Apple and its Beats subsidiary don’t seem to be having much luck with wireless in-ear headphone production. Following the continuing delay in bringing AirPods to market, an email from Apple authorized reseller B&H suggests that the BeatsX earphones will also be significantly delayed.
BeatsX – in-ear Bluetooth headphones with a cable connecting the two earpieces – still show a ‘coming this Fall’ date on Apple’s website. Since Fall officially ends on December 20, that gives the company just over a week to meet the deadline, but an email to B&H customers suggests they won’t ship for another 2-3 months.
A listing on the Beats by Dre website promises a late 2016 release which buys a little more time, but not in the 2-3 month range.
MacRumors noted the email to a customer who’d placed a pre-order.
It’s possible that Apple will have stock before resellers, but a 2-3 month delay suggests a pretty major problem.
This email is being sent in regards to your order for 1 of the Beats by Dr. Dre BeatsX In-Ear Headphones (Black).
We regret to inform you that the manufacturer has informed us that they still do not know when they will begin shipping this item but they do know that it will take at least 2-3 months. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this delay has caused you.
Apple has still not said when AirPods will ship. A report last week suggested a design flaw rather than a manufacturing problem.
There have been conflicting reports that AirPods may ship as soon as next week or as late as January. If the latter rumor is true, completely missing the holiday gift season would certainly indicate a very serious issue.
Apple has said AirPod earpieces each receive independent signals from an iPhone, Mac or other Apple device. But Apple must ensure that both earpieces receive audio at the same time to avoid distortion, the person familiar with their development said. That person said Apple also must resolve what happens when a user loses one of the earpieces or the battery dies.
