Apple pulling Bose products from stores to focus on Beats?

Apple is reportedly set to remove all Bose products from its stores next week with instructions for removal being sent to employees in the coming days. MacRumors spoke to a “reliable source” who said the change was imminent, but didn’t reveal the reasons behind the axing – although there appears to be many at a glance. The most obvious being Apple’s $3bn Beats buy-out which saw the Cupertino firm take control of the headphone range and Beats streaming service.

With Beats now being Apple’s main audio equipment priority, either Bose or Apple may have decided to bite the bullet and end their retail relationship. Another motive may be the situation in the US in which San Francisco 49ers Quarterback Colin Kaepernick has been fined $10,000 by the NFL for wearing Beats headphones after the league signed an exclusive sponsorship agreement with Bose.
The removal could be Apple’s way of retaliation, but we’re just guessing.

Adding substance to the rumour is the lawsuit that Bose took out almost immediately after Apple’s Beats acquisition, alleging Dr Dre’s firm stole its ideas in noise cancelling tech. Although just today Bose agreed to a dismissal of its lawsuit against Beats, with the parties having settled their claims.

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