AirPods Now Shipping to Customers Around the World

After going up for order on Tuesday, Apple's AirPods have now been marked as "shipped" for the first wave of customers who were lucky enough to order their pair before delivery estimates slipped to four weeks, and then six weeks. Many users in the United States, Australia, Canada, Europe, and elsewhere have taken to Twitter and Reddit to share that their AirPods shipments are on the way.

airpods-shipments-us
Delivery dates still vary slightly among customers, but the average estimates suggest deliveries on either December 20 or December 21. AirPods launched in more than 100 countries around the world, and a few areas in Europe and Australia saw slightly earlier delivery dates for the wireless headphones than those given to U.S. customers, with some as soon as Monday, December 19. Australia customers specifically reported shipping status updates earlier in the week.

For anyone who missed out on the first run of orders, Apple will begin selling the AirPods in its retail stores Monday morning. Some of the company's authorized resellers and a few carrier stores will also be receiving AirPods stock next week. Given how fast they sold out online, the supply of AirPods in retail locations is also expected to be limited. Nevertheless, in the press release on Tuesday, Apple said that its retail locations will receive "regular AirPods shipments" going forward.

Related Roundup: AirPods 4
Buyer's Guide: AirPods (Neutral)
Related Forum: AirPods

Popular Stories

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
duolingo ad live activity

Duolingo Used iPhone's Dynamic Island to Display Ads, Violating Apple Design Guidelines

Friday January 2, 2026 1:36 pm PST by
Language learning app Duolingo has apparently been using the iPhone's Live Activity feature to display ads on the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island, which violates Apple's design guidelines. According to multiple reports on Reddit, the Duolingo app has been displaying an ad for a "Super offer," which is Duolingo's paid subscription option. Apple's guidelines for Live Activity state that...
Low Cost A18 Pro MacBook Feature Pink

Apple's 2026 Low-Cost A18 Pro MacBook: What We Know So Far

Friday January 2, 2026 4:33 pm PST by
Apple is planning to release a low-cost MacBook in 2026, which will apparently compete with more affordable Chromebooks and Windows PCs. Apple's most affordable Mac right now is the $999 MacBook Air, and the upcoming low-cost MacBook is expected to be cheaper. Here's what we know about the low-cost MacBook so far. Size Rumors suggest the low-cost MacBook will have a display that's around 13 ...
govee floor lamp

CES 2026: Govee Announces New Matter-Connected Ceiling and Floor Lights

Sunday January 4, 2026 5:00 am PST by
Govee today introduced three new HomeKit-compatible lighting products, including the Govee Floor Lamp 3, the Govee Ceiling Light Ultra, and the Govee Sky Ceiling Light. The Govee Floor Lamp 3 is the successor to the Floor Lamp 2, and it offers Matter integration with the option to connect to HomeKit. The Floor Lamp 3 offers an upgraded LuminBlend+ lighting system that can reproduce 281...
Belkin 25W Battery magnetic

CES 2026: Belkin Announces Magnetic Ring Power Bank, Modular Dock, and More

Sunday January 4, 2026 3:02 pm PST by
Belkin today announced a range of new charging and connectivity accessories at CES 2026, expanding its portfolio of products aimed at Apple device users. UltraCharge Pro Power Bank 10K with Magnetic Ring The lineup includes new Qi2 and Qi2.2 wireless chargers, magnetic power banks, a high-capacity laptop battery, and USB-C productivity accessories, with an emphasis on higher charging...
airpods pro 3 glitter

AirPods New Year's Deals Include Up to $99 Off AirPods Max, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Sunday January 4, 2026 8:04 am PST by
Now that the calendar has flipped over into January, steep discounts on popular Apple products have become more rare after the holidays. However, if you didn't get a new pair of AirPods recently and are looking for a model on sale, Amazon does have a few solid second-best prices this week. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a...
Low Cost MacBook Feature A18 Pro

Low-Price 12.9-Inch MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Reportedly Launching Early This Year

Friday January 2, 2026 9:08 am PST by
Apple plans to introduce a 12.9-inch MacBook in spring 2026, according to TrendForce. In a press release this week, the Taiwanese research firm said this MacBook will be aimed at the entry-level to mid-range market, with "competitive pricing." TrendForce did not share any further details about this MacBook, but the information that it shared lines up with several rumors about a more...
Clicks Communicator Feature

'Clicks Communicator' Unveiled — Will You Carry This With Your iPhone?

Friday January 2, 2026 6:35 am PST by
The company behind the BlackBerry-like Clicks Keyboard accessory for the iPhone today unveiled a new Android 16 smartphone called the Clicks Communicator. The purpose-built device is designed to be used as a second phone alongside your iPhone, with the intended focus being communication over content consumption. It runs a custom Android launcher that offers a curated selection of messaging...

Top Rated Comments

musika Avatar
118 months ago
Mine shipped. Coming a day early. I blame Tim Cook.

(Had to fit in with the average irrational MacRumors poster.)
Score: 52 Votes (Like | Disagree)
exodiusprime Avatar
118 months ago
Just be careful when wearing them :D

Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RDeckard Avatar
118 months ago
I still cannot understand why anyone would buy these as they are substantially inferior in sound compared to most other wireless earbuds.

Not only that, they are a heck of a lot more expensive too!

Plus you can lose them!

And then pay an additional $70 to replace one! Ridiculous.

It just boggles me. I have the Jaybird X2's which I got for $80 and they've been serving me incredibly well with exceptional sound, and they have a band around both earpieces so you don't lose them.





This is how the AirPods should've been, Apple.
* Have you listened to the AirPods already and tested that they're "substantially inferior in sound compared to most other wireless earbuds?" Lucky you, especially since NO one (who has ordered them last week) in the world has received a pair. Could you kindly enlighten us with your article and testing methods?
* Maybe some people don't want the wire between the two earbuds?
* Maybe people just want to use ONE earbud when taking calls or listening to a podcast?
* Maybe you just don't buy them if you don't like them?
* Maybe you should design the next/real AirPods?

Genuine questions.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
penajmz Avatar
118 months ago
I'm in this first wave. Apple says delivers the 21st but FedEx says the 20th. We shall see.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Brookzy Avatar
118 months ago
So what do you reckon the chance of these being in my local Apple Store in Kingston, Uk on Monday?


Seriously though, analysing what Apple said: "Stores will receive regular shipments", is precisely the same as what they said about the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard last year, and they were impossible to find. Trying central London stores as soon as they open is your best shot.

Attachment Image
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SockRolid Avatar
118 months ago
Mine shipped. Coming a day early. I blame Tim Cook.

(Had to fit in with the average irrational MacRumors poster.)
Just for completeness:
- Apple is so doomed.
- Tim Cook needs to be uninstalled.
- This never would have happened if Steve were still alive.
/s

UPDATE: I'm a long time Apple fan but might switch to [Brand X] because [x, y, z].
/s
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)