Apple AirPods Finally Go Up for Pre-Orders; Hit Stores December 21

Apple AirPods Finally Go Up for Pre-Orders; Hit Stores December 21

Apple's AirPods are finally offered to pre-order via the company's online store in the US, with the first shipments due to arrive by December 21 - the same day they will become accessible to buy via the company's own retail stores. The late-December launch will make the wireless earphones available just in time for the holiday season.

According to CNET, Apple announced the AirPods at its iPhone 7 launch in September. The newest iPhones dropped the traditional headphone jack in favor of a Lightning connector or Bluetooth headphones like the AirPods. The AirPods were originally slated to be presented in October, but Apple pushed the release back to an unspecified date.

'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,' said Apple in October. 

Now The wireless earphones are presented more than 100 countries the UK, US, Canada, Australia and Japan.They are also on sale in Hong Kong, France, China, Germany, Mexico, India, Netherlands and the UAE.

'AirPods will be shipping in limited quantities at launch and customers are encouraged to check online for updates on availability and estimated delivery dates'' said Apple. 

While some users had stated concern that they might lose the AirPods, Apple CEO Tim Cook says he 'never personally had one fall out since using them' and has used them on treadmills.

The AirPods are rated at $159 (Rs. 15,400 in India). While initially, the company had declared a late October availability for India as well, it is unclear when they will arrive in the country.

They are powered by Apple's new W1 wireless chip, the company's first wireless chip, which allow quick pairing and connectivity with the iPhone. The earphones are completely wire-free, with separate ear buds that are not associated with each other physically. The AirPods also feature dual optical sensors and accelerometers in each ear bud which work with the W1 chip which senses when the headphones are in our ears and only plays when we’re ready to listen. Double-tapping the AirPods enables Siri, and the microphone is designed to focus on voice and filter out external sound.

The AirPods are rated to deliver up to five hours of battery life on a single charge, and simply want to be inserted into the charging case to begin charging. The case can hold an additional charge, letting you go for up to 24 hours of usage without access to a power outlet, according to claims by Apple. The case also confirms easy pairing. It's worth noting that the AirPods are not solely-Bluetooth powered, in its place using a 'Bluetooth-like' technology developed by Apple.

"We don't believe in shipping a product before it's ready," Apple told CNET in October, "and we need a little more time before AirPods are ready for our customers."

Writing for CNET, Ashlee Clark Thompson says, "Wireless has become the way of the world for much of the technology in consumers' hands and homes. Doing away with the cord that links a phone to its earpieces means one less snarl in your pocket. Still, Apple caused quite a stir when it eliminated the standard headphone jack that people had used since forever to connect their headphones."