Microsoft is delaying its Surface Earbuds until 2020

Microsoft is delaying the launch of its true wireless Surface Earbuds until next spring, saying it needs more time to get the experience right.

The AirPods rivals had previously been scheduled to launch before the end of 2019, but now Microsoft says it is holding back on the launch until well into the new year.

Microsoft’s chief product manager Panos Panay wrote in a tweet that the product won’t launch until the best possible experience had been achieved.

The tweet states: “Product-making is about the relentless pursuit to get all the details right, which takes time…sometimes more than we planned on. To ensure we deliver the best possible experience for you, our fans & customers, Surface Earbuds will now launch worldwide in Spring 2020.”

Surprisingly announced at Microsoft’s Surface event in October, the buds promise omnisonic sound, a 24-hour battery life including the charging case and touch controls.

With a somewhat odd-looking cylinder-like design when plugged into the ears, Microsoft says they’ll maintain stability while in the ear. They’re designed with productivity in mind, so there’s Office 365, Cortana and Spotify integration too.

Users will be able to dictate words to Office documents via a translation feature, according to Microsoft’s presentation this autumn. We don’t know too much more about the Surface Earbuds at this stage, other than they’ll cost $249 in the United States, which puts them on a part with Apple’s AirPods Pro earbuds.

Related: Apple AirPod (2019) review

When they eventually arrive on the scene, they’ll be entering a competitive market, loaded with entries from the key smartphone players, as well as the incumbent audio giants and startups. Microsoft is seemingly targeting those already deeply integrated with its Surface and hardware and Windows software ecosystem.

Will you be buying the Surface Earbuds true wireless earphones when they eventually arrive on the scene next year? Let us know @TrustedReviews on Twitter.