Tech

Apple is booting headphones from competitors like Sonos and Bose out of its stores

Bose brand shot
Bose won't be able to sell its headphones in Apple stores. Amazon
Read in app

Apple has pulled all headphones and speakers from companies including Bose, Sonos, and Logitech from both its online and physical stores.

Bloomberg first reported the news.

Headphones and speakers from rival brands disappeared from Apple's online store at the end of last month, and in Apple's physical retail locations employees have been instructed to remove products for sale over the past few days, according to Bloomberg. 

Bose confirmed to Bloomberg that Apple will no longer sell its accessories, and wireless speaker company Ultimate Ears said it had been informed by Apple that: "They will no longer carry third-party speakers at retail from September onwards." 

Sonos shares fell 5% after the news broke after trading hours on Monday, but then recovered slightly to a 3% drop overall.

Apple now only sells own-brand headphones and speakers along with products from its subsidiary Beats.

Bloomberg reports one exception on its store, a conference room speaker from Pioneer that plugs into an iPhone.

Apple told Bloomberg it regularly makes changes to the products it carries in response to new third-party accessory releases and customer demand.

Bloomberg reports booting rival products signals Apple preparing to launch new audio offerings including some long-rumored over-ear headphones.

This is a tactic it has deployed before when expanding into a market, in 2014 it pulled Fitbit wearable accessories from its online store ahead of launching the Apple Watch.

Apple was not immediately available for comment when contacted by Business Insider.

Read next

Isobel (she/her) was a senior tech reporter at Business Insider. She was particularly interested in Big Tech, privacy, and worker's rights. You can read some of her previous work here: The quest to find $181 million in bitcoin buried in a dump Exclusive: Amazon targeted military spouses in a pandemic recruitment drive. 2 of them say they ended up being paid 33% less than non-military coworkers. Exclusive: Amazon plans a pay cut of up to 23% for hourly workers who guide trucks in and out of its UK delivery stations Exclusive: Tesla's solar division asks employees to scour social media for complaints about both the company and Elon Musk, trying to get customers to delete their posts, former employees say A couple says their Tesla Solar panels caused relentless leaks that led to mold 10 times the healthy limit, $115,000 in damages, and a long-running legal battle Ghosted by Tesla: Customers say Tesla's ultrasleek, expensive Solar Roofs and panels come with nightmare customer service, often leaving them with unanswered calls and emails for months on end Amazon workers leading a historic push for unionization in Alabama describe midnight 'education' meetings, an unexpected mailbox, and streams of anti-union flyers as they go up against one of the world's most powerful companies 'It's a slap in the face': Amazon is handing out 'Thank you' t-shirts to warehouse workers as it cuts their hazard pay Investigation: Amazon warehouse employees speak out about the 'brutal' reality of working during the holidays, when 60-hour weeks are mandatory and ambulance calls are common The science behind Elon Musk's brain-chip company Neuralink Investigation: Instagram's new TV service recommended videos of potential child abuse