Apple originally aimed to ship them in “Fall 2016”, but it looks like the $149 earphones and the company’s AirPods won’t be shipping before the holidays. Apple announced both the AirPods and the Beats by Dr. Dre BeatsX wireless earphones at September’s iPhone 7 keynote, and it now appears that the latter is also running into shipmentdelays.
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[Representational Image] Apple AirPods may not release before Christmas; here’s why the launch is delayed.
For those unaware, Apple AirPods come with optical sensors and accelerometers that work with the Apple’s in-house built W1 chip to detect when earphones are in your ear, so they only play when you are ready to listen. A source familiar with the development of the AirPods told the Wall Street Journal that the problem lies in Apple’s attempts to strike a new path for wireless technology. Meantime, other wireless headphones send the Bluetooth audio to an earbud and beam it next to the other.
Given the missing 3.5mm headphone jack on the iPhone 7, Apple undeniably wants its users to embrace a wireless future. Contrary to this, however, are reports claiming that Apple is now facing some issues regarding the manufacturing of AirPods at scale. Meanwhile, the USPTO’s regular release of patents reveals that Apple is working on Electronic Devices with Display and Touch Sensor Structures.
AirPods are a flagship product created to showcase what is possible in the new wireless audio world.
Apple has never actually said anything on the matter, only stating that, “We don’t believe in shipping a product before it’s ready, and we need a little more time before the AirPods are ready for our customers”.
Saying it “needed more time”, Apple is shelving the release of the AirPods till further notice. John Gruber said any technical woes would have been fixed before the AirPods went into production. “It makes more sense to me that Apple has run into a manufacturing problem, not that they discovered a design defect after they were announced”.
Apple has said AirPod earpieces each receive independent signals from an iPhone, Mac or other Apple device.
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Even after three months, there is no clear indication as to when Apple will launch the near AirPods.
