The case of the Apple AirPods is a strange anomaly in the history of the Cupertino-based tech company.
When was the last time the company famed for its precision announced a product only to delay its release for months on end without an official reason?
The “a little more time” line trotted out a couple of months ago hasn’t been clarified beyond a vague “next few weeks” shipping deadline from CEO Tim Cook.
While Apple continues to keep eager customers waiting, we may finally have a reason for the delay, courtesy of Wall Street Journal sources.
Related: Why you’ll need ‘courage’ to wear Apple AirPods
The report (via 9to5Mac) states: “…the trouble appears to stem from Apple’s effort to chart a new path for wireless headphones. In most other wireless headphones, only one earpiece receives a signal from the phone via wireless Bluetooth technology; it then transmits the signal to the other earpiece.”
There have also been issues for Apple to overcome in cases where one of the AirPods becomes lost or broken.
“Apple has said AirPod earpieces each receive independent signals from an iPhone, Mac or other Apple device. But Apple must ensure that both earpieces receive audio at the same time to avoid distortion, the person familiar with their development said. That person said Apple also must resolve what happens when a user loses one of the earpieces or the battery dies.”
With issues ongoing it’s now highly questionable whether the AirPods will ship in time for Christmas, which is now little more than two weeks away.
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Will you be buying AirPods when they eventually ship? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
