The Apple AirPods Studio are facing more delays, as production on the over-ear headphones is reportedly facing a 'major hiccup'.
That's according to prominent Apple leaker Jon Prosser, who alleged in a tweet that the AirPods Studio won't be ready to ship until December at best, and could even be delayed until March next year.
First:Major hiccup in AirPods Studio production 😬A few key features have now been cut. Seems they still need to work some things out before we have final units.Looking like they won’t be ready to ship until December AT BEST. pic.twitter.com/oRRTXJQVhHOctober 14, 2020
In a follow-up tweet, Prosser says that, "technically, this means that (if everything goes smoothly and no further issues arise) they could still announce in November and ship in December" – but that it's just as likely that the AirPods Studio won't see the light of day until 2021.
- Apple AirPods Studio release date, price, and rumors
- Read our Apple AirPods (2019) review
- Or, check out the higher-spec AirPods Pro
Hope for the AirTags
Prosser also alleges that a few "key features" have been cut from the AirPods Studio – and while we don't know much about the specs, we're hoping that the headphones will come with Apple's UI chip as rumored.
This chip could be used to help users locate their headphones if they go missing, using the Find My app, as well as determining distance and direction, allowing the AirPods Studio to automatically recognize the left and right positioning of the headset. In other words, you could wear them any way round, and the left and right channels will still come out of the correct earcup.
The UI chip is also rumored to come in the long-awaited Apple AirTag, a Tile-rivaling tracker that leveraging the power of its iOS network to find anything you attached it attached it to – whether that's a handbag, a laptop, or a wallet.
And, according to Prosser, that's one device that we won't have to wait much longer for:
Second:With AirPods Studio now being pushed back, it now looks like Apple is going to launch AirTags after all.Currently, they’re on schedule to be released with iOS 14.3 (iOS 14.3 will contain features enabled for AirTags) and iOS 14.3 is supposed to be next month.. So... pic.twitter.com/Dl0DpMrH9YOctober 14, 2020
We had been hoping to see the AirPods Studio at the iPhone 12 launch on October 13 – but of course, they never materialized.
Instead, we saw the Apple HomePod mini, which was finally announced after years of rumors and speculation.
A smaller version of the original Apple HomePod, the new smart speaker comes with a range of cool new features, including the ability to cast voice messages to Apple devices – including AirPods – in your home.
HomePod mini rumors had been circulating since 2018 – here's hoping we don't need to wait another two years to see the AirPods Studio.
