Connectivity Already Expanding

Monday December 4, 2023 7:00 am PST by
Apple's work on implementing 6G cellular connectivity on its devices appears to be ramping up, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman explained that Apple is increasingly turning its attention to 6G, even amid its widely reported difficulties developing a custom 5G cellular modem. In 2021, the first highly specific Apple job...