The Trouble With Apple's AirPods

The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus dropped the 3.5mm headphone jack and pushed Apple's agenda of wireless audio. The wire free AirPods were Apple's graceful solution but we're still waiting on them. Originally available weeks after the new iPhones in October and now delayed to late 2016, there are reports that the AirPods could be delayed into 2017.

The new details come from supply chain analysis, specifically  Inventec's  projected profit boost in January. Inventec is believed to be supplying the wireless buds to Apple so this is seen as a key indicator. It's a bit of a stretch (naturally Taniyama-Shimura applies) but if I put that to the side and stick with Apple's announcements, the tale of the AirPods reflects badly on Tim Cook and his team.

Even if Apple does make its new launch window of 'late 2016', the three-month gap between the launch of the jack-less iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus and the availability of the AirPods is not a significant PR problem. Much of the heat around the headphone jack removal was neutered before the launch of the iPhone 7 in the eighteen months since the first leak. What fury there was in the media was mostly neutered by the inclusion of a lightning to 3.5mm dongle in the retail packaging.

What it does illustrate is Apple's attention to detail. In a perfect world the AirPods would have been immediately on sale alongside the two iPhones. It would have been an easy up-sell for retail staff and would have illustrated Apple's push towards wireless audio. Instead the release was advertised as late October - a few weeks after the handset release. Not a disaster, but a touch awkward.

The delayed deadline has passed and with it the promise of another deadline, this time for late 2016. That's two dates missed. If as reported it does slip into 2017 for delivery Apple will have waited four months between its courageous decision and providing its preferred solution to a self-imposed problem.

No doubt the design and the marketing decisions to go wireless were strong, but operationally something has gone amiss. Not having AirPods available per se is not a cause for concern, the fact that this has been allowed to happen is.

Now read about one company's project to design the best wireless earbuds in the world...