If you wanted AirPods Max, you might not get them until March

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When Apple released the new $549 over-ear, AirPods Max headphones yesterday, the company said that shipping will start on December 15. For whatever reasons, that shipping date slipped substantially throughout the day after the preorders opened, and now if you want a pair, Apple’s site is saying a 12 to 14 week lead time. So you don’t have to reach for a calendar, that’s March of 2021 if you order a pair right now.

All five color options say the same, disappointingly long, shipping estimate. You can opt for free engraving, which will shorten your wait slightly on some colors, but it’ll still be at least the end of January of 2021 before they ship.

If you’re in another country, maybe your wait won’t be so bad. The UK site shows that the silver, green, or pink colorways have a three to four-week wait, while the gray and blue versions still show the 12 to 14 weeks that the US site states.

That’s disappointing for anyone hoping to get their AirPods Max for a Christmas present, but perhaps it’s just par for the course in 2020. Everything from toilet paper to cleaning products at the start of the year, to graphics cards, cellphones, and video game consoles have all had stock issues as the pandemic affects all parts of the supply chain, from manufacturing to consumer spending habits.

Our advice? If you want a pair of AirPods Max this year, try your local Apple Store when they go on sale on December 15.

What do you think? Surprised by the shipping times on the new headphones from Apple? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.