Just where the heck are Apple's premium in-ear headphones? (Update: Oops. They're now for sale.)
At a certain point, a pair of opalescent iPod buds roping out from your pocket and inserted into your ears had a certain hipster cache, largely thanks to Apple's own silhouette iPod ads. I always thought this a rather interesting phenomenon, because I never particularly thought people using the stock iPod ear buds were particularly cool: rather, they seem to appeal mostly to tone deaf idiot masochists. iPod ear buds suck: as comfortable as hardened gum rolled in glass and plunged into the ear canal, and just as acoustically satisfying.
Ever since the "Let's Rock" event in September, Steve Jobs has been promising an up date with premium in-ear headphones including a built-in remote and microphone. They'd go for $79 and compete with higher end buds by Shure and Klipsch, which can go for hundreds of dollars. I've been looking forward to them: they'd double as a hands-free for the iPhone, and they were only $79. Jobs promised they'd be released in October: they weren't. And, in fact, they're still no where in sight.
According to MacBlogzs, Steve Jobs himself was unhappy with the new buds, demanding that they beat the sound and built quality of all other high end ear buds. He pushed back on Apple's designers, who in turn had to push back on the overseas manufacturers, delaying the product for an unknown length of time. But MacBlogz then goes on to state that another source says they are simply being delayed until closer to the holidays as a marketing move. So it looks like there's still the chance of a Christmas delivery, no matter how cynically manufactured.
Apple Premium Headphones Delayed For Design Improvements, Holiday Hype [MacBlogz]
Update: Oh for Jeebus' sakes... fifteen minutes after I write the post and then I read they're now for sale, with a shipping date of 7-10 business days.
the latest
latest episodes
"And, in fact, they're still no where in sight."
Actually, they are now available for order at the online Apple Store.
Yup. http://store.apple.com/us/product/MA850G/A?fnode=MTY1NDA0Ng
The remote and microphone don't work with the iPhone? Total bummer.
I would buy these if they worked with the iPhone, and came in black. Currently I'm using the earbuds that came packaged with the iPhone as my hands free option and am... less than satisfied.
Would anyone care to recommend a iphone friendly set of earbuds?
@Captcha, these are expensive, but I really like them: http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2008/10/02/a-couple-of-weeks-wi-1.html
Rumor has it that the mic and the pause button works, just not the track changing.
http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2008/09/09/apple-event-a-few-extra-details-you-didnt-get
I just ordered a set for my iPhone (3G), I'll report in if the mic or pause buttons do not work as "advertised".
I'm happier with Jobs being picky about the sound quality, there are too many crappy (read: sacrificing clarity for heavy bass) headsets out there for the iPhone and those that aren't crappy are sure a lot more expensive than $80.
Thanks for jinxing the headsets into availability, I'd recommend folks mail order them 'cause the folks at the local Apple store said they were getting repeated requests for the headsets and they're probably going to run out. Free shipping is cool, anyways.
anything else you're looking forward to that you can wish into existence? strike while the iron is hot!
Am I the only person in the world that actually liked those original earbuds? I just bought another pair, to replace my in-ear buds that I purchased recently after the original earbuds died.
John, if you'd have jumped on this bandwagon yesterday like most of the other Mac press, you'd at least have got more than 15 min out of the story. ;)
And we're all just waiting to see if they really do sound good, and if the buttons work with the iPhone. If they really are incompatible with the iPhone, it's a huge screw up... If they really sound as good as the hype, they are a lot cheaper than other 2-driver canalphones out there.
John write a piece about Duke Nuke'm Forever Quick
Anyone seen these:
http://www.sony.co.uk/product/hed-stereo-bluetooth/dr-bt21ik
Not sure if the microphone works with the Iphone, but the headphones work excellently with my ipod touch and they double up nicely as a headset for teamspeak when playing computer games!
Plus they were going for half price from a shop in the UK called Argus so only £40 which was nice!
Skullcandy makes a good pair of iphone friendly headphones.
http://www.skullcandy.com/shop/iphone-fmj-p-72.html