Key sentence:
- For several consumers making new orders with the company online, the new $550 AirPods Max headphones from Apple Inc.
- Australia and France are also expected to launch some versions by the end of this year.
- A silver AirPods Max pair was valued at $1,199 by one seller, claiming it was a “B4 Christmas Guarantee.”
- Although in the afternoon, the shipping delays soon ramped up.
For several consumers making new orders with the company online, the new $550 AirPods Max headphones from Apple Inc. won’t arrive in time for the holiday season.
As per the study:
Based on a study of Apple’s U.S. website on Tuesday afternoon, the Cupertino, California-based technology giant quoted wait times of 12 to 14 weeks for all five colour choices. This marks some of the longest delivery delays in recent history for a new Apple product.
Quoting shipping times for many colours:
Apple quotes delivery times for several colours in January and February for clients in many other nations, including China, Canada, Japan as well as Germany.
Australia and France are also expected to launch some versions by the end of this year. Apple is estimating up to a 14-week wait for the blue edition for consumers in the U.K. while three weeks for other colours.
As per Apple’s website:
According to Apple’s website, opting for a free engraving tends to shorten the delivery wait dramatically in the U.S., bringing it down to 2-3 weeks for certain colours. In Japan, with the customization choice chosen, the earliest shipments go around Feb. 6 to Dec. 26.
As Bloomberg News stated:
Apple was hoping to draw holiday shoppers by placing the accessory on sale in December, but the shipping delays could upset that approach.
Apple had intended to introduce the headphones earlier this fall but faced issues as the headband was considered too tight by some testers, Bloomberg News stated early this year.
Headphones on sale from Tuesday morning:
As early as Dec. 15, initial orders for both colours were ready for delivery when the headphones went up for sale Tuesday morning. Although in the afternoon, the shipping delays soon ramped up.
That spurred eBay resellers to demand high premiums, with many listings asking before Christmas for $849 or more for delivery. A silver AirPods Max pair was valued at $1,199 by one seller, claiming it was a “B4 Christmas Guarantee.”
Many Apple retail stores remained open, and when the first deliveries begin next week, it is uncertain whether availability in physical locations or third-party retailers would be better.
