Apple retailer claims 2-3 month delay for W1-equipped BeatsX

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in General Discussion
Apple's AirPods aren't the only W1 wireless chip product having problems -- a customer who pre-ordered the the BeatsX In-Ear Headphones has been informed that there will be at least a 2-3 month delay on shipping.




An AppleInsider reader was informed by authorized Apple reseller B&H that Beats still does not exactly know when they will ship the item. No additional detail was provided.




The BeatsX In-Ear Headphones utilize Apple's W1 chip, the same as the oft-delayed Apple AirPods. Apple's custom W1 wireless chip, allows for fast pairing, and a robust connection between an audio player and the audio device. The currently shipping PowerBeats 3 headphone includes the W1.

It is not clear what the problems with the AirPods, and the BeatsX are. One report from Friday claimed that continued delays for Apple's AirPods headphones are reportedly related to troubles in syncing audio between the two separate earpieces. However, that report was refuted by one later in the same day postulating that the issue was related to building the technology at scale.

In November, the same retailer claimed that the BeatsX would ship in December. Around the same time, Fry's noted a Dec. 5 ship date.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 13
    Another possibility is that they don't want to launch the Beats X in case it canibalizes sales of Air Pods when they eventually launch...  And they've put the UK price up too.
  • Reply 2 of 13
    the same as the oft-delayed Apple AirPods

    They have been delayed exactly once up till now, how is that oft ?
    What's with all the doom and gloom its a pair of headphones. People are making out that this is a catastrophic failure, as usual they are working till they are as near to their idea of perfect as they can.  Everyone who has tried a pair has said they work great, so this is almost certainly a production problem. Companies who do not have to produce millions of anything to not be called out for creating a deliberate shortage and are willing to use their end users as testers obviously don't have this problem.
    caliwatto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 13
    webweasel said:
    Another possibility is that they don't want to launch the Beats X in case it canibalizes sales of Air Pods when they eventually launch...  And they've put the UK price up too.
    Apple have NEVER cared about cannibalising their own products, either way they make a sale.
    caliireland
  • Reply 4 of 13
    smiffy31 said:
    the same as the oft-delayed Apple AirPods

    They have been delayed exactly once up till now, how is that oft ?
    What's with all the doom and gloom its a pair of headphones. People are making out that this is a catastrophic failure, as usual they are working till they are as near to their idea of perfect as they can.  Everyone who has tried a pair has said they work great, so this is almost certainly a production problem. Companies who do not have to produce millions of anything to not be called out for creating a deliberate shortage and are willing to use their end users as testers obviously don't have this problem.
    Well, some folks are using it as a jab against the headphone-jackless iPhone, considering Apple's vision for a wireless world requires there to be wireless headphones that don't suck...which is exactly what the W1-equipped products are.

    Also, missing the Christmas holiday for a affordably priced gift/accessory like this is a massive failure of management. It is very telling.
    cali
  • Reply 5 of 13
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    I’m beginning to think Apple marketing started writing checks that Apple engineering couldn’t cash. In my opinion it’s almost certain that problems have arisen with the W1 chipset.
  • Reply 6 of 13
    lkrupp said:
    I’m beginning to think Apple marketing started writing checks that Apple engineering couldn’t cash. In my opinion it’s almost certain that problems have arisen with the W1 chipset.
    There are 2 other headphones with W1 already selling. There are also plenty of review units for both BeatsX and AirPods.

    The problems are in mass manufacturing. Period.
    calileviirelandwatto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 13
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    As for the reported delay of the BeatsX I wouldn't think it had to do with the W1 chip since it's already shipping in other devices. I'd like to think it can be attributed to Bluetooth 5 and Apple wanting to get out ahead of the curve but not sure why if current Apple smartphones won't be capable of utilizing it. It is curious if the missed shipping target is true but certainly not the end of the world nor the first time an announced product has met with an unanticipated delay or problem. 

    edited December 2016 smiffy31calirandominternetperson
  • Reply 8 of 13
    What is disappointing to me is now having to wait three months for the Bluetooth earbuds designed to sync with my iPhone 7 and oher devices. It's annoying not being able to charge and listen to music at the same time without having to buy an expensive adapter, the 7 just isn't optimized to function without Bluetooth headphones. Now I have to buy a cheap pair until the BeatsX comes out. 
    mac_128
  • Reply 9 of 13
    blastdoorblastdoor Posts: 3,258member
    lkrupp said:
    I’m beginning to think Apple marketing started writing checks that Apple engineering couldn’t cash. In my opinion it’s almost certain that problems have arisen with the W1 chipset.
    I think that is highly unlikely. 

    These days there are parts of Apple that work well and parts that don't. 

    The parts that work well seem to be the ones involving the underlying technology -- the engineering parts of the company. The teams that work on things like Swift, iOS, macOS, and the A-series SOCs all appear to be working fine. I presume W1 falls more into that part of the company. 

    The part of the company that seems more dysfunctional is the part that involves taking technology and turning it into a product that can be mass produced and sold. 
  • Reply 10 of 13
    I guess that's courage from Tim Cook's Apple. I say its time to demote Cook to his previous position, and put someone with a vision in his place. I'm looking at Microsoft and they are coming up with more innovative stuff, their surface book and the new desktop, they are still buggy products, but apple is becoming buggy as well. My iphone 7, crashes and restarts every month, apple tv 4, also does that occasionally. The new touchbar on a macbook is a gimmick, its also overpriced, and heard its buggy draining battery in 3 hours. Airpods, and beats x are a failure so far, missing the whole holiday season. Tim needs to go, they need someone with bigger balls.
  • Reply 11 of 13
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    Apart from the aesthetics, I didn't think there was all that much differences between BeatsX and the PowerBeats3, so this seems odd.
  • Reply 12 of 13
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    lkrupp said:
    I’m beginning to think Apple marketing started writing checks that Apple engineering couldn’t cash. In my opinion it’s almost certain that problems have arisen with the W1 chipset.
    I don't know what or where the problems lie.   But I give Apple credit for (unlike Samsung) holding back a release of a new product that is not yet ready.

    Interestingly, I just re-watched the Jobs movie where he (in the movie at least) equated his NeXT computer to SkyLab -- both of which were sent up before the engineering was complete.  SkyLab thus came crashing down.  The NeXT computer at least did finally get released.   But, in the movie Jobs admitted that he thought that the engineering would catch up to the marketing hype prior to the projected release date.  It didn't. And Jobs ended up with a PC that was unsellable.
  • Reply 13 of 13
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    At least AirPods are now available, shipping for Dec. 21st/22nd delivery depending on location
    http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MMEF2AM/A/airpods
    edited December 2016 cali
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