t it to appeal to non-Apple users, which happen to be a larger demographic.
Apple mostly bought Beats for 3 reasons in priority:
1. Streaming music service with an existing customer base that had the right tooling to begin with.
2. Beats brand of headphones: Apple really had nothing but what was included in the box for their iPhones. Their wireless attempts (2) at this time was garbage!
3. Audio engineering expertise from Iovine and Dre. Say what you dislike about them both but EACH had the respect, the chops and put in REAL work to accomplish what they've gained. Dre self made success story through and through! (whatever going on with his ex-wife, well that's his own demise as well. A fit fine woman who was loyal, tall like him brains, class and eye-candy for the camera's and faithful he should've only unzipped for her. Idiot in that regard).
What Apple has done with Beats:
iTunes Music became Apple Music and is still thriving, even if a second to Spotify globally it's a BIG 2nd piece of the pie and they've added some unique features, the synergistic companion of Shazam is really good!
Beats headphones have no doubt increased in sales and in styles of products offered with continued partneships with sports athletes and custom paint jobs with sister company Disney etc.
- overpriced vs quality and value definitely. Does it matter to higher end users, no, they're NOT the target market.
- helped as a halo and incentive product to help sell back to school laptops for the target market! Did it work, and continues to do so for those in K12 or 1st/2nd year college and university students a resounding HELL YES!
Apple had and continues to have vision.
These leaked/remoured sport headphones will continue the brand going forward. connectivity, choice for android users and increasingly better quality.
Think an aged K12 student realizes Beats quality isn't up to snuff for them anymore... where do you think they'll look to? how far does that look need to go? not far at all to Apple's headphone gear.