Apple’s online stores will no more be selling Bose speakers and headphones. That’s not all; the Cupertino, California based firm has also removed Bose products from many of its retail outlets.
There were rumours doing the rounds since last week suggesting that Apple might stop having Bose products in its stores. Sources close to the company said that the tech firm might take such a decision as after acquiring Beats Electronics it doesn’t require Bose’s services anymore. Apple acquired Beats Electronics earlier this year for a whopping $3 billion.
This is not the first time that a situation has forced Bose and Beats to stand face to face. Other than being rival speaker and headphone brands, the two companies have recently become part of a sponsorship controversy.
Bose has signed a sponsorship deal with NFL, and according to the deal any player taking part in the league will not be able to use any non-Bose product during television broadcasts. Thus, when Colin Kaepernick, a San Francisco 49ers player, wore a pair of headphones from Bose’s rival group Beats Electronics, the NFL fined him $10,000.
Even after being fined by NFL, Kaepernick hasn’t stopped wearing his Beats headphones on camera. However, he has done the needful to ensure that NFL doesn’t find him breaking any clause of its sponsorship deal with Bose. Now, he keeps the Beats logo on his headphones covered during TV broadcasts.
Although Kaepernick has stopped showing his Beats headphones off, Apple employee and Beats cofounder Jimmy Iovine feels that this incident has allowed Beats Entertainment to enjoy some free publicity. Iovine said that the situation is absolutely unreal for him; to add some humour to the event, he added that he is feeling like helping Kaepernick by sending some tape.
Apple’s decision to stop selling Bose products at its stores might be in response to the NFL controversy, but, the Cupertino-based tech biggie may also have taken the decision as it doesn’t want to see headphones belonging to one of its biggest rival companies in its stores anymore. However, here, it must be mentioned that Apple stores will continue to sell headphones belonging to other competing brands.
Bose headphones and speakers might not be the last products to be removed from Apple stores. Reports obtained from reliable sources are suggesting that the tech behemoth might soon stop selling devices manufactured by Fitbit.
