AppleBeats

If you thought Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine were already loaded thanks to their ridiculously successful headphone brand, Beats Electronics, you ain’t seen nothing yet. According to a report by the Financial TimesApple is in talks to purchase the successful audio company for a reported $3.2 billion. Even for a guy with a net worth of $550 million, that’s not chump change.

According to the report, if successful, the acquisition would be the largest in the Cupertino tech giant’s history. “People familiar with the negotiations” said the deal could be announced sometime next week, but final details at this point are still rolling in.

What we do know is that the deal will purportedly include all of Beats Electronics’ services. That includes the company’s somewhat struggling new Spotify competitor, Beats Music, as well as the entire equipment line, which offers a host of headphone models, portable speakers like the Beats Pill, and other audio gear.

Acquiring Beats would fill a lot of holes for Apple, not the least of which would be a replacement for its critically maligned EarPods. If approved, Apple would suddenly have its pick of a myriad of flashy cans to package with the iPhone, which has scene a major dip in growth over the last few years.

In a pre-WhatsApp world, this kind of deal may have had more shock factor. Once Facebook threw down $19 billion for an app, finances between tech firms all became a little more hazy. Still, the $3.2 billion price tag is a hefty price to pay to take control over Dr. Dre’s baby, which had a reported value of around $1 billion in September of last year, according to the Times.

But then again, you can’t put a price tag on hip. And along with some audio prowess, that’s really what Apple is buying here. Turn on the TV and wait a while and you’ll likely see an athlete, TV character, or movie star wearing a pair of Beats headphones. If Apple is successful in its efforts, in a few weeks, all of those flashy young stars will be sporting Apple gear. That alone may be worth the price of admission.

We’re still seeing details come in, so stay with us to follow the story as it unfolds. What do you think?



Read more: http://www.digitaltrends.com/music/apple-throw-reported-3-2-billion-beats-electronics/#ixzz31BJdk6mj 
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Prince Malachi is the founder of The Oracle Network and the Streetwear brand Y.A.H. Apparel

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