Apple removes Logitech, Sonos and Bose audio gear from its stores

[Shawn Knight]

The big picture: Apple has quietly stopped selling competing headphones and wireless speakers from rivals Logitech, Bose and Sonos, a recent report from Bloomberg highlights. Odds are, this is an indication that we are about to see Apple unveil some new branded audio gear. With an event rumored to take place on October 13, it could happen very soon.

The publication notes that all headphones and speakers from the aforementioned brands disappeared from Apple’s online store at the end of September. Attempts to pinpoint the exact date that the products were pulled using the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine were unsuccessful.

Bloomberg further reports that employees at physical Apple Stores in recent days were instructed to remove products from their shelves.

Apple now exclusively stocks branded products like the AirPods, in addition to offerings from subsidiary Beats.

Investors are already responding to the news as share value in Logitech and Sonos is down 6.52 percent and 5.69 percent in pre-market trading, respectively.

The changes could be an indicator that Apple is nearly ready to unveil new audio products. Rumors suggest Apple is working on a set of over-ear headphones as well as a “mini” version of its HomePod smart speaker that’ll arrive with a lower price tag compared to the original.

Making way for branded products isn’t a new strategy for Apple. In 2014, the company stopped selling Fitbit wearables to make room for its upcoming Apple Watch.

Image credit Anna Svetlova, jessica.kirsh

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https://www.techspot.com/news/86998-apple-quietly-stops-selling-logitech-bose-sonos-audio.html

 

[Squid Surprise]

I just hope they don't introduce some driver or software that borks 3rd party headphones when being used with iphones/ipads...I love my Sony headphones and wouldn't appreciate them forcing me to buy Apple...

 

[candle_86]

I just hope they don't introduce some driver or software that borks 3rd party headphones when being used with iphones/ipads...I love my Sony headphones and wouldn't appreciate them forcing me to buy Apple...

No they will just require you to buy 4-7 dongles

 

[yRaz]

I don't really see this as a problem, last time I was in an apple store was when I bought my iPhone 4. That was the last iPhone I ever bought.

Okay, okay, all talking crap aside, I am kind of disappointed by this even though the only one of those brands I buy is logitech. I see this as mildly anticompetitive. If apple was truly make superior products then their stores would be the perfect place to showcase why it's superior. On the other end of things, it's their store and they have every right to carry whatever products they want.

Something I do find really frustrating about Apple products is that they aren't bad at all(insert Rossman video), they're just monstrously over priced paired with absolutely absurd business practices.

 

[wiyosaya]

I don't really see this as a problem, last time I was in an apple store was when I bought my iPhone 4. That was the last iPhone I ever bought.

Okay, okay, all talking crap aside, I am kind of disappointed by this even though the only one of those brands I buy is logitech. I see this as mildly anticompetitive. If apple was truly make superior products then their stores would be the perfect place to showcase why it's superior. On the other end of things, it's their store and they have every right to carry whatever products they want.

Something I do find really frustrating about Apple products is that they aren't bad at all(insert Rossman video), they're just monstrously over priced paired with absolutely absurd business practices.

I agree, Apple is overpriced and this is anti-competitive behavior. I think that Bose does not necessarily make superior products and that Sonos and Bose are basically supported by their marketing campaigns just like Apple. I have to question whether Sonos is a good product either.

 

[Squid Surprise]

I don't see this as anti-competitive... Bose had their own stores too (before they closed them all) - you didn't see any iPods for sale in them..

I'm sure that Bose, Logitech, et al had signed pretty lucrative deals to showcase their products in Apple's stores. Guess those days of free advertising are over...

 

[tacobravo]

So it'll be easier to push their expensive and overrated Beats lineup without any competition

 

[Evernessince]

I don't see this as anti-competitive... Bose had their own stores too (before they closed them all) - you didn't see any iPods for sale in them..

Bose isn't a software / hardware platform though, they only sell headphones. It doesn't make sense for them to have iPods in their store. It does make sense to have bose headphones in an apple store though as you'd use them with your apple device. It's an accessory.

What apple is doing here very much resembles a textbook vertical monopoly. Apple not only wants to sell you the hardware / OS, it also wants to control all related accessories / hardware and software.

I'm sure that Bose, Logitech, et al had signed pretty lucrative deals to showcase their products in Apple's stores. Guess those days of free advertising are over...

If true, that would also be anti-competitive. You should not have to pay Apple to stock accessories that enhanced their products. Every other store in the world carries accessories from other brands including MS because they improve the customer experience and provide options.

 

[Squid Surprise]

Bose isn't a software / hardware platform though, they only sell headphones. It doesn't make sense for them to have iPods in their store. It does make sense to have bose headphones in an apple store though as you'd use them with your apple device. It's an accessory.

What apple is doing here very much resembles a textbook vertical monopoly. Apple not only wants to sell you the hardware / OS, it also wants to control all related accessories / hardware and software.



If true, that would also be anti-competitive. You should not have to pay Apple to stock accessories that enhanced their products. Every other store in the world carries accessories from other brands including MS because they improve the customer experience and provide options.

Apple OWNS the store... there is plenty of precedent for this... I highly doubt you'd see any Bose headphones in a Sony store (if any were left)... or a Microsoft store... or a Samsung store... those are software/hardware companies...

And while I doubt that Logitech/Bose/etc actually PAID to have their products in Apple stores - I suspect it was more of a % of sales went to Apple - which makes sense since they were sold IN Apple stores.

You don't think Best Buy gets a % of the sales of the stuff they sell from other companies?

 

[Evernessince]

You don't think Best Buy gets a % of the sales of the stuff they sell from other companies?

If you are implying that stores are paid money simply to carry products, that's pretty rare in retail.

You may be thinking of kickback or rebate programs for sales people. That's an entirely different subject.

Apple OWNS the store... there is plenty of precedent for this... I highly doubt you'd see any Bose headphones in a Sony store (if any were left)... or a Microsoft store... or a Samsung store... those are software/hardware companies...

The microsoft store DOES carry products from other brands. Sony doesn't have physical retail locations but they certify and sell plenty of 3rd party products on their website.

You have to consider that Apple owns a platform that other companies have developed products for. Please cite said precedent where this particular situation has been tried in court.

 

[Squid Surprise]

If you are implying that stores are paid money simply to carry products, that's pretty rare in retail.

You may be thinking of kickback or rebate programs for sales people. That's an entirely different subject.



The microsoft store DOES carry products from other brands. Sony doesn't have physical retail locations but they certify and sell plenty of 3rd party products on their website.

You have to consider that Apple owns a platform that other companies have developed products for. Please cite said precedent where this particular situation has been tried in court.

You’re misunderstanding me.... Best Buy adds on a % to everything they sell - as does EVERY retail store... otherwise they’d get no profits....
Apple gets the same from 3rd party merchandise in their store - otherwise, why sell it?

And yes, MS carries other brands - but nothing that competes with their own stuff... the only exception is laptops, as they all have Windows, so MS makes money off of that too.... but you won’t see a PS4/PS5 sold there!

And Sony used to have retail locations.... you never saw an Xbox inside... or a canon / Nikon camera!

 

[Bp968]

I don't really see this as a problem, last time I was in an apple store was when I bought my iPhone 4. That was the last iPhone I ever bought.

Okay, okay, all talking crap aside, I am kind of disappointed by this even though the only one of those brands I buy is logitech. I see this as mildly anticompetitive. If apple was truly make superior products then their stores would be the perfect place to showcase why it's superior. On the other end of things, it's their store and they have every right to carry whatever products they want.

Something I do find really frustrating about Apple products is that they aren't bad at all(insert Rossman video), they're just monstrously over priced paired with absolutely absurd business practices.

Apple's goal is complete and total vertical integration from top to bottom. I was honestly surprised they didn't try and buy ARM, but I suspect their legal department said it would never happen and would likely create bad press (it definitely would have). The will likely start off by offering features on their branded products (enabled by their control of the software stack) that are not available from 3rd party hardware. Once the majority of users are using their accessories is when they will start the lock-in and yearly to bi-yearly upgrade treadmill where they introduce "new" features on the new hardware and disable "legacy" features on the "old" hardware.

I expect the switch from intel to ARM CPUs to be the final nail in MacOS and the ability to use it like an actual "normal" operating system. As soon as apple can get away with it (likely immediately when they switch to ARM CPUs) they will force a switch to the "app store" for *all* MacOS software. You will no longer be able to buy software outside of their walled and taxed garden, and even companies like adobe will be forced into a 30% tax even on their software as a subscription model because uses won't be able to install software outside the "app store" even if they choose to do so.

It might push creatives and the software makers away from MacOS, or it might not. But it won't matter to apple, since their primary goal with macOS seems to be as a lock in development platform for iOS devices anyway.

 

[Bp968]

You’re misunderstanding me.... Best Buy adds on a % to everything they sell - as does EVERY retail store... otherwise they’d get no profits....
Apple gets the same from 3rd party merchandise in their store - otherwise, why sell it?

And yes, MS carries other brands - but nothing that competes with their own stuff... the only exception is laptops, as they all have Windows, so MS makes money off of that too.... but you won’t see a PS4/PS5 sold there!

And Sony used to have retail locations.... you never saw an Xbox inside... or a canon / Nikon camera!

They really don't add a "percentage" in quite the way you imply. They operate like most companies do in a capitalist market. The provide something the manufacturer can't get from selling directly. Guaranteed sales, shelf space and advertising space ("free" for the manufacturer), bulk orders, the handling of retail after-sale costs (returns, customer questions and issues, etc). The retailer gets the product at a discount which they get to mark up (at various amounts depending on the product) and they get the opportunity to sell accessories (often store branded, and heavily marked up) thus the infamous "super high quality digital cables" they sold for huge markups at the beginning of the DVD/HDTV age.

Apple is more akin to a car maker who sells you a car but only allows you to buy gas for it from branded gas stations, only allows branded accessories or parts to be installed or used in or on the car, and if you change out the gas nozzle so you can fill it with off brand gas they cancel your warranty, refuse parts and updates, and suggest if you want those back you'll need to buy a new car.

 

[candle_86]

Apple OWNS the store... there is plenty of precedent for this... I highly doubt you'd see any Bose headphones in a Sony store (if any were left)... or a Microsoft store... or a Samsung store... those are software/hardware companies...

And while I doubt that Logitech/Bose/etc actually PAID to have their products in Apple stores - I suspect it was more of a % of sales went to Apple - which makes sense since they were sold IN Apple stores.

You don't think Best Buy gets a % of the sales of the stuff they sell from other companies?

Actually any retail store buys wholesale in bulk and resells it to you and me at retail prices. which means Apple stands to lose a lot of money if they have a lot of unsold inventory.

 

[Ultraman1966]

I don't see this as anti-competitive... Bose had their own stores too (before they closed them all) - you didn't see any iPods for sale in them..

I'm sure that Bose, Logitech, et al had signed pretty lucrative deals to showcase their products in Apple's stores. Guess those days of free advertising are over...

That's not quite right. Apple has a massive captive audience at the upper quartiles of consumers. All the others fight out each other in a relatively free market.

 

[Squid Surprise]

That's not quite right. Apple has a massive captive audience at the upper quartiles of consumers. All the others fight out each other in a relatively free market.

So because Apple is better at what they do, they should suffer for it? Apple got their "captive audience" using the free market.... no one HAS to have an iPhone... just like no one HAS to have any device.

It's been long understood by most that if you "go Apple", you are locked into the "Apple World".... no one forces you to "go Apple" though.

 

[L0gan5]

Apple's goal is complete and total vertical integration from top to bottom. I was honestly surprised they didn't try and buy ARM, but I suspect their legal department said it would never happen and would likely create bad press (it definitely would have).

Quite ironic really when ARM was created by Apple and Acorn Computers.

 

[OortCloud]

"Our new speakers cost 3 times as much as the Logitech ones Mr Cook and sound a bit sh1te - but they look good all sleek and shiny!"

"Well, just remove the competition from our stores Smithers, then they will sell like hotcakes!"

"Of course, why didn't I think of that, oh Mr Cook you are so clever. Oh and they have no inputs so you can't plug anything into them, but man they look good."

"Take me to my vault I wish to stare at my wealth once again. Meanwhile, I have also come up with a genius name for these that only I could think of....we shall call them iSpeakers v1! Each year we shall issue a new thinner more expensive iSpeaker until they are made of a single atom. Visible only with an electron microscope and only audible by bats."

 

[Ultraman1966]

So because Apple is better at what they do, they should suffer for it? Apple got their "captive audience" using the free market.... no one HAS to have an iPhone... just like no one HAS to have any device.

It's been long understood by most that if you "go Apple", you are locked into the "Apple World".... no one forces you to "go Apple" though.

I didn't say that, I was describing what would happen in a monopoly environment. You realise that is why antitrust laws exist? I didn't say this was exactly it but there are elements at play here we make it similar monopolistic behaviour.

 

[OortCloud]

Quite ironic really when ARM was created by Apple and Acorn Computers.

I never knew Apple were a part of the original ARM alongside good old Acorn...you learn something new every day.

 

[Squid Surprise]

I didn't say, I was describing what would happen in a monopoly environment. You realise that is why antitrust laws exist? I didn't say this was exactly it but there are elements at play here we make it similar monopolistic behaviour.

There are elements at play that say Microsoft has a software monopoly... but they continue to sell Windows to PCs unopposed... Antitrust laws were meant to keep resources sales from being monopolized and forcing consumers into high prices / poor quality essentials.... hence the break-up of Standard Oil... but they don’t tend to work very well... how‘s big oil treating ya?

 

[Ultraman1966]

There are elements at play that say Microsoft has a software monopoly... but they continue to sell Windows to PCs unopposed... Antitrust laws were meant to keep resources sales from being monopolized and forcing consumers into high prices / poor quality essentials.... hence the break-up of Standard Oil... but they don’t tend to work very well... how‘s big oil treating ya?

Absolutely, MS has been hit hard in the past so now embrace a lot of open source and has been making strides to foster good will with Linux users etc.

The laws may not have worked as well as intended but that's like saying what's the point making murder illegal when people still kill each other? It just means we need to tackle the root cause and continue to reform our laws to make them relevant/effective.