Apple AirPods Max 2 / Samsung Galaxy Buds FE

Apple AirPods Max 2: A3454 · USB-C

Samsung Galaxy Buds FE: Galaxy Buds FE (SM-R400); Graphite or White. The Galaxy Buds3 FE released in 2025 is a separate product.

Specification	Apple AirPods Max 2	Samsung Galaxy Buds FE
Release year	2026	2023
Model	A3454 Listed in Apple’s model table as AirPods Max 2, introduced in 2026. Apple	—
Announcement and availability	Announced 16 March 2026; orders from 25 March; deliveries from early April US and more than 30 other countries and regions. Apple	—
Colours	Midnight, Starlight, Blue, Purple, Orange Apple	—
Chip	Apple H2 in each ear cup Apple	—
Driver and amplifier	Apple-designed dynamic driver; custom high-dynamic-range amplifier; dual neodymium ring magnet motor The manufacturer pages read give no frequency range or impedance. Apple	—
Noise control	ANC, Transparency mode and Adaptive Audio; up to 1.5x more effective than the previous generation Apple’s claim, based on IEC 60268-24 testing; it does not mean the same reduction in every environment. Apple	—
Microphones	Nine microphones: eight for ANC, three for voice pickup (two shared) Apple	3 microphones per earbud (2 outer + 1 inner) Samsung says automatic personalized beamforming and a DNN separate speech from background noise. Samsung
Sensors	Optical, position, case-detect and accelerometer in each cup; gyroscope in the left cup only Apple	Proximity, Hall, touch The proximity sensor pauses music when a bud is removed; the touch surface controls playback and modes. Samsung
Controls	Digital Crown (volume, play/pause, calls, Siri) and a listening mode button No separate power button is listed. Apple	—
Bluetooth	5.3 The manufacturer does not state supported audio codecs. Apple	—
Wired audio	Lossless and ultra-low-latency audio over USB-C; 24-bit / 48 kHz Requires compatible content and a supported app. Lossless audio is not offered over Bluetooth. Apple	—
Analogue input	Analogue sources via a USB-C to 3.5 mm audio cable The cable is not listed among the box contents. Apple	—
Battery life	Up to 20 hours of listening with ANC on Apple’s test: pre-production units, 50% volume, ANC on, Spatial Audio fixed. Actual time depends on settings and environment. Apple	—
Quick charge	About 1.5 hours of listening from 5 minutes of charging Apple	—
Charging	USB-C; ultra-low-power state when stored in the Smart Case Apple	—
Dimensions	168.6 × 83.4 × 187.3 mm (width × depth × height), including cushions Apple	—
Weight	386.2 g; Smart Case 134.5 g Apple says size and weight vary by configuration and manufacturing process. Apple	—
Build and cushions	Anodised aluminium ear cups; breathable knit-mesh canopy; stainless steel telescoping arms; memory foam and mesh-textile cushions Apple	—
Water and dust resistance	None Apple lists this feature as not applicable to AirPods Max 2. Apple	—
Audio features	Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, Voice Isolation, Personalized Volume, Loud Sound Reduction, Adaptive EQ; Personalized Spatial Audio with head tracking Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, Voice Isolation and Personalized Volume need current firmware and operating system. A Spatial Audio profile needs an iPhone with a TrueDepth camera. Apple	—
Live Translation	Beta; needs an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone on iOS 26 or later Languages: Chinese (simplified and traditional), English (US, UK), French (France), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (Spain). Turkish is not listed. Apple	—
Software requirement	iOS and iPadOS 26.4 or later; current operating system on Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Apple Vision Pro On older Apple software and non-Apple devices it works as basic Bluetooth headphones with limited functionality. Apple	—
Firmware	9A348 (latest version in Apple’s list); adds an Equalizer control Apple’s page gives no release date for this version. Apple	—
In the box	AirPods Max 2, Smart Case, USB-C charge cable, documentation Apple	—
Accessibility	Live Listen, Headphone levels, Headphone Accommodations Requires the latest iOS or iPadOS. Apple	—
Driver and sound	—	1-way speaker; Scalable (Samsung proprietary), AAC and SBC codecs The Scalable codec is Samsung’s codec that adjusts bitrate to connection quality and works with Galaxy devices; other phones use AAC or SBC. The high-resolution SSC Hi-Fi codec is not supported. Samsung
Noise cancellation	—	Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and Ambient Sound ANC picks up outside sound with microphones and suppresses it with an inverse wave; Ambient Sound lets outside sound in so you can hear without removing the buds. Samsung
Battery	—	Earbud 60 mAh, case 479 mAh (typical); 6 hours with ANC on (21 hours with case), 8.5 hours with ANC off (30 hours with case); talk time 3.5 hours with ANC on The case does not support wireless charging; it charges over a USB-C cable. Samsung
Connectivity	—	Bluetooth 5.2; Auto Switch, SmartThings Find Auto Switch moves audio automatically between Galaxy phones, tablets and watches on the same Samsung account. SmartThings Find shows the buds’ last location. Samsung
Fit	—	3 sizes of ear tips and 2 sizes of wingtips Wingtips grip the ear to help the buds stay in place during exercise. Samsung
Compatibility	—	Android 8.0 or later with more than 1.5 GB of RAM Some features do not work on non-Samsung devices. Samsung
Size and weight	—	Earbud 17.1 × 19.2 × 22.2 mm, 5.6 g; case 50.0 × 27.7 × 50.0 mm, 40.0 g Samsung