Apple acquired Beats in 2014, and it has been intriguing to witness the various strategies Apple has adopted since then. While the Beats brand largely remains unchanged, Beats Music was replaced with Apple Music, and the Beats 1 radio station on Apple Music was eventually rebranded.
Over the years, Apple has consistently launched new Beats headphones. However, recently, Apple has started to take a fascinating approach by reimagining Beats as an accessory brand.
Many may not have noticed, but during the debut of the iPhone 16, Apple took an unusual step by unveiling a new $49 hard plastic case. Interestingly, this case was not an Apple product but was created by Beats.
The case turned out to be quite good. I reviewed it and found it impressive, though I felt that $49 seemed steep for what is essentially just plastic. Given Apple’s penchant for premium pricing on accessories, this wasn’t entirely surprising.
Apple further enhanced the appeal by announcing additional color options and a new design for the Beats case for the iPhone 16 back in December.
According to MacRumors, Apple is now set to release new Beats charging cables. These cables are said to come in various colors and include a few different types: USB-C to USB-C, USB-C to Lightning, and USB-A to USB-C.
This is intriguing for a couple of reasons:
- Apple has never previously created a USB-A to USB-C cable until now.
- Apple has also been relatively cautious about releasing colored cables; however, it does offer colored cables with the 24″ iMac.
The upcoming cables are expected to retail around $20 USD for a 5-foot variant, making them slightly more affordable than Apple’s existing options.
Since these cables haven’t launched yet, I can’t comment on their quality just yet. Nonetheless, I find Apple’s initiative to produce more accessible accessories under the Beats branding quite fascinating.
Will this strategy further develop in the future? It’s hard to say. I believe a Beats-branded power bank could be an interesting idea, especially considering that Apple no longer sells their own.
What are your thoughts on Apple’s recent actions with Beats? Share your opinions in the comments below.
My favorite Apple accessories on Amazon:
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