Apple AirPods now available to purchase, deliver Dec. 21

Posted:
in General Discussion edited December 2019
After a series of delays, Apple's long-awaited AirPods are now available to purchase from the company's online store, with the first deliveries scheduled to arrive just days before Christmas.




Customers can now order AirPods from Apple's website for $159, with an advertised delivery date of Dec. 21. Apple Store pickup is not currently available for the forthcoming product.

The arrival comes soon after it was claimed that AirPods were only "days" from launch. The product was first announced alongside the iPhone 7 lineup in September, but missed its originally advertised shipping window.

Sources within Apple corporate told AppleInsider that there was "no way" that the company was going to miss a holiday season release. Additionally, several venues have received pre-release sets for review.

"We're ready to go any time," one AppleInsider retail source said. "We've got a few pairs for customer demonstration that we're just waiting on the word to start with."




Last week, one report claimed Apple may be having trouble syncing audio between the wireless left and right earpieces of the AirPods. But other reports from early review units suggested there were no such syncing issues.

Unlike with most headphones, Apple's AirPods are completely wireless, with each earpiece unattached to the other. The product -- which also features Apple's proprietary W1 chip for more robust Bluetooth audio connections and easy iCloud-based pairing -- was originally scheduled to launch in October.

The same W1 chip is also featured in the previously-launched Powerbeats3 and Beats Solo3 Wireless headphones, and will also be featured in the forthcoming BeatsX, though the latter has also seen delays.

The AirPods, however, feature unique technology that goes beyond the W1. The wireless earbuds are also set to include beam-forming microphones, accelerometers, infrared sensors, and a small charging and carrying case that will provide more power on the go, as well as the mechanism to sync with an iPhone.
albegarc
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 62
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,796member
    Oh good...now people can stop bitching about these. You all better damn well buy them too if all you did was complain about them not being available for the past month and a half. 
    mobirdjcdinkinsraymondaimike1Solimwhitenetmagestompyicoco3jahblade
  • Reply 2 of 62
    thrangthrang Posts: 1,005member
    ordered 2
    albegarcjahbladeequality72521lostkiwiwatto_cobralolliverstarwarsstantheman
  • Reply 3 of 62
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,796member
    I'm betting these will sell out fast so if you really want them...better order very soon. 
    albegarcjahbladelostkiwiwatto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 62
    idreyidrey Posts: 647member
    Sweet thanks! Ordered 2, 1 for me 1 for gift 
    albegarclostkiwiwatto_cobrastarwars
  • Reply 5 of 62
    ordered 6. plan to sell 4 on ebay or amazon
  • Reply 6 of 62
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    macxpress said:
    Oh good...now people can stop bitching about these. You all better damn well buy them too if all you did was complain about them not being available for the past month and a half. 
    Let's see how fast ship dates start to slip, and whether they make it under the tree by Christmas Day, without any operational defects or issues. Never underestimate how much people love to bitch.
    macxpresschaickawatto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 62
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,796member
    mac_128 said:
    macxpress said:
    Oh good...now people can stop bitching about these. You all better damn well buy them too if all you did was complain about them not being available for the past month and a half. 
    Let's see how fast ship dates start to slip, and whether they make it under the tree by Christmas Day, without any operational defects or issues. Never underestimate how much people love to bitch.
    Oh I'm sure people will go out of their way to create a major issue that doesn't really exist. Happens with every Apple product. I'm sure there will be phantom issues with them not staying in sync, battery issues, pairing issues, etc, etc. And just because them and a friend or co-worker have this issue then it must be a major issue. 
    edited December 2016 chaickacarthusialostkiwi
  • Reply 8 of 62
    Had cart with 2 other items waiting.  Added Airpods and completed with Apple Pay.  Done and done.
    chaickalostkiwiwatto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 62
    Christmas came early! Ordered 2! Major respect for Apple in not releasing something until it's ready. They for sure lost some sales momentum shipping late but it's the right thing to do - and apple always seems to win in the end by doing the right thing. 
    chaickajahbladeequality72521albegarcwatto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 62
    Did anyone else notice the BeatsX headphones now say "Coming February" ?
    albegarcbaconstang
  • Reply 11 of 62
    Ordered 4. Delivery 20th Dec.

    Suspected something is coming when Apple did something unusual - releasing few betas within a week and consecutively few weeks that hinted a 'rush' for something. Checked this morning (Asia timezone) and it was still not available. Now the wait pays off... Boy was my hunch right...
  • Reply 12 of 62
    KM5BHKM5BH Posts: 1unconfirmed, member
    Mine are ordered.
    lostkiwiwatto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 62
    Just ordered 2 sets.
    We'll see or they go back
    lostkiwi
  • Reply 14 of 62
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    JonDiesel said:
    Did anyone else notice the BeatsX headphones now say "Coming February" ?
    I did. This means that the previous rumour about it being about syncing each earpiece is BS or BeatsX has its own separate issue. It's looking like an issue with the new W1 chip, but we may never know.
    StrangeDaysbaconstangmac_128
  • Reply 15 of 62
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    So these are to be delivered in 8 days, with 2 day delivery, which means sent by Monday of next week. Judging by the number people are ordering and the lack of a limitation it sounds like all that bitching about headphones and how your iPhone 7 feels less complete without them was all for naught.
    lostkiwimac_128watto_cobra
  • Reply 16 of 62
    flaneurflaneur Posts: 4,526member
    mac_128 said:
    macxpress said:
    Oh good...now people can stop bitching about these. You all better damn well buy them too if all you did was complain about them not being available for the past month and a half. 
    Let's see how fast ship dates start to slip, and whether they make it under the tree by Christmas Day, without any operational defects or issues. Never underestimate how much people love to bitch.
    Yeah, I remember very well all the shit you in particular stirred up about the Apple Watch at launch.
    SolibrucemcStrangeDaysRayz2016pscooter63mac_128watto_cobratycho24
  • Reply 17 of 62
    xbitxbit Posts: 390member
    Delivering 19th Dec in the UK. :D
  • Reply 18 of 62
    Upon this news, my shares of Apple popped $1.70, hitting my $115 limit order.  Bought 2 Airpods with the profits.  :smile: 

    albegarcchaickawatto_cobra
  • Reply 19 of 62
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    macxpress said:
    I'm betting these will sell out fast so if you really want them...better order very soon. 
    If that's true, they either have very limited supply or huge demand. Either way, it's too bad Apple didn't issue a press release about the pre-order date for the many who have been patiently waiting for them, who may not get the word of mouth in time to get them.

    if Apple truly has the stock to supply 50+ million orders over the next two weeks, they should have offered the pre-order last week, for deliveries to start this week, rather than during the busiest shipping period of the entire year next week. Personally, I'd rather see shipping dates slip, and still get them before Christmas than bet the farm on all of them getting where they need to go the week of Christmas. While bad weather and other shipping issues that plague this time of year, as long as they have ample supply to meet demand, then it won't be so bad that they didn't pre-announce the pre-order availability date. If supply starts slipping quickly once word gets out, then that's not going to sit well with customers either. Of course if supply is severely limited then they may not be able to sustain two weeks of orders, so there's probably no winning here.

    Hopefully there won't be any technical issues when customers start opening them on Christmas Day, which could bring a whole new round of criticism. but no matter how you look at it, people who bought their iPhone 7s in September have been having to deal with a work-around for almost a third of the phones life if they upgrade every year.
    edited December 2016
  • Reply 20 of 62
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    I'm now seeing delivery dates of 29 December.
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