Just days
after it bought Beats, the headphone firm founded by Dr Dre and Jimmy
Iovine, Apple has revealed plans to abandon the headphone socket and
make consumers buy headphones with a new connector.
Apple's plans allow headphone makers to use the Lightning socket normally used for charging and adding accessories.
The firm is expected to use the Beats brand to launch the first headphones to use the connector.
Scroll down for video
Apple recently bought Beats, the headphone and
music firm set up by Dr Dre (pictured) and Jimmy Iovine. Now it is
expected to use the firm to create headphones that connect via the
lightning port, bypassing the headphone socket.
BEATS HISTORY
Beats
was founded in 2008 by Dr. Dre, now a hip-hop producer, and Iovine, a
longtime recording industry executive who is currently chairman of
Universal Music Group's Interscope Geffen A&M Records.
It now dominates the luxury headphone market.
Its equipment also has been a big seller in Apple's stores.
Operating from its Culver City, California, headquarters, Beats commands 62 percent of the $1 billion U.S. market for headphones priced above $100, according to NPD Group.
The gear, which emphasizes bass, also has been endorsed by several star athletes, including San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and New Jersey Nets forward Kevin Garnett.
Beats Music, the music streaming subsidiary of the electronics maker, has more than 250,000 subscribers, according to Cook.
It now dominates the luxury headphone market.
Its equipment also has been a big seller in Apple's stores.
Operating from its Culver City, California, headquarters, Beats commands 62 percent of the $1 billion U.S. market for headphones priced above $100, according to NPD Group.
The gear, which emphasizes bass, also has been endorsed by several star athletes, including San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and New Jersey Nets forward Kevin Garnett.
Beats Music, the music streaming subsidiary of the electronics maker, has more than 250,000 subscribers, according to Cook.
'We’ve learned Apple has quietly introduced a new specification for manufacturers in its Made-For-iPhone/iPad/iPod (MFi) program that allows them to create headphones that connect to iOS devices using a Lightning connector instead of the usual 3.5mm headphone jack,' the site said.
The Lightning headphones will be capable of receiving lossless stereo 48 kHz digital audio output from Apple devices and sending mono 48 kHz digital audio input.
The input means that the headphones will also support a microphone for audio input following Apple’s upcoming update.
Manufacturers will be able to add buttons to launch apps.
Headphones will also be able to draw power from the phone - useful for noise cancelling features, for instance.
A previous report claimed Apple was working on a version of its own in-ear EarPods using a Lightning connector and planned to enable higher-resolution audio playback in iOS 8.
The $3bn acquisition of Beats is by far the most expensive in Apple's 38-year history, and comes three weeks after the deal was first rumoured - although the initial price was believed to be $3.2bn.
Apple
Boss Tim Cook revealed the deal, saying 'We have known these guys
forever, we've dated, we've gone steady and now we are getting married.'
Beats by Apple, from left to right, music
entrepreneur and Beats co-founder Jimmy Iovine, Apple CEO Tim Cook,
Beats co-founder Dr. Dre, and Apple senior vice president Eddy Cue pose
together at Apple headquarters in Cupertino as Cook revealed Apple's $3
billion acquisition of Beats Electronics
As part of the acquisition, Beats co-founders Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre will join Apple.
'The idea when we started the company was inspired by Apple’s unmatched ability to marry culture and technology.
Apple’s deep commitment to music fans, artists, songwriters and the music industry is something special.'
The price consists of $2.6 billion in cash and $400 million in Apple stock that will vest over an unspecified time period.
The deal is expected to close before the end of September.
It
is believed Apple is also interested in Beats expertise in developing
wearable products and it edges closer to a much anticipated iWatch
launch,
With
$1.1 billion in revenue last year, Beats is already making money and
will boost Apple's earnings once the new fiscal year begins in October,
Apple CEO Tim Cook said in an interview.
'This relationship started a decade ago, so we know there is an incredible cultural fit.
'These two guys have a very rare set of skills. It's like finding a particular grain of sand on the beach. It's that rare.'
Iovine,
61, and Dre, 49, will both become key executives in Apple's music
divisions, though Cook said their roles haven't been determined yet.
Cook said Beats' music streaming service was the main selling point in the deal.
Beats headphones are sold along side iPods in an Apple store -Apple plans to roll them out across the world
The
growing popularity of music streaming services such as Pandora and
Spotify has been reducing sales of songs and albums, a business that
iTunes has dominated for the past decade.
U.S.
sales of downloaded songs slipped 1 percent last year to $2.8 billion
while streaming music revenue surged 39 percent to $1.4 billion,
according to the Recording Industry Association of America.
Written by Unknown
We are Creative Blogger Theme Wavers which provides user friendly, effective and easy to use themes. Each support has free and providing HD support screen casting.
0 comments:
Post a Comment