When will Apple release its wireless AirPods? What do AirPods offer? How much will Apple’s wireless headphones cost?

Rumours regarding Apple working on wireless headphones aren’t new – they’ve been doing the rounds for years. However, what is new is the announcement of AirPods, Apple’s wireless earphones, during the iPhone 7 launch. How much will AirPods cost, when will AirPods be available in the UK and more importantly, what do AirPods offer? These are all the questions we look to answer in this article.

Apple AirPods release date, price UK: UK price

So, how much will Apple’s new wireless AirPods set back the average consumer in the UK? Apple will sell the wireless earphones for £159 in the UK once they are released, which doesn’t seem too bad when you consider that other wireless earphones (like Earin) cost around £150. However, the fact that the AirPods cost the same in dollars ($159) as they do in pounds may make prospective UK buyers feel a little hard done by.

Apple AirPods release date, price UK: Release date

If you can swallow that price tag, the wireless AirPods will be available in January 2017 from the Apple Store – according to Chinese supply chain sources. This might come to a disappointment to some, given that the initial release date was set for ‘late October’, but there have evidently been unforeseen delays. You’ll have to hold out from treating others or yourself until after Christmas!

There was a rumour suggesting that a mid-November 2016 release seems likely, with 17 November looking most likely. However, that day came and went without any announcement from Apple – does this mean we won’t be seeing AirPods in 2016?

While many thought so, a recent report seems to prove otherwise. As first reportedby MacRumours, an unhappy Apple fan sent an email to Apple CEO Tim Cook enquiring about the release date of Apple’s wireless earphones, as he wanted to decide whether or not to buy a different pair of wireless headphones. Much to their surprise, Cook allegedly emailed back:

“Thank you for your note. Sorry for the delay—we are finalizing them and I anticipate we will begin to ship over the next few weeks.”

While “the next few weeks” leaves much to the imagination, it’s possible that we could see a mid-December release, just in time for Christmas. MacRumours claims that it was able to verify that the email’s headers came from Apple’s company servers, and Cook is known to reply to customer emails every now and again, so this could be confirmation from the horses mouth that the AirPods are coming, and they’re coming very soon.