Apple, the world's largest information technology by revenue today, has been making headlines since September for pre-launching the most anticipated iPhone accessories this year--"Apple AirPods." The concept of "wireless, effortless, magical" earphones through removing the typical headphone jack was intended to be officially launched by October. But after a number of delays, tech insiders and Apple retail sources say that AirPods will be available in the market before the year ends. This is contrary to earlier reports that it would be in January 2017.
"Sources familiar with the company's plans indicated that internally, there is no official delay until January for shipment of the wireless earbuds," said Apple Insider in its report.
AirPods, a wireless earphone set powered by Apple's W1 chip, connects to Apple devices such as like iPhones, iPads and Mac gadgets instantly once put in your ears. The untangled earpiece has a built-in mic, which is poised to deliver high-quality audio experience. One of the best features is it can reportedly last five hours on a single charge and comes with its own charging case.
With AirPods, Siri can be activated with just a couple of taps. Siri also helps AirPod users change the volume, select music and check the battery of the device. It is also equipped with an accelerometer, which helps detect the voice of the AirPod user.
It allows one to enjoy high-quality music without any effect to sound quality using its Bluetooth connectivity. Its W1 wireless chip helps in transferring and recognizing music that goes through the AirPods. The wireless chip also includes the radios to transfer music from the iPhone to the AirPods.
The chip can process AirPods' audio codecs, provide stereo synchronization, and handle user controls. The chip also makes pairing and switching between devices extremely easy compared to most Bluetooth speakers and headphones.
The ultra-advanced features of AirPods have caused craze in both online and mainstream media, among iPhone fans and insiders despite its pricey $159 tag. Apple has obviously been doing its best to live up with the overwhelming expectations. "The early response to AirPods has been incredible. We don't believe in shipping a product before it's ready, and we need a little more time before AirPods are ready for our customers," an Apple spokesperson in an official statement.
Although iPhone aficionados have been expressing frustrations online over the delay last October of the launch of the most advanced wireless headset in the market. But fans would be delighted to know that according to an AppleInsider report, an Apple retail source noted that some AirPod demo units are actually already available in 6 stores out of ten polled by the publication.
The retail staff has already received product trainings according to the same report. "We're ready to go anytime. We've got a few pairs for customer demonstration that we're just waiting on the word to start with," said the Apple retail source. With these notes from Apple retail sources themselves, one may hope that the launch could be at least ahead of the holiday shopping season, perfect for people looking to buy the wireless earbuds as a gift.
AirPods was first unveiled in September when the company introduced the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Since the announcement and delays, some worries have been expressed by fans due to its high price tag when it looks like the AirPods may easily fall off. This has caused for some developers to release products for security purposes such as Spigen AirPods Strap. However, Apple CEO Tim Cook himself provided assurance that the AirPods won't easily fall off when performing day-to-day activities, even when dancing.
AirPods is one of the selections of W1-empowered headphones such as Powerbeats3 and Beats Solo 3 of the tech titan Apple. In addition to the W1, AirPods also include beam-forming microphones, accelerometers and infrared sensors. Apple is yet to announce the official launch date of AirPods.
