Last year was a rough one for Apple when it came to headphones. Its own true wireless headphones, the AirPods, were originally scheduled to ship in October, but only became available for purchase in December. That same day, another audio product from the company — the BeatsX wireless earphones — had its release pushed back to February 2017. Fortunately, Apple has held to its word, and the headphones will arrive later this week.
Alongside the launch of the iPhone 7, the first not to include a headphone jack, Apple announced a total of four wireless headphone options: the AirPods, and three Beats-branded products, all of which are powered by its W1 chip. The two other Beats products announced — the Solo3 and the Powerbeats3 — shipped in 2016.
It seemed that the headphones’ release was imminent when models began showing up in various Apple stores, but as of this morning, the product page for the BeatsX still simply reads that the headphones are coming in February 2017. The official release date was instead revealed by the official Beats By Dre Twitter account via a tweet containing a short video clip and the words “available Feb. 10.”
Apple has yet to confirm the reason behind the delay of its AirPods or the BeatsX, but the fact that both products use the W1 chip could have something to do with the delay — but it wouldn’t explain why the Solo3 and Powerbeats3, also powered by the W1 chip, have launched without issue.
Unlike those headphones, which recharge via Micro USB, the BeatsX use a Lightning port to recharge. The BeatsX also feature a Fast Fuel feature that promises users two hours of playback from a five-minute charge. This also may have had something to do with the delay, but for now, we have no way of knowing what the culprit is.
Once the BeatsX are available, they will retail for $150. If you’d rather opt for something else, the Beats Powerbeats3 sell for $200, while Apple’s AirPods sell for $160.
Story originally published on December 16, 2016. Updated by Kris Wouk on 02-07-2017: Edited to add the official release information for the Beats X.
