It might be worth putting Apple’s AirPods on your present list for this holiday season, as a recent listing from an official Czech Apple retailer suggests they could start shipping in December.
The retailer, Alza, currently has the AirPods available for pre-order, but Czech publication Letem Svetem Applem noticed the expected shipping date is listed as December. As Alza is an authorized Apple retailer this date is worth paying attention to, though it should be noted that Apple’s official Czech store still doesn’t have the AirPods available.
Apple’s AirPods were revealed at the company’s press conference in September as the official wireless headphone accessory for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, both of which lost the traditional headphone jack.
Keep an ear to the ground
The earbuds were originally expected to be released in October, but Apple delayed this, saying it required “a little more time” to get the product ready. There’s been no word since then on when we can expect to see the AirPods released, with official Apple websites still saying they’re “currently unavailable”.
TechRadar contacted Apple about the reports of a possible December release date, but the company declined to comment.
This isn’t the first rumor in recent days about the launch of the AirPods; only last week reports emerged from Germany suggesting the earphones would be released on November 18.
That date is fast approaching and Apple has yet to make an announcement, so it’s clear that reports from authorized retailers should be taken with a pinch of salt. However, both these reports suggest we could at leat see the AirPods launched before the year is out.
Though there’s still no official word, releasing the AirPods at the height of the holiday shopping season would be a good opportunity to maximize sales. Owners of the iPhone 7 are likely to already be on the hunt for a good pair of wireless headphones, and the option of an official Apple pair will be appealing.