The NFL may like Bose headphones more than Beats, but Apple–which bought Bose competitor Beats Electronics this summer, is banishing Bose from its Apple stores. MacRumors reported last week that an Apple move to ditch Bose was in the works, believing that an ongoing patent infringement lawsuit Bose had against Beats, which predated Apple’s purchase, was to blame. However that case has been settled–and yet Apple has removed Bose products from its stores anyway.
Audiophiles will not be happy with the move. Bose is generally considered a superior product to Beats, often winning in consumer opinion polls. In fact Bose’s Apple-friendly products, including a number of excellent audio set-ups built for the iPod, contributed to Apple’s success. Is Apple still striving for excellence, or making purely marketing-based decisions that take away stronger options from Apple users?
