Removing the headphone jack from the iPhone 7 wasn't about making life harder for the Apple faithful: the wireless AirPods were intended to fill the void (and at $159 a pair, also to make Apple a little extra cash).
But that plan has now been postponed. AirPod shipments, which were supposed to begin by the end of October, have been indefinitely delayed.
"The early response to AirPods has been incredible. We don't believe in shipping a product before it's ready, and we need a little more time before AirPods are ready for our customers," an Apple spokesperson told TechCrunch.
The basic design work for the AirPods has already been completed. At Apple's iPhone 7 unveiling event in September, PCMag analyst Sascha Segan found them to be comfortable and sound great, but also to be eminently losable.
So the need for "a little more time" is likely related to supply chain issues, which Apple CEO Tim Cook said yesterday have plagued iPhone 7 sales and resulted in a decline in shipments and revenue. As TechCrunch notes, the delay could also be related to hardware or software issues. Apple's website still lists the AirPods as available in "late October."
The AirPods are tiny, smooth white earbuds each with an inch-long stem. They come in a smooth white case with a flip-open top. The idea is that you'll always keep them in the case, which also has an extra battery in it. The AirPods last five hours, but the case recharges the pods and has about four more charges in it, for a total of 24 hours.