Apple AirPods release date, specs & features rumors: AirPods set to miss this year's Christmas shopping season; what's causing delay?
It might be time to consider ticking Apple AirPods off Christmas wish lists as the highly anticipated product is still nowhere to be found.
The AirPods is a wireless headset that uses a special communications chip. Priced at $159, it is being made available to compensate for the missing 3.5-millimeter headphone jack in the latest iPhone 7. Apple's breakthrough wireless headset was set for release at the end of October after it was announced at the company's "See You" event in the preceding month. Shipments, however, did not take place as scheduled, and there has been no confirmation until now on when it will finally be made available.
Many note that such delay is uncharacteristic of Apple. The last known postponement of a major Apple product release was back in 2010 when the Cupertino-based company had to delay the shipments of the white iPhone 4 by nine months due to challenges in providing it with UV protection.
In the case of AirPods, though, Apple has not offered any explanation for the delay. "The early response to AirPods has been incredible," Apple told CNBC, adding, "We don't believe in shipping a product before it's ready."
This has left many to speculate about the possible reasons why the AirPods are still missing in action.
The Wall Street Journal reports that according to a source with inside knowledge of the AirPod development, the delay is due to Apple trying out something different in making wireless headphones work.
The source explains that in contrast to most other wireless headphones wherein the two earpieces are connected via Bluetooth and only one is wirelessly linked to the phone, both AirPod earbuds individually receive signals from an iPhone or another Apple device. As such, distortion in sound may happen if the earpieces do not receive signals at exactly the same time.
Kiril Trajkovski, co-founder of Earin, another wireless headphone supplier, indicates that the AirPod must also be able to distinguish the user's voice from background noise.
Meanwhile, for Neil Cybart, an independent analyst, the issue could have something to do with the connection between the AirPods and the devices, which Apple must have found out after receiving feedback from technology experts who reviewed the product.
Watch out for any official announcement from Apple regarding the availability of the AirPods.
