Apple AirPods release date, specs, features UK | New Apple wireless earphones release date: Conflicting reports say AirPods will ship 17 Nov... or not until Jan 2017

Apple's stunning, but controversial AirPods wireless headphones are delayed until January 2017. How much will AirPods cost, when will AirPods be available in the UK and more importantly, what do AirPods offer? Read on to find out all the details. Latest: Conflicting reports say AirPods will ship 17 Nov... or not until Jan 2017

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 closer to £200. 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!

Except... one report suggests they could arrive a little earlier than that. The German-language site apfelpage.de, as spotted by Digital Spy, thinks the AirPods will arrive in stores on 17 November ready for a sale launch on 18-19 November. This is according to the site's anonymous source, although they were able to identify him or her as an employee at the Apple reseller Conrad.

"According to information from the employee," said the Apfelpage reader who sent in the tip, as interpreted by Google Translate, "they have stockpiles from 17.11, I will then store them between 18-19 November."

It should be noted that, regardless of all these rumours, no official release date has been confirmed by Apple. The company merely stated, when announcing that it wouldn't be able to hit the expected October schedule, that it didn't feel "ready for its customers".