Some were hoping that Apple's first over-the-ear wireless headphones, the AirPods Studio, would appear at last week's iPhone 12 event. The headphones were not announced, of course, and according to one leaker, may not materialize for a long time.
According to Jon Prosser, an Apple leaker with a varied track record, "a major glitch in the manufacturing of the AirPods Studio" means that "several key features" are now abandoned.
"Technically, this means that (if all goes smoothly and no further issues arise) we can announce in November and ship in December," he added.
"However, there is a strong possibility that the B515 (AirPods Studio) will not be released until March 2021."
According to Prosser, there is another product that will not be updated this year: the Apple TV. When asked if there will be a new model, he answered quite frankly that there will be no new Apple TV until next year, which is surprising since in May Prosser had said that an Apple TV 4K with A12 "could be released at any time."
But it's not all bad news when it comes to delays; AirTags, Apple's location tracking answer to Tile, is said to be on schedule and could launch anytime." Prosser tweeted, "With AirPods Studio delayed, it looks like Apple will launch AirTags after all." As of now, it is scheduled to be released with iOS 14.3 (iOS 14.3 will include features for AirTags), and iOS 14.3 should be next month."
Adding that AirTags is "done & ready to go," Prosser said it depends on when Apple thinks it is the right time to announce. He later said, "I think Tim is just spinning the bottle to set a release date."
If so, AirTags could appear on November 17, when the first Apple Silicon MacBook is rumored to be released. Another possibility is that Apple will announce AirTags via press release, but that seems unlikely.
After all, this is a completely new type of product for Apple, and while everyone understands the rationale for refreshed MacBooks and iPads, AirTags will probably need some kind of on-stage demonstration to fully demonstrate its potential. We'll find out eventually.
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