As time has gone on, it has become abundantly clear Apple’s purchase of Beats for more than $3 billion, was little to do with the headphones.
It was all about securing the nebulous Beats Music service, which has since formed the basis for the Apple Music streaming platform. Beats headphones effectively became the promotional carrots Apple dangled to encourage adoption of new Mac and iPad products in Back to School sales.
Related: Best wireless headphones 2019
The neglect of Beats hardware through non-existent or incremental updates speaks volumes. Apple has been full-on in its backing for AirPods and now it seems own-branded Apple headphones are on the way.
The new rumblings came almost in passing from a Bloomberg report, which was focused on Sonos entering the wireless headphone market.
The well-connected Apple reporter Mark Gurman wrote:
“Apple is planning its own over-ear headphones for as early as the second half of this year, people familiar with the plans told Bloomberg in June.”
Should Apple introduce its own wireless headphones, they would likely win over the fans who’ve never quite fancied the idea of owning Beats headphones, which had long prioritised lifestyle branding over true audio quality.
AirPods surprised many with the quality of the audio, compared with the awful EarPods Apple ships with its smartphones. It’s likely the Apple over-ear entry would seek to rival high-end audio products from the likes of Bose and B&W.
If Apple decides to release over-ear headphones, it seems a sure bet the company will offer hands-free “Hey Siri” functionality, enabling users to communicate with their handsets without pushing a button. Apple released its first audio-centric product last year with its HomePod speaker, which offered premium sound for a premium price.
Would you buy a pair of premium, Apple-branded headphones? Or will you stay true to the trusty Beats? let us know @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
