Apple's purchase of Beats Electronics a couple of months ago for $3 billion took everybody by surprise, especially given that the Cupertino company tends to avoid such extravagant buyouts of well-known companies. With the deal having just been given the rubber stamp of approval, the Beats product line-up already has its own little segment over on Apple's official site, but aside from a couple of new pairs of headphones, we've yet to really see the fruits of this fledgling collaboration. This could all change once Apple's current flurry of imminent product releases is done and dusted, though, and one designer has imagined what a pair of Apple-Beats headphones, or 'iBeats', might look like.
The deal that saw Apple acquire Beats Electronics was one of the biggest stories so far this year. Sure, we were flabbergasted by Facebook's $16 billion purchase of WhatsApp, partially because of the sheer amount of money changing hands, but given the Cupertino company’s conservative spending habits, this one came a little out of the blue. Apple has consistently stayed away from big-money buyouts, and the decision to snap up the Dr. Dre-founded company also signaled the first time that the Mac maker opened its wallet for a well-known company. Now, with the $3 billion agreement having been given the rubber stamp of approval, Beats has been given its own special space on the Apple retail site, where you might find headphones, speakers, and… oh - more headphones.
The massive Apple / Beats deal has been officially closed and the Cupertino giant has welcomed the audio gear maker inside its realm with a dedicated page on its official website.
Beats Electronics, which was recently acquired by Apple, has enjoyed an immensely successful first few years in business, and while its hardware arguably offers premium audio quality, there's no doubt that the company's ties with music and popular culture have helped it to reach the dizzy heights of being Apple's largest ever acquisition. As well as music, an industry in which founders Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine are heavily invested, football / soccer players have certainly helped to broaden the appeal of the brand, and now, Beats has returned the favor by presenting Germany's World Cup-winning squad with some 24-carat gold Beats Pro headphones.
Although celebrities, by and large, tend to endorse products at will for a check, it's a bit of a running joke that despite their paid affiliations, famous individuals have something of an affinity to devices bearing Apple's famous logo. The Cupertino's recent acquisition of Beats Electronics may have made sense from a business point of view, but it's no coincidence that many celebrities have been spotted wearing Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine's iconic brand, and while football / soccer players can regularly be seen with a pair of Beats around their necks, FIFA's deal with Sony will pay heed to this throughout the current World Cup.
Apple's well-documented acquisition of Beats Electronics was officially announced only a couple of weeks ago, but even though co-founders Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine clearly enjoyed their first publicized engagement alongside Tim Cook and the other Apple executives, the company is still very much on its game as far as the business of releasing new products is concerned. Having already taken the wraps off the new Solo2, Beats has just announced its very first wireless earbuds in the form of the Powerbeats2, and like the original Powerbeats, they are designed with the active, sporting individual in mind.
Apple officially just acquired Beats Electronics for the tidy sum of $3 billion, and although the iPod maker's CEO had a few thoughts to add in the official press statement, a subsequent interview has shed even more light on just why Apple put down such a sizeable wad of cash to purchase the iconic audio brand.
Earlier on in the month, it came to light that Apple had struck a deal with Beats Electronics to purchase the audio-focused company, in a union that would serve as the Cupertino's costliest acquisition by some margin. Now, Apple has issued a press release offering official confirmation on the takeover, worth a cool $3 billion.
This week's big tech headline came on Thursday, as it was revealed that Beats Electronics was to be acquired by Apple for a upward of $3 billion. Not only does it represent the Cupertino's costliest purchase in its history, but it's also the first time that Apple has moved in for a high-profile, well-known commercial entity, and its a move that will also render Beats' two most influential figures - Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine - members of Apple's executive team.
Just yesterday we had inklings that the rumor circling the Internet concerning Apple’s potential acquisition of the Beats Electronics might actually be true, and even then, we told you to stay tuned as the story kept developing. Well, although it’s still not strictly official yet, but if today’s happenings are to indicate anything, Dr. Dre has all but confirmed the deal between the audio giant and the fruit company that hails out of Cupertino. Details just past the break.