Apple Reportedly Targeting WWDC for Over-Ear Headphones Launch, New 'AirPods X' Later in the Year

[PostApple2016BrainWash]

This is pure speculation on my part. But Apple paid a boatload of money for Beats when they bought it. Maybe they want to sell the brand to recoup some of the money they spent.

The beats brand does not bring any significant improvement to headphone performance.

 

[splogue]

It makes sense that Apple is trying to wind down the Beats brand. They've already absorbed Beats Music into Apple Music. With most consumer headphones going the wireless dual earbud route, it makes sense to sunset the Beats headphones brand, and rebrand any other headphone technology into the Apple brand. I'm surprised the Beats headphone brand has survived as long as it has.

Totally agree. Apple bought Beats for one reason: the streaming music service that became Apple Music. The headphones were gravy. The Apple brand today is worth more than Beats, so by branding the new headphones as Apple they can sell more of them at a high price. I'll probably get them, as I'm not a fan of the bass-enhanced Beats signature sound and bet the Apple sound will be far more accurate.

 

[BuffaloTF]

It makes sense that Apple is trying to wind down the Beats brand. They've already absorbed Beats Music into Apple Music. With most consumer headphones going the wireless dual earbud route, it makes sense to sunset the Beats headphones brand, and rebrand any other headphone technology into the Apple brand. I'm surprised the Beats headphone brand has survived as long as it has.

Why would it make sense to sunset the most popular brand name in headphones?
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Beats has earned itself a reputation for being overpriced fashion junk, so it's probably good that they're phasing it out. Apple would have saved so much money if they bought out Nokia's MixRadio instead. It was a solid streaming platform, but as with anything that Microsoft touches during the Steve Ballmer era, they didn't know what to do with it.

I mean... that's wrong.

Since the Solo2's, they've been considered quality - and at the time the Solo2's were considered the best on-ear wireless headphone at that price point.

 

[nt5672]

Remind me again why would I want headphones that only work with Apple devices? Thats the Apple strategy, right? Copying the Microsoft strategy from the 80s and 90s. Eventually force everyone to only Apple products.

Now I know its not true for headphones yet, but I wonder how long?

 

[ignatius345]

LOL, Homepod is even worse, because it offers NO inputs or Bluetooth.

Why would you want Bluetooth when you have AirPlay? It's trash by comparison. Worse sound, inability to differentiate between streaming content and alert sounds, it's irritating as hell to pair... Nah, Apple did the right thing here and if you want Bluetooth there are thousands of options out there.

 

[Abazigal]

Why would it make sense to sunset the most popular brand name in headphones?

My guess is that it’s not a brand that Apple wants to be associated with, and Apple is confident that their own brand is just as strong, if not stronger.

 

[huyspin]

Why would you want Bluetooth when you have AirPlay? It's trash by comparison. Worse sound, inability to differentiate between streaming content and alert sounds, it's irritating as hell to pair... Nah, Apple did the right thing here and if you want Bluetooth there are thousands of options out there.

I had to log in to give this a like

 

[PostApple2016BrainWash]

LOL, Homepod is even worse, because it offers NO inputs or Bluetooth.

Ideally, the homepod 2 need to adopt USB-C connector as a replacement for the power cord and a built-in lithium-ion battery.

 

[Reason077]

eventually phase out the Beats brand

That would surprise me. Beats is a strong brand, in many cases amongst people who wouldn't normally consider Apple products. I think it's more likely that Apple will continue to sell headphones under both brands, addressing different markets.

 

[ericwn]

Undoubtedly, Tim Cook is better than Steve Jobs for making insanely mediocre products.

Neither person actually made them. And Cook ran Apple behind the scenes during the Jobs times too.

 

[ericwn]

Apple could be developing iPod Pro with beamforming to transfer audio over thousands of devices.

Sounds quite unlikely in 2020 to make any additional iPod product except the touch or whatever that leftover was called.

 

[ericwn]

Remind me again why would I want headphones that only work with Apple devices? Thats the Apple strategy, right? Copying the Microsoft strategy from the 80s and 90s. Eventually force everyone to only Apple products.

Now I know its not true for headphones yet, but I wonder how long?

Last I checked they had instructions for AirPod users with Android devices on their website too.

 

[PostApple2016BrainWash]

The bea

That would surprise me. Beats is a strong brand, in many cases amongst people who wouldn't normally consider Apple products. I think it's more likely that Apple will continue to sell headphones under both brands, addressing different markets.

The beats brand is not that good or marginally better despite being acquired by Apple.