Apple will be able to get its Airpods ready for Christmas, but only just. The wireless headphone, presented in September, should have been available in October, but that has now been postponed to 20 December.
“Still need a bit of time”
Earlier this week, there were rumours that the Airpods would not even be available in 2016 and the company said it needs time to get the finished article, ready for the consumer. “We don’t believe in shipping a product before it is ready“, an Apple spokesperson said. “We need a little more time before AirPods are ready for our customers.”
The delay caused quite a bit of consumer frustration, because the new iPhone 7 has no traditional headphone plug, which means consumers can not charge and listen at the same time. The Airpods were Apple’s solution to that problem. It is also damaging to Apple’s image, known for its strong product launches.
In order to appease consumers (and mainly the Christmas shoppers), the electronics giant has now decided to speed up the Airpods’ market introduction. The increased competition in the bluetooth headphone market may also be a reason for Apple to move more quickly…
