Headphones

WSJ: AirPods delayed because of issues with dual Bluetooth connectivity

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 9, 2016

Apple’s mysterious AirPods delay continues to puzzle us. Marking a rare public misstep, the company's failed to make its first-ever Bluetooth earphones available in time for the critical holiday season because, as Apple said, it needed “a little more time before AirPods are ready for our customers.”

A person familiar with the product's development told the Wall Street Journal on Friday that the problem with the AirPods stems from Apple's efforts to “chart a new path for wireless headphones” and, specifically, resolve what happens when you lose one of the earphones or its battery dies on you.

Cook: AirPods shipping over the “next few weeks”

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 30, 2016

We were originally promised the AirPods in “late October” before Apple delayed launch because, as the company explained in a statement, “we don’t believe in shipping a product before it’s ready.” Since then, multiple sources reported conflicting availability information pertaining to the product, ranging from end of November to year-end to January 2017.

According to an alleged reply that a MacRumors reader received after emailing Tim Cook, Apple's first Bluetooth earphones with an in-house designed W1 wireless chip will be shipping to customers over the next few weeks.

French retailer tells customers AirPods will begin shipping on or around November 30

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated December 12, 2016

Another European reseller is claiming that it's privy to when Apple's $159 AirPods wireless headphones will start shipping after German authorized reseller Conrad told a customer a week ago that it would be kicking off AirPods sales tomorrow, November 18.

French retailer Fnac has apparently started the pre-order process for the wireless earphones.

Fnac reportedly told customers who pre-ordered their AirPods that the accessory would start shipping on or around Wednesday, November 30, Mac4Ever said Thursday.

Twelve South’s Fermata charging stand keeps your wireless headphones organized

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated August 30, 2023

With the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack on the iPhone 7 & 7 Plus, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to predict that many people will be moving to wireless Bluetooth headphones instead of wired ones.

Twelve South’s new Fermata charging stand for wireless headphones is a great accessory to have if you’re one of those people. It’ll keep your headphones out of your way on your desk while they charge, and it looks great too!

New Apple ad highlights Beats Solo3 Wireless 40-hour battery & on-ear controls

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 14, 2016

During the official iPhone 7 unveiling last month, Apple announced one brand new and two improved Beats by Dr. Dre headphones, all of which utilize the new Apple W1 wireless chip: Powerbeats3 Wireless, Solo3 Wireless and the upcoming BeatsX earphones. A new ad Apple posted Monday, featuring Karlie Kloss, Young M.A., Brunas Schmitz and Justine Skye, highlights some of the Solo3 Wireless features enabled by the W1 chip, like touch controls and a longer lasting 40-hour battery.

AirPods production said to kick off in December

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated December 12, 2016

A report earlier this week alleged that one of Apple’s European resellers told a customer it would receive first AirPods stock on November 17 and start selling the earphones by November 18-19.

Contradicting the story, Barclays analysts heard chatter in the Asian supply chain that mass production of the delayed accessory is scheduled to kick off in December in time for Christmas, but in limited quantities, Yahoo Finance reported Friday.

AirPods could launch next week, according to this Apple reseller

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 10, 2016

AirPods, Apple's Bluetooth earphones featuring the company's in-house designed W1 wireless chip, may be launching next week. That's the gist of a new report Thursday from German blog Apfelpage.de. The publication cited Apple's European reseller Conrad as confirming that it'll receive stock of the delayed earphones on November 17.

Conrad will reportedly make the AirPods sellable by November 18-19. The AirPods were originally advertised with a “late October” launch date until Apple said it needed more time to work out the issues. Apple.com currently lists them tentatively as “coming soon”.

Cut down on desktop clutter with Twelve South’s new Fermata headphone charging stand

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 2, 2016

Premium accessory maker Twelve South today unveiled a brand new accessory, the Fermata.

It's aimed at reducing desktop clutter by providing a minimal charging stand for on-ear headphones like the Beats Solo2 and their over-ear counterparts such as the Beats Solo3 wireless.

The $79.99 aluminum-clad accessory is available starting today in Black or Silver from Twelve South's webstore for customers in the United States and Japan, with an international edition coming soon.

AirPods may not ship until January 2017

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 1, 2016

After Apple shared disappointing news that the much vaunted AirPods aren’t quite ready yet and won't meet its self-imposed late-October deadline, a new report from Chinese-language Economic Daily News re-published Tuesday by Taiwanese trade publication DigiTimes suggests that Apple's first-ever wireless earphones may not actually go on sale before January of next year.

The headphone jack lives on with the new MacBook Pro

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

Yes, for those wondering, the new MacBook Pro has a standard headphone jack. Apple was met with a lot of criticism back in September when it introduced the iPhone 7 without the 3.5mm port, but it clearly isn't ready to bring the change to its laptop lines.

The move should appease the MacBook Pro's targeted audience, who won't have to worry about fiddling with adapters or pairing Bluetooth headphones/speakers. Music producers, for example, will be able to plug the computer directly into their current setups.

Powerbeats3 Wireless earphones with W1 chip & 12-hour battery available to preorder

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 25, 2016

Powerbeats3 Wireless earphones, a successor to the Powerbeats2 Wireless edition, are now available to buy from Apple.com in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, China and elsewhere. The accessory is available in White, Shock Yellow, Flash Blue, Black and Siren Red.

Listings for the $199.95 Bluetooth earphones on local Apple.com websites display delivery estimates ranging from 2-3 days to 1-2 weeks.

SteelSeries to launch a brand new gaming headset next Tuesday

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated September 6, 2017

Accessory maker SteelSeries designs some pretty cool Apple-compatible accessories. I use their Nimbus Wireless Gaming Controller to play games on my Apple TV and couldn't be happier with it. Today, the company said in an email blast to customers that they'll be “changing the gaming headset” next Tuesday.

“On October 4, we’re releasing our love letter to gamers,” teases the firm. The email offers a sneak peek at the upcoming on-ear wired headset said to provide comfort and high-quality sound.