Apple purges rival products from store ahead of rumored AirPods Studio, new HomePod
Apple at the end of September ceased online sales of third-party headphones, earphones, speakers and other devices as the company prepares to debut a slate of new audio products like AirPods Studio and a more affordable HomePod.
Products from major manufacturers including Bose, Logitech, and Sonos disappeared from the online Apple Store late last month, while employees at brick-and-mortar outlets were recently told to remove third-party headphone and speaker items from store shelves, reports Bloomberg.
A quick check reveals no products from Bose or Logitech's Ultimate Ears brand for sale on Apple's website. Similarly, searches for "Sonos" deliver Apple alternatives like HomePod and the Beats Pill+ portable speaker.
Prior to the change, Apple was an important reseller for third-party audio device makers that jockeyed for space on Apple Store shelves. A spot in the tech giant's curated catalog granted access to well-heeled consumers looking for premium iPhone, iPad and Mac accessories.
As noted in the report, Apple sometimes discontinues sale of devices that might compete with new or future products. For example, the company stopped selling Fitbit wearables after the launch of Apple Watch in 2014.
More recently, Masimo's MightySat fingertip pulse oximeter was cut from the Apple Store lineup just prior to the launch of Apple Watch Series 6. Watch's tentpole feature for 2020, blood oxygen level tracking, is replicated by the MightSat. Apple is also in a legal fight with the medical technology company over alleged patent infringement claims.
Apple is rumored to release a batch of new audio equipment in the coming months. A so-called "AirPods Studio" over-the-ear headphone is expected to boast noise-cancelling technology, orientation awareness via U1 chip and premium sound reproduction. Supposedly leaked images of a "sport" version of the device surfaced in September, showing a sleek exterior and generous application of ergonomic mesh materials.
A new HomePod variant with smaller form factor and reduced price is also anticipated to debut.
Stay on top of all Apple news right from your HomePod or HomePod mini. Say, "Hey, Siri, play AppleInsider Daily," and you'll get a fast update direct from the AppleInsider team.
Products from major manufacturers including Bose, Logitech, and Sonos disappeared from the online Apple Store late last month, while employees at brick-and-mortar outlets were recently told to remove third-party headphone and speaker items from store shelves, reports Bloomberg.
A quick check reveals no products from Bose or Logitech's Ultimate Ears brand for sale on Apple's website. Similarly, searches for "Sonos" deliver Apple alternatives like HomePod and the Beats Pill+ portable speaker.
Prior to the change, Apple was an important reseller for third-party audio device makers that jockeyed for space on Apple Store shelves. A spot in the tech giant's curated catalog granted access to well-heeled consumers looking for premium iPhone, iPad and Mac accessories.
As noted in the report, Apple sometimes discontinues sale of devices that might compete with new or future products. For example, the company stopped selling Fitbit wearables after the launch of Apple Watch in 2014.
More recently, Masimo's MightySat fingertip pulse oximeter was cut from the Apple Store lineup just prior to the launch of Apple Watch Series 6. Watch's tentpole feature for 2020, blood oxygen level tracking, is replicated by the MightSat. Apple is also in a legal fight with the medical technology company over alleged patent infringement claims.
Apple is rumored to release a batch of new audio equipment in the coming months. A so-called "AirPods Studio" over-the-ear headphone is expected to boast noise-cancelling technology, orientation awareness via U1 chip and premium sound reproduction. Supposedly leaked images of a "sport" version of the device surfaced in September, showing a sleek exterior and generous application of ergonomic mesh materials.
A new HomePod variant with smaller form factor and reduced price is also anticipated to debut.
Stay on top of all Apple news right from your HomePod or HomePod mini. Say, "Hey, Siri, play AppleInsider Daily," and you'll get a fast update direct from the AppleInsider team.
Comments
That Sony doesn't sell Samsung devices argument is weak. Sony never did, so there's no expectation for them to do so. Apple has sold 3rd party competing products for years and STILL does. They even still sell Logitech 3rd party accessories that compete with their own. Just not speakers, cuz new devices coming and they want them to succeed. At all costs apparently.
WTF are you talking about? They're called APPLE Stores. Apple has zero obligation to sell competitor's products in their stores. It's not a fucking walmart. Also, I don't recall ever seeing Android phones, Windows laptops, or Samsung tablets in their stores? Maybe I wasn't looking hard enough.
Amazing how literally everything is "antitrust" these days. What an absurd comment. There's barely space in their stores for their own products as it is.
Having a dedicated space for its new range is a good move.
Again, they can decide what they want to sell at their stores. They aren't stopping anyone from buying 3rd party speakers and headphones from other places.
The App Store however is a wrong name; The Sole App Distribution Gateway is a more fitting one. I really REALLY hope Apple will be forced to allow notarized sideloading at the LEAST, most likely in Europe for starters. Their platform is so secure according to their own words, that these apps could easily operate within a protected container.
However, in this context and considering the wider situation, you are right that it is doing itself no favours when it comes to evaluating its anti competitive leanings.
If some sort of malware would pass through the checks today the first time it is spotted it would be remotely killed by Apple on all devices; but if anyone can add any software, then not only does that bypass Apple's own checks to keep malware out, but each case would have smaller more unique circumstances… and as such wouldn't come to the attention of Apple, which then couldn't kill it on all devices.
The "at all cost" I referred to had nothing to do with the bottom line. It referred to the optics of removing competing products.
Having dedicated space for a new range of products isn't a good move. It isn't a move at all. It standard operating procedure. It's what they've always done for every new product they've introduced. What is new/different/unique/rare is the removal of competing products.
If you are willing to sell your own production of potatoes in your own store, who can you force to sell potatoes from other suppliers if you don’t want?
The obvious objection to my logic there is of course that a webstore could be viewed as having an "unlimited amount of space", but reality isn't always that simple; there are huge deals behind everything, and there are lots of reasons why one might want to match what's available in the physical and the online stores.
It's a restructuring, and some products from some third parties no longer fit; why is that making some people think of conspiracies and evilness and anti-competitiveness etc…?
There's no accounting for wishful thinking. Regardless of what the anti-antitrusters believe, this will cause a great deal of short-term problems for Apple, especially with the Congressional anti-trust on big tech expected soon. Ultimately it may resolve in Apple's favor -- or not -- but to pretend that this will not cause problems is silly.