Apple Increased AirPods Production Capacity, But Still Unable to Meet Demand

airpods 4During today's earnings call covering the third fiscal quarter of 2017, Apple CEO Tim Cook briefly mentioned the company's super popular hard-to-come-by wireless earphones, the AirPods.

According to Cook, production capacity has been bumped up, but because of the high level of demand, Apple is still unable to make enough to reach supply/demand balance.

We're also seeing incredible enthusiasm for AirPods. 98 percent customer satisfaction based on Creative Strategy's survey. We have increased production capacity for AirPods and are working very hard to get them to customers as quickly as we can, but we are still not able to meet the strong level of demand.

Priced at $159, Apple's AirPods are wire-free earphones that feature Bluetooth and an Apple-designed W1 chip for a better connection and simple transfers between different devices. AirPods are equipped with an infrared sensor to detect when they're in the ear, and they support a range of touch-based gestures.

Since launch, AirPod supplies have been severely constrained and ship out from the online Apple Store in the U.S. in six weeks. That six week mark has not budged since December, but Apple retail stores occasionally have them in stock as do third-party retailers like Best Buy.

Related Roundup: AirPods 3
Buyer's Guide: AirPods (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: AirPods

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Production Will Reportedly Begin Ramping Up in October

Tuesday July 23, 2024 2:00 pm PDT by
Following nearly two years of rumors about a fourth-generation iPhone SE, The Information today reported that Apple suppliers are finally planning to begin ramping up mass production of the device in October of this year. If accurate, that timeframe would mean that the next iPhone SE would not be announced alongside the iPhone 16 series in September, as expected. Instead, the report...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature

iPhone 17 Lineup Specs Detail Display Upgrade and New High-End Model

Monday July 22, 2024 4:33 am PDT by
Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...
Generic iPhone 17 Feature With Full Width Dynamic Island

Kuo: Ultra-Thin iPhone 17 to Feature A19 Chip, Single Rear Camera, Semi-Titanium Frame, and More

Wednesday July 24, 2024 9:06 am PDT by
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared alleged specifications for a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model rumored to launch next year. Kuo expects the device to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display with a current-size Dynamic Island, a standard A19 chip rather than an A19 Pro chip, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G chip. He also expects the device to have a...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Less Than Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Thursday July 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
icloud private relay outage

iCloud Private Relay Experiencing Outage

Thursday July 25, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by
Apple’s iCloud Private Relay service is down for some users, according to Apple’s System Status page. Apple says that the iCloud Private Relay service may be slow or unavailable. The outage started at 2:34 p.m. Eastern Time, but it does not appear to be affecting all iCloud users. Some impacted users are unable to browse the web without turning iCloud Private Relay off, while others are...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature Purple

iPhone 17 Rumored to Feature Mechanical Aperture

Tuesday July 23, 2024 9:32 am PDT by
Apple is planning to release at least one iPhone 17 model next year with mechanical aperture, according to a report published today by The Information. The mechanical system would allow users to adjust the size of the iPhone 17's aperture, which refers to the opening of the camera lens through which light enters. All existing iPhone camera lenses have fixed apertures, but some Android...

Top Rated Comments

farewelwilliams Avatar
91 months ago
and people were laughing their butts off right when Apple announced the price. looking at you MKBHD
Score: 52 Votes (Like | Disagree)
darkpaw Avatar
91 months ago
"they support a range of touch-based gestures" - well, they support one touch-based gesture: double-tap, and it either invokes Siri, or it pauses your music.

I ordered mine in the 20-minute window they were available in the UK back in December 2016. Got them on 19th December. Haven't used anything else since. They are amazing. If you can afford them, place an order and wait a few weeks. You won't regret it.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AngerDanger Avatar
91 months ago
While there is no doubt they look VERY goofy (come on gentlemen, they just do), but they are simply amazing: they fit your ear tightly and comfortable, and they dont fall out even while jogging…
I genuinely like how they look. They're just EarPods without the long, gangly cables. But to be clear…



And compared to the competition, specifically Bragi's Dash, they aren't little rotund things that stick out from one's head; they're narrow stalks that run parallel to one's jaw:



Attachment Image

Attachment Image
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bbeagle Avatar
91 months ago
Some people will buy anything with an apple logo at any price.
Most of the new Apple products don't have an Apple logo at all. Apple Watch, AirPods.

You need to come up with another excuse.

Plus, both of those products are the best in their categories, for great prices. AirPods - much cheaper than most fully wireless, and Apple Watch - very competitive price for what it does.

Again, you need to come up with better excuses.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
b0nd18t Avatar
91 months ago
My god do I love my AirPods. They were in stock at Best Buy not long ago as posted on this site. Just pop them in your ear and you're good to go with no hassle. No a huge fan of the looks but whatever
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jarman92 Avatar
91 months ago
And they look ridiculous.... probably why no one is knocking them off.

And yet another ear bud from Apple that is not designed to actually stay in the ear. Every earbud I've gotten with an iPhone still sits in the boxes in the closet unused. I need them to stay in the ear or they are useless.
Ah yes, the fashion-forward tastemakers on the Macrumors forums. Tell me, what haute-couture headphones do you fancy instead?
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)