More reports suggest Apple's AirPods will see pre-Christmas release
According to some Apple Retail sources, Apple's AirPods may show up for sale in the next couple of days, but nearly immediately go on back-order, because of limited product availability.
Based on multiple comments made to long-time Apple journalist John Gruber, there is speculation that the long-awaited AirPods would barely make it to retail for the holiday season, but in very limited quantities. However, Gruber did note that the sources weren't particularly well-placed,
"They are getting very close to missing the holidays," said Gruber. "I have heard just in the last 24 hours, not from like a very well placed little birdie but from a birdie, that there's a possibility, that there are whispers in Apple, among people who work at Apple retail, that they might actually come in 'the next few days.'"
Should Gruber's data be correct, it lines up with what AppleInsider was told in early November by sources at Apple Retail and corporate as well.
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 confirmed. "We've got a few pairs for customer demonstration that we're just waiting on the word to start with."
Additionally, in the end of November, Apple CEO Tim Cook also noted that the long-awaited AirPods were "finalizing" and expected to ship in the "next few weeks," in time for the holiday season.
Based on multiple comments made to long-time Apple journalist John Gruber, there is speculation that the long-awaited AirPods would barely make it to retail for the holiday season, but in very limited quantities. However, Gruber did note that the sources weren't particularly well-placed,
"They are getting very close to missing the holidays," said Gruber. "I have heard just in the last 24 hours, not from like a very well placed little birdie but from a birdie, that there's a possibility, that there are whispers in Apple, among people who work at Apple retail, that they might actually come in 'the next few days.'"
Should Gruber's data be correct, it lines up with what AppleInsider was told in early November by sources at Apple Retail and corporate as well.
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 confirmed. "We've got a few pairs for customer demonstration that we're just waiting on the word to start with."
Additionally, in the end of November, Apple CEO Tim Cook also noted that the long-awaited AirPods were "finalizing" and expected to ship in the "next few weeks," in time for the holiday season.
Comments
"available to order"
Ship In January
Some parts of Apple seem to work well, while others appear to be dysfunctional.
Can the dysfunctional parts be fixed? Or are the functional parts just a remnant of a better Apple -- a remnant that will eventually decay into dysfunction?
I've got a bad feeling about this...
But, that said, they would have to launch by tomorrow, maybe Wednesday the absolute latest, to be reasonably expected to deliver before the end of next week.
I do not doubt that the headphones will be phenomenal when they eventually reach the market but right now it just reflects poorly on Apple's management of their product line. ( Including tablet, laptop, desktop and accessories overall)
Normally I wouldn't advocate this, but I think Apple should release a statement saying whether or not they're going to make it for a Christmas. Folk may have planned to get/give these as presents. Since Apple promised them in November then they should give people time to make alternative arrangements.
The white iPhone 4 finally existed after 10(?) months, but FaceTime was never open sourced and resolution independence still hasn't happened despite being one of the biggest features touted with Mac OS X 10.4(?).
Apple survived these with sort of thing with major products over the years so I think the company will be fine when talking about an accessory. Plus, I'd say it's better to have people upset with a non-release than upset with having spent $159+ for something that isn't working properly. Same for BeatsX, whatever they cost.
It really does take courage to take the headphone jack out of the flagship product...then not have a product ready to sell to make it fully functional.
This sort of reminds me of Apple Maps (and to a lesser extent, Siri.)
And I totally agree with Soli.
And they will need a significant supply of them to ensure there's not mass dissapointment from lent up demand unable to get them in time for the holidays. Hard to say whether they can mitigate this problem, depending on what the problem was.
I've said since the beginning if they didn't get them to market by the end of Nov. that its in their best interest to wait until January, rather than deal with frustrated customers trying to get their hands on them, but finding them sold out everywhere, just before Christmas. Imagine if the new iPhones went on sale Decemebr 20th every year!
On Gruber's podcast he said he's certain Apple's removal of the headphone jack was intended to coincide with AirPods and if AirPods weren't ready this year the headphone jack wouldn't have been removed. I agree about a statement though I think it should have come once Apple knew they wouldn't come close to meeting late October time frame. They did it with the white iPhone and in that case you could still get an iPhone 4 if you wanted one, just not in white.
2) Did they do so for the revamped Mac Pro which I think technically finally launched before the end of the year, but in such low volume that I think forum poster digitalclips was one of the first to order and still didn't get it under after the new year, if memory serves. And let's remember that this is already a very low volume item—perhaps even Apple's lowest volume product.
3) Shit happens. It's not ideal. Apple certainly don't like it, but it happens. If bitching about Apple letting you down because you wanted to impress family and friends is your biggest concern in life then you've got a really great life or you need to get your priorities straightened out.
Addendum: Apple announced and demoed the white iPhone 4 at WWDC on 07 June 2010. They released a statement about its delay until the following Spring on 26 October 2010. That's 142 days, or 4 months and 20 days after it was announced.
By comparison, the AirPods you're bellyaching about were only announced on 07 September 2016 and Apple stated they would be delated on 26 October 2016. That's only 50 days, or 1 month and 20 days. So, yes, Apple did announce the delay which destroys your point, it's only an accessory not people holding off on buying a new iPhone, and it was nearly 1/3th less time before the announcement.
To put things into more perspective, for Apple to go to the same 142 day mark before announcing a delay, that would bring them to 26 January 2017—and that's just the announcement of the delay, not the shipping of the product which happened 10 months after the initial announcement.