Production delays could push back the launch of new AirPods
The wait continues
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The spread of the coronavirus pandemic and the world’s efforts to contain it have caused havoc with tech release schedules this year, and it would appear that the next version of theApple AirPodsare the latest bit of gadgetry to get delayed.
A new report in theNikkei Asian Reviewsuggests thatAppleis hastily trying to shift some of its AirPods production to Vietnam instead of China, and that it’s having a knock-on effect on its plans to bring out new versions of the earbuds this year.
That matches up with something we heard from a respected Apple analyst last month: Ming-Chi Kuo, who is often on the mark when it comes to Apple predictions, has already said wewon’t see new AirPodsuntil 2021.
The Nikkei Asian Review report also says AirPods demand has been hit by the spread of the coronavirus and the closure of many Apple Stores worldwide. Production on the current AirPods models has been scaled down by 10 percent, apparently.
Stay tuned
Don’t give up hope just yet though – we’ve also heard rumors from a respected source that a new version of the AirPods are in factready to goand were due to launch in March, at an event that was canceled as Covid-19 spread.
That tip was from Jon Prosser, who is usually accurate in his information. He did however say the new AirPods could appear alongside a new MacBook Pro – the MacBook Prohas now been unveiled, but the earbuds are nowhere to be seen.
Part of the confusion is because these leaks might all refer to different versions of the AirPods. A ‘lite’ edition of the earbuds are apparently on the cards, without noise canceling, while ‘pro’ over-the-ear headphones are also said tobe in the pipeline.
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A lot of rumor-collecting is educated guesswork, and the global pandemic we’re all currently living through has added even more chaos and confusion. It’s safe to say we can definitely look forward to new AirPods – it’s just a question of when.
ViaMacRumors
Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you’ll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.
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