Apple AirPods finally go on sale after delays

Were you worried that Apple's delay in shipping AirPods would deprive you of a holiday gift? You can (probably) relax. Apple has quietly started selling its first self-branded Bluetooth earphones through at least its online store. If you order now, the $159 earpiece set should reach your door by December 22nd. You can always spring for Beats headphones if you need to get something Apple-made right now, of course, but Cupertino is counting on the AirPods' smarts winning you over -- they're easy to set up, make Siri just a double-tap away and can detect when they're in your ears. We didn't think the audio quality was spectacular, but these are as much about convenience and phone calls as anything else.

Update: We hope you pulled the trigger quickly. New online orders are already slipping to December 29th, so that won't be a gift option. On the upside: Apple notes that its own retail stores, resellers and "select carriers" will have stock next week.