Following reports of production delays, it looks like Apple’s headphone-jack-killing wireless headphones won’t make it onto shelves in time for Christmas.
Newsletters sent out to Apple customers advising them of music-related Christmas deals included no mention of the highly-anticipated true wireless earbuds.
The omission has led credence to rumors that the AirPods will miss 2016 entirely and target early 2017 when it comes to their launch window.
Speculators have suggested that the new AirPods, having missed Black Friday, will likely be rolled out alongside Apple’s next generation of iPads.
Back in October, Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller told Reuters that “we don’t believe in shipping a product before it’s ready, and we need a little more time before AirPod are ready for our customers.”
That said, it’s still a pretty embarrassing move for Apple given the emphasis that their iPhone 7 reveal and marketing has placed the removal of the headphone jack.
They’ve removed what many consider to be a basic requirement for smartphones but failed to properly implement their replacement as initially promised.
It’s a development likely to be a boon for companies like Jabra, Bragi and Sol Republic who have rolled out AirPod-competitors over the last few months but a definite hiccup for Apple.