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[SOLVED] Why Apple bought Beats?

Shayan Seyedi Twitter: @ShayanSeyedi 12/10/2014 – 9:20 PM GMT 3+

Why Apple was interested to buy Beats? Why they want to engage themselves in speakers and headphones?


These questions were in my mind after the official announcement. I couldn’t convince myself with Apple Senior VP words. but today I solved this puzzle. 

Back in 2012, When Apple introduced “Macbook Pro with Retina Display”, they omit Ethernet and FireWire 800 ports and SuperDrive. these ports was a limit level for Apple to lower the device thickness and weight, So simply they just removed those ports and made a new standard called “Thunderbolt”.  

Since the invention of smartphones, manufacturers are in battle to make thinner and lighter smartphones. But wait a second! what is the limit for them!? how much they can go further? Keep in mind
Audio jacks are still consuming at least 3.5 mm of the total thickness!

This week a Chinese startup claimed the title of thinnest smartphone in the world.Vivo’s new smartphone measures 4.75mm thin & it’s so skinny it can’t even fit a standard headphone jack, while Apple’s iPhone 6 is 6.9mm.
Apple to be able go beyond limits in the next iPhone designing, they have to remove audio jack from it. this is the only way to make a lighter and thinner device. but they need a solution! they can’t just remove the audio jack without finding a right solution.
Now here is why Beats acquisition by Apple makes sense! Apple wants to make a new standard for itself in wireless audio industry via Beats brand power. I assume that the next major change in the next iPhone (6S/6+S) is omitting the audio jack without reducing the device thickness. I’m not sure if Apple wants to use Bluetooth 4.1 or inventing a whole new low energy consuming wireless technology but I’m sure the next Earpod will be wireless.


Comments

  1. at first I thought this might be a clever article but was really disapointed. wireless is a very compicated technology and we are far from seeing it in our daily lifes, although I really like it and wish it will come to out products as soon as possible. wireless audio is very undeveloped area. the sound quality of wireless audio is not matching the audio quaity you get from a headphone jack and wireless audio uses a lot of battery and battery technology is not developed enough so that you can fit a huge battery in a small area like a headphone. it might be more logical if you said that Beats will start replacing 3.5mm audio jack and use the lightning port instead. lightning is much thinner and having only one port is better in space saving department.
    no matter how much we dream of the future, we are really far from seeing our life replaced from wired to wireless.

  2. Mosha - 9 years ago

    ‘Philips Fidelio M2L Lightning’ squashes any idea that Apple would simply go for a sandalone wireless solution, particularly when they’ve been pushed for higher fidelity audio through the iTunes store.

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