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Beats Electronics

250 'Beats' stories January 2014 - April 2020
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Beats Electronics was created in 2006 by Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine. They focused on premium speakers and headphones. In 2011, it was estimated they had over 60% of the $100+ speaker market. On August 1, 2014, Apple acquired the company for $3 billion in cash and stock. It was the largest acquisition in Apple’s history.

After being acquired by Apple, Beats Music (a Spotify competitor) was shut down and many of its features found their way into Apple Music. Apple continues to release products under the brand today.

Current Products:

Apple has no plans to phase out its successful Beats hardware brand

Avatar for Zac Hall Apr 7 2020 - 10:25 am PT
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Six years ago Apple dropped $3 billion on its largest acquisition ever to acquire Beats Electronics. Music mogul Jimmy Iovine and hip-hop legend Dr. Dre built the consumer electronics brand into a household name, and Beats-branded headphones were flying off the shelves.

Apple could tell. It sold Beats headphones and speakers in Apple Stores so the success of Beats was no secret. Beats also had a months-old streaming music service that Apple used to build Apple Music, but it’s clear in retrospect that Apple also saw continued value in Beats as a hardware brand.

That’s why it may come as a surprise to see reports that Apple plans to phase out the Beats brand in the future.

9to5Mac can report that this is not a strategy that Apple plans to pursue. The strategy is not one that should be viewed as being on the table for Apple, 9to5Mac has learned.


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All-new Powerbeats replacing Powerbeats3 for $50 less, 3 hours more battery, ‘Pro’ design

Avatar for Zac Hall Mar 16 2020 - 5:00 am PT
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‘Powerbeats4’ wireless earphones from Beats have been popping up all over the internet and even in retail stores over the last few days. Today Apple’s Beats brand is making it official: the all-new Powerbeats wireless earphones are replacing Powerbeats3 Wireless for a fraction of the price.

The new Powerbeats earphones are heavily inspired by the totally wireless Powerbeats Pro earphones (reviewed). They also use the same chip as Apple’s second-gen AirPods and newly released AirPods Pro earphones.

Here’s what you need to know about the all-new Powerbeats wireless earphones now that they’re officially announced:


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Powerbeats4 videos and specs leak ahead of official announcement

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Mar 9 2020 - 4:58 am PT
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The successor to Apple Powerbeats3 are almost here. After hitting the FCC last week, 9to5Mac has obtained videos of the new headphones and the website WinFuture has reported specs and shared marketing photos of the upcoming product.

The new Powerbeats 4 feature a slightly sleeker design, which should be more comfortable on the ear, and boast up to 15 hours of battery life according to WinFuture’s source. See the pairing animations for the new headphones after the jump …


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Review: Beats Solo Pro on-ear headphones blend AirPods features with Studio noise cancellation

Avatar for Zac Hall Oct 28 2019 - 10:03 am PT
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Beats Solo Pro is the the biggest upgrade to the Solo line of on-ear headphones since Apple bought Beats five years ago. While the evolved $299 ‘Pro’ version carries a $100 premium over Solo3 Wireless, Solo Pro includes active noise cancellation found in Beats Studio3 Wireless for $50 less.

Other new features include Transparency for hearing ambient noise through the headphones, controlling power by folding each side, and Apple’s new H1 wireless chip that first debuted with second-gen AirPods.

The new Beats Solo Pro on-ear headphones look better on paper than Studio in terms of features and value, but one size may not fit all sonically and physically. If you’re in the market for either model, the feature differences are worth a closer look.


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Beats Solo Pro debut with Pure ANC, Transparency, fold-to-power and Apple H1 chip; pre-order for $299

Avatar for Zac Hall Oct 15 2019 - 7:00 am PT
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Beats is out with the first major redesign of its Solo on-ear headphones since being bought by Apple in 2014. The all-new Solo Pro headphones blend Beats Studio active noise cancellation with Powerbeats Pro and AirPods features like ‘Hey Siri’, auto-power, and more. Solo Pro is also the first Beats headphone to introduce a new ambient noise feature called Transparency.


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After Powerbeats Pro, should Beats upgrade Solo and Studio headphones?

Avatar for Zac Hall Jul 29 2019 - 11:29 am PT
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Apple upgraded AirPods earlier this year with a brand new H1 chip that quickly found its way inside the impressive Powerbeats Pro earphones from Beats. Apple’s H1 chip delivers faster device switching and lower latency for wireless headphones.

Beats currently uses Apple’s older W1 chip from the original AirPods inside Solo and Studio headphones. Both models are prime candidates for the “Pro” upgrade with Apple’s H1 chip and potentially even bigger changes. Which pair of headphones should Beats update first and what might we expect from such an upgrade?


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Powerbeats Pro review: Beats brawn meets AirPods brains in the ultimate sport earphones

Avatar for Zac Hall May 10 2019 - 8:34 am PT
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Beats Powerbeats Pro Review

Maybe it’s just the endorphins talking, but words like ‘epic’, ‘thunderous’, and ‘invincible’ come to mind when running with Powerbeats Pro. The first-ever totally wireless Beats earphones are a mega upgrade over Powerbeats3 Wireless, and not just because they pack the best features of second-gen AirPods in a versatile, sporty package. Beats has arguably created the best fitness earphones on the market with Powerbeats Pro.


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[Update: Now available to pre-order] Beats Powerbeats Pro pre-order May 3 and launch May 10, totally wireless with ‘Hey Siri’ and H1 chip

Avatar for Zac Hall May 3 2019 - 7:00 am PT
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powerbeats pro lineup

Looking for a sporty alternative to AirPods? Beats Powerbeats Pro totally wireless earphones will be available to pre-order from Apple.com for $249.95 this Friday, May 3rd at 7 am PT in the United States and Canada.

Powerbeats Pro will hit stores one week later on Friday, May 10th. The all-new Beats earphones are powered by the same Apple H1 chip as AirPods 2, work with ‘Hey Siri’, and have sporty features including longer battery life and physical playback controls.


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Beats officially unveils ‘totally wireless’ Powerbeats Pro with Apple’s H1 chip in new AirPods, ‘Hey Siri’

Avatar for Zac Hall Apr 3 2019 - 10:00 am PT
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Powerbeats Pro

Apple’s first real competitor to AirPods has finally arrived: Beats Powerbeats Pro. Apple has owned Beats since 2014, of course, which explains much of the magic behind the latest truly wireless earphones.

So what are Powerbeats Pro? A serious evolution of the wireless-but-with-a-cord version of Powerbeats earphones. Beats describes Powerbeats Pro as ‘totally wireless’, replacing the microUSB-charged corded hardware with a totally cordless version that has its own Lightning-powered charging case.

Powerbeats Pro also retains the connectivity and intelligence of Apple’s new AirPods thanks to the Apple-designed H1 chip inside, driving reliable wireless connectivity and even voice-activated “Hey Siri” control. There’s more to Powerbeats Pro too…


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Where is Apple’s Beats AirPlay 2 speaker and how will it work?

Avatar for Zac Hall Feb 25 2019 - 11:40 am PT
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Beats AirPlay 2

It’s been almost two years since Apple announced that Beats was making an AirPlay 2 speaker. The announcement was brief so you might have missed it — a few minutes before the big HomePod preview — but it was on stage at an Apple event.

“All of these speaker makers have announced upcoming support for AirPlay 2,” Craig Federighi declared on stage in front of a slide that included Beats and Bose logos among a dozen other brands. Several AirPlay 2 speakers have since debuted on the market, but not one from the Apple-owned Beats.


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