Apple grounds AirPods launch with shipping delay

Apple is going to miss its own deadline for shipping the AirPods wireless headphones. The Cupertino iPhone slinger told the media that it "needs a little more time" to get the cordless headset ready for release. "We don't believe in shipping a product before it's ready," Apple told multiple outlets. Apple introduced the …

[PhilipN]

Where do those things go, i.e. how are they supposed to fit, remembering that nobody these days wants to hear what anyone else is listening to? Given that the opening to my ear canal is tailored precisely to take, comfortably, a lump of (well used) chewing gum I do not think I am even going to bother trying these new iThingies.

Seems the bigger disaster is the abandonment not of the audio socket but of the soft rubber tips** to ensure a snug fit, and courteous and private enjoyment of loud music.

**of which I have accumulated a whole bloody drawer-full.

[Anonymous Coward]

The complete quote

'We don't believe in shipping a product before it is ready. We do it regularly, in fact we do it with almost everything, but we usually get away with saying it's user error. But we don't believe in it.'

Pete

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: The complete quote

""We don't believe in shipping a product before it's ready," Apple told multiple outlets."

Further fix: "Apple told everyone except el Reg"

[Winkypop]

Apple in-ear phones

Ouch!

My ears are incompatible.

Soft, squishy, types for me.

[toughluck]

By the way, if Apple said that a 3.5 mm jack would not fit in iPhone 7 because they wanted to make it thin, why not a 2.5 mm jack or thinner, but still a jack?

Oh, right, vendor lock-in.

[Anonymous Coward]

The iPhone 7 isn't any thinner than the iPhone 6 though.

[Philip Storry]

The iPhone 7 isn't any thinner than the iPhone 6 though.

And I think they painted themselves into a corner with the seeking of such slimness.

I have owned phones from the Sony Xperia Z line for the past for or so years, and they're great. But put them down next to an iPhone 6, you (just about) notice an extra half millimetre or so of thickness.

Just about enough room to put a nice rubber gasket in around the headphone jack, so that the phone is waterproof.

Having looked at them, I think that the iPhone 6/7 are too thin to waterproof AND have a headphone socket. They only had three options - waterproof it and make it thicker, waterproof it and remove the headphone jack, or don't waterproof it.

The wanted waterproofing, so that left them two options. I can't say for certain why they chose to remove the jack, but I suspect that Apple view making the device thicker as being a step backwards, and they lacked the courage to do that and put a bigger battery in. So they took the only way out that remained...

Of course, if they were Samsung/Sony/HTC/Huwai/Whoever, they could have just tested the market with another model. But they're Apple, and want as simple a product lineup as possible - hence my verdict of painting themselves into a corner.

[JeffyPoooh]

...Because they're LYING.

None of their justification for omitting the headphone socket makes any sense.

The truth is, it's just a money spinner.

[Darryl]

Re: ...Because they're LYING.

But. But, it was COURAGEOUS

[Wyrdness]

I'm not convinced that removing the headphone jack is a smart move, but how exactly is Bluetooth 'vendor lock-in'?

[toughluck]

@Wyrdness: You don't want to use Bluetooth in crowded spaces. People will, but it doesn't mean it's a good idea. A lot of interference will mean crap experience for everyone around. This is the reason that DECT headsets are very popular in offices.

Expect Apple to get rid of Bluetooth audio support next by introducing some proprietary version of Bluetooth or DECT.

[Geoff Campbell]

"Real artists ship"

Although to be fair I guess Jobs didn't say it had to be on time.

GJC

[I ain't Spartacus]

The problem isn't with production at all. They work fine, they've produced plenty of them. It's just that when it comes to packing them, they keep dropping one of each pair down the back of the conveyer belt.

As soon as the caretaker gets round to pulling the production line out of the way, and getting his broom right to the back - they'll have them all back in the boxes, and shipped out, lickety spit.

[I ain't Spartacus]

Well, it's either that, or they're waiting on the delays to production of the iParrot. This is an Apple device that sits on your shoulder, it does verbal commands like Amazon's Echo - while being much cooler of course. After all, who wouldn't want to say, "Aaaar Siri, what be the capital of France?" And Siri comes back with, "Paris be the capital city of France ye salty sea dog. Aaar!"

The iParrot is also a drone, that automatically flies down and catches fallen Apple ear pieces, the 7 or 8 times per journey that they will inevitably fall out.

It costs just $1,000, so will pay for itself after saving just 5 sets of earbuds from being lost. So in about 2 weeks...

[Wyrdness]

Given my experience of Siri, it would either answer, "Sorry I do not know what France is" or else, "The capital of France is a large city".

Siri - artificial stupidity at it's finest.

[Geoff Campbell]

Surely...

"The capital of France is F."

GJC

[Unep Eurobats]

But I want them NOW!!!!111!

They'll work with an iPhone 4, right?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: But I want them NOW!!!!111!

Yes they will work with all devices that support Bluetooth. Only the W1 chip is used for quicker pairing with newer devices

[Nick Pettefar]

Oh no!

Ah yes, this is the iPhone that comes with a set of earbuds with a Lightning connector AND an adapter for your other ear-thingies, right? Oh and also Bluetooth....

[Gis Bun]

Dummies. Not too smart. You want this iGadget to be released at the same time as the iExpensive. Like selling a big screen TV but the remote isn't available yet.

[Anonymous Coward]

All headphones work on iPhone 7

The iPhone 7 does have a headphone jack, it accept all the 3.5" headphones I have plugged it into it and they work just as well as before.

I then just remove the small adaptor and I can also use Lighting headphones (which are provided)

Even better I can remove all cables and just use wireless headphones.

[John Brown (no body)]

Re: All headphones work on iPhone 7

"Even better I can remove all cables and just use wireless headphones."

And even that's not an Apple thing. All smartphones have bluetooth and can woth with bluetooth headphones and have done for years.

The ONLY thing different about the iPhone7 in terms of audio out is the requirement of the supplied adaptor if you want use the vast majority of existing headphones. I have no idea why this is even a story. There's no innovation or new features here. There may be in other parts of the phone or the OS, but not in the audio out.

[Anonymous Coward]

Actually quite comfortable

Apple Earpods and these new ones actually sit in the ear nicely although they dont cut off external sound as much as though with rubber ends.

Regarding falling out of your ears, doubt that would happen as it doesn't happen now with wired versions and with no cable to drag on them, they are even less likely to do so. And if they did fall out, think you would notice after the sound stops playing into your head.

[John Brown (no body)]

Re: Actually quite comfortable

"Regarding falling out of your ears, doubt that would happen as it doesn't happen now with wired versions "

They do if you're eating. The number of people who chew gum with their mouths open seem to be on the upward curve of the regular cycle so all those hipsters who like to keep up with the latest fashions might have issues :-)

[John Brown (no body)]

Apple's planned "spaceship" campus

"Apple's planned "spaceship" campus will not hit its targeted opening date thanks to construction delays."

So, if it misses the launch window, what are the implication for the mission as a whole? Is there another launch window available in a good time slot? Can they choose one to make the launch happen in time for prime time news? Will it be streamed on YouTube or must I have an iTiunes account?

[allthecoolshortnamesweretaken]

Re: Apple's planned "spaceship" campus

1. Negligible, because

2. Yes

3. Yes (but probably won't)

4. No, so, yes

EDIT - I almost forgot: after completion of 'spaceship' campus, Apple will sue GCHQ over design of Cheltenham 'doughnut'.