Apple has delayed the launch of its new wireless AirPod earbuds.
The tech company unveiled a wireless model of its iconic white headphones together with a headphone jack-free iPhone 7 at an event in September.
At the time, Apple said the headphones would start shipping at the end of October but a spokesperson later clarified that “we need a little more time before AirPods are ready for our customers”.
Apple have not given an updated release date for the AirPods despite a new report by analysts at Barclays that production will begin in December.
They wrote: “We did hear that the AirPods should finally start production in December but units are fairly small at 10-15M to start.”
However, it now appears unlikely that they will be on sale before the end of the year. As Pitchfork notes, the AirPods aren’t listed on Apple’s holiday shopping guide and their product listing page simply says they are “currently unavailable.”
The response to Apple’s AirPods has been mixed with some commentators pointing out that their form factor could make them easy to lose while others have voiced concerns over their battery life.