The Apple AirPods are going to run into supply problems yet again. Those planning to secure a pair of the Siri-enabled wireless headphones to give as a holiday gift would need to look elsewhere, as the Apple Store now shows a delivery date of January for AirPods.
That means the right time to buy it was several weeks ago, back when Apple still had plenty of supply.
AirPods orders from the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, and a handful of other countries won't ship until the holiday season ends, as MacRumors reports.
Don't think of going to an Apple Store and other brick-and-mortar retailers, either — AirPods are also out of stock at those places, apparently. AT&T at least appear to still have some of them in stock, although customers will likely have to shell out $14.95 for expedited shipping. Those willing to shell out the extra shipping fee can go ahead and do so, but it's a significant compromise considering Apple ships them for free.
Apple AirPods Stock Problems
This isn't the first time for Apple to have AirPods production woes. Even before launching in December last year, the initial set of orders was delayed by months as Apple ironed out quality issues.
It was met with mixed criticism, however, in large part because of some who were disappointed about the lack of a headphone jack on newer iPhone models. While Apple does include a Lighting-to-headphone jack port in the box, people have had to compromise by instead opting for Bluetooth headphones, which aren't exactly the cheapest.
Yet the $160 pair of headphones seemed to have sold quite well despite mixed opinions, because since then, there's been periodic supply shortages of the AirPods every few months. Though as Gizmodo notes, this particular shortage appear to be related to a surge in holiday sales. There's also the fact that nearly everyone who bought the AirPods were reportedly satisfied with their purchase.
AirPods Alternatives To Consider
So, what should customers do now? Fortunately for them, there's no shortage in the number of perfectly good alternatives to consider. Some of these include Apple's BeatsX earphones, which from its usual $150 is now down to $99; the Jaybird X3 earbuds, which retails for $130; and JBL's Reflect Mini, which retails for $80. For more, check out Tech Times' article on the best AirPods alternatives.
Thoughts about the AirPods? Were you planning to give them as a gift to friends or relatives this holiday season? As always, feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
