Apple customers who ordered new AirPods last week on the same day they were announced have been receiving shipping notifications over the weekend with delivery dates beginning Tuesday, March 26.
People who ordered the second-generation AirPods on Wednesday as soon as they appeared on Apple's online store were quoted delivery dates between March 26-28. Looking at the AirPods order status thread on the GeekWebGuides forums, some customers in the US are saying they have subsequently been given March 27 as a confirmed ship date, but this seems to depend on which courier they've been assigned.
There are a few scattered reports in the UK of customers receiving Monday delivery dates from some couriers, which means their AirPods could potentially arrive before Apple's "It's Showtime" event, scheduled to take place later today at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time (or 5.00 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time) at the Steve Jobs Theater in Apple Park, Cupertino, California.
However, given that the new AirPods require OS versions that Apple has yet to publicly release, they probably won't be able to use all the new features until later in the day. The second-generation AirPods require iOS 12.2, watchOS 5.2, and macOS Mojave 10.14.4, and Apple is expected to release these updates during or shortly after its services-focused keynote.
Apple's new second-generation AirPods don't have any of the exciting new features that were rumored like a new black color and health updates, but they're a solid upgrade over the previous version.
There's a new H1 wireless chip inside that powers hands-free "Hey Siri" functionality so you don't need to tap to access the voice assistant. The AirPods are also able to switch between devices two times faster when playing music, and there's an extra hour of talk time, bringing total talk time to three hours.
The new Wireless Charging Case allows the AirPods to charge using Qi-based wireless charging accessories, and it perhaps heralds the upcoming launch of the AirPower.
As of today, AirPods shipping time on Apple's online store is listed as 3-5 business days, with a 7-10 day wait for AirPods with Wireless Charging Case. Apple will likely have some stock of the new AirPods models in its retail stores later this week for those who were unable to order and receive a March delivery date.
