Today in a demonstration of how OS X Yosemite was able to use an iPhone as a relay to make phone calls, Apple made a call to Dr. Dre. His phone number - almost certainly a single-use number - called up Dre on stage. "Hey how you doing, this is Dre," said Dre, "I'm glad you called. I heard Tim gets in early — what time should I show up for work."
Beats Music will continue to be available for Android and Windows Phone devices even after Apple completes its Beats purchase, it's been confirmed, while HP will get a grace period to continue baking the audio tech into its products. While there had been speculation that Apple's Beats buy was predominantly motivated by wanting to grab Beats Music, and that it would make the service an exclusive for iPhone and iPad users only, Apple's Eddy Cue denied that would be the case.
Now that Apple has Beats under their wing, some are searching for answers. Did they covet Beats’ headphones? Was it a quick grab to get a streaming music offering? The answer to both is probably a firm “yes”, but when it comes to Apple’s music offerings, the proof is in the numbers.
Though Apple will operate Beats independently of the company proper, things will definitely be changing. Beats’ iconic designs have been thanks to design firm Ammunition, who designed everything from the Pro to the Pill. Now that Apple has snatched up Beats, they’ll be handling the hardware as well, leaving Ammunition out in the cold.
The acquisition of Beats by Apple was not about shutting down a rival company, nor was it about grabbing patents. Apple didn’t intent on purchasing Beats because they wanted good designers or because they didn’t already have good enough headphones themselves. Instead, this purchase was the first in Apple’s public transformation into a company that isn’t forced to retain its excellence by strict regulation of hardware and software. Now begins Apple’s diversification.
In an attempt to get a “headstart”, Apple CEO Tim Cook has confirmed the company is purchasing Beats. He also says Apple will spend $3 billion for Beats, the largest acquisition ever for Apple. This ends weeks of speculation, giving us the answers we’ve been so curious to know.
All the fanfare over Apple buying Beats, and it turns out Apple wasn’t even done researching the company when we first heard of it. A new report from the New York Post suggests Apple was still doing their due diligence when news of the proposed acquisition leaked. The report also suggests Apple has reduced their offer for Beats on the back of poor streaming subscriber numbers.
The Apple deal to acquire Beats, which was supposed to have happened weeks ago, has dragged out far too long. If a deal were to be made, we expect it would have been done by now, but a new report suggests there are some visceral hang-ups keeping it at bay. Most notably, the three tenets of any business dealing: money, power, and respect.
An attempt to save the music industry? An acquihire to get Dr.Dre? Two reports suggest Apple’s deal for Beats would encompass both goals. One one hand, Beats would be the iTunes streaming service many have wanted, while Dr. Dre and Beats partner Jimmy Iovine round out Apple’s “board of cool”.
With Apple’s alleged purchase of Beats hanging in the air, a rogue third-party has interjected. David Hyman, founder of Mog, is suing Beats ahead of an Apple takeover. According to him, Beats owes him quite a bit of money, or stake in the company.
Beats Music, the nascent streaming offering from Dr. Dre’s (mostly) hardware company, may not be off to the smashing success some had hoped for. A new leak suggests the service has just under 111,000 accounts, and pays artists an insulting amount per play. Conversely, the record label gets a bulk of the revenue from actual playback, which subscribers are said to be doing at an alarming rate.
With WWDC right around the corner, speculation abounds regarding iOS 8. Much like iOS 7 brought a wildly updated UI, iOS 8 is said to bring added functionality. From new Apple apps to a brand new way to multitask, iOS 8 could usher in a new age for iPhone and iPad users.