Apple is now offering in-store pickups of its new wireless and voice-enabled earphones called AirPods, which was unveiled at its September Keynote that also brought the iPhone 7 and the Apple Watch series 2 into the fore.
Apple has enabled an in-store pickup tool on its website, letting users place orders directly on the site and have the units picked up at the nearest Apple store.
You Can Also Buy The AirPods From Verizon
The AirPods are also now being sold through Verizon's website, which is an alternative recourse should users fail to secure a unit through Apple directly. eBay scalpers, however, continue to sell the AirPods with ludicrous markups.
Apple said in its announcement that the AirPods would be available at its own retail stores, authorized resellers, and select carrier stores this week. The retail stores would receive regular shipments of the device, according to Apple, though online orders from its site still list a six-week delivery window, which is an appallingly long time for potential customers who want to buy one before Christmas.
Best Buy Is Selling The AirPods Too
Best Buy is also apparently getting shipments of AirPods, though the product quotes February as the estimated shipping date, which is no better than Apple's situation. However, one reader from 9to5Mac was able to receive the order just a few hours after placement, so your mileage may vary.
How To Order The AirPods Through Apple's Site Via In-Store Pickup Tool
For those who want to get the AirPods directly from Apple's site, they may visit the AirPods listing and click on "Check Availability" under the "Add to Bag" button. The site will open up the in-store pickup tool. Enter the appropriate zip code, and Apple will list all Apple Stores located within the submitted zip code that carries the AirPods.
Apple AirPods
The AirPods is Apple's proprietary wireless headphones that comes embedded with the W1 chip for improved audio quality over wireless connections, alongside efficient battery consumption. The AirPods boasts five hours of listening time on a single charge.
The device is flanked with optical sensors and motion accelerometers that control the audio, automatically halting music when the headphones are yanked off the ear, for instance. Users may also double tap the AirPods to activate Siri and do a number of voice commands. The AirPods also seamlessly pairs and integrates with all Bluetooth-enabled Apple products such as iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, and MacBooks.
The Apple AirPods retails for $159.
But of course, the AirPods isn't the only wireless headphones solutions out there. For those unwilling to succumb to Apple's six-week shipping window, there are alternatives that rival Apple's cans, and they might even be better — and cheaper — than the AirPods.
Will you be getting the AirPods? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
