Apple Looks Set To Buy Beats: Is Beijing All Ears?
The past six months have seen some big tech names buying up large. Google invested in Nest for a cool USD 3.2 billion, and Facebook bought Occulus RV and WhatsApp for USD 2 billion and USD 19 billion respectively. Now Apple have entered the buying front, scooping up Beats for a cool USD 3.2 billion. This appears to have left some economic gurus stumped as to why a powerhouse like Apple would invest in a headphone company. But it looks as though China might understand why they would do this.
Tracey Xiang from Technode summed it in this concise point: smart hardware for music streaming, and it appears China has been getting ahead in this game. Many devices are starting to show on the market that incorporate music streaming from services like Pandora (available in select countries) and Douban FM (China) as well as other social media like WeChat and in-house developments like StarChat (message platform for musicians). Being able to stream music while simultaneously sharing and connecting with artists and other fans looks to be the next evolutionary step in meshing music with the digital age.
VOW is one of these flagship headphone products waiting to take off. With an Android powered detachable touch-screen on one side of the frame, users can enjoy high-quality sounds via Wi-Fi, 3G, or Bluetooth, whilst interacting with their favorite musicians and producers. If this sounds like an ideal tech piece to add to your collection, take a look at their Kickstarter campaign (or our coverage here) and support them.
Other interactive products like Muno by Sugrsugr and Kugou, which use haptic functions such as tilting to control skip/repeat, are growing their image online in hopes more people will want an easy, but stylish, way to access their favorite online streaming platform in a modern speaker design for in-home entertainment.
While it looks as though Apple's purchase broadcasts are falling on deaf ears around the world, I'll be willing to bet there are more than a few Chinese companies pressing their ears to the ground. Beats is a brand that has flooded the Chinese market (whether they are legit or not is another discussion) so to see a popular name like Apple team up with a well-established headphone product in China does lend to the idea that Apple will soon have every second Beijing subway go-er at the tip of their finge ... err ... ears?
Imagine the power you could have, subliminally enforcing your will (one hopes for the good of mankind) starting with enforcing proper subway etiquette during rush hour (one can dream, can't I)?
