Looks like the battle between Bose and Beats by Dre parent Apple has moved to a place where it really hurts — the stores.
This is because the Bose headphones can no longer be found in Apple stores, not online, nor at the mall.
Other competing brands of headphones remain in Apple’s online store, including high-end models from Sennheiser, Bowers & Wilkins and Marshall.
It should be noted that two months after Apple announced it would acquire Beats for $3 billion, Bose sued, claiming that Beats had infringed on five of its patents for noise-canceling headphones.
The company also lodged a complaint with the International Trade Commission, seeking to halt the sale and import of certain Beats products.
That lawsuit was dismissed on Oct. 10, after the two parties reached a settlement. Terms were not disclosed.
A publicity battle between the premium headphone brands has also been playing out on TV.
Bose secured an exclusive marketing deal with the National Football League that kept all other manufacturers’ headphones off camera on game day, from the moment players set foot on the field up to 90 minutes after the final whistle.
However, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick flouted the rule during a post-game press conference, and said he was slapped with a $10,000 fine by the league. Other players followed suit, including Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, Seattle Seahawks star Richard Sherman and Cowboys defender Barry Church.
An NFL spokesperson subsequently issued a statement saying players could tape over the Beats brand to avoid being disciplined.
Via Recode
