Chinese netizens mock Apple’s new AirPods Max headphones for ‘insane’ price tag
- Apple’s first-ever over-ear headphones are more expensive than some entry-level iPhones and iPads
- ‘Do these headphones cure deafness or what?’ says one comment on microblogging site Weibo, where AirPods Max are currently trending
Hashtags relating to the American tech giant’s first-ever over-ear headphones trended on microblogging site Weibo, with the topic garnering 110 million views and over 240,000 discussions on the platform as of Wednesday evening. Many of the comments were critical of the wireless headphones’ price tag, which is more expensive than some entry-level iPhones and iPads.
“I don’t understand. Do these headphones cure deafness or what? This is way too expensive,” one Weibo user wrote in a comment that drew over 7,000 upvotes.
Some compared the noise-cancelling headphones to those by brands like Sony and Bose. “It’s definitely normal for good headphones to cost up to 10,000 yuan. But headphones from Apple? I’m not sure,” another Weibo user wrote. Apple bought the critically acclaimed Beats in 2014, with a view to improving the quality of its music-listening products.
Others joked that the launch of the product was a “4399 crossover”, referring to the price of the AirPods Max as well as the name of the 4399 Network, a 16-year-old online casual game platform co-founded by legendary Chinese angel investor Cai Wensheng. “The 4,399 yuan price tag is off-putting, might as well play games instead,” one user wrote.
