During the 2018 holiday season, Apple saw a surge in AirPod sales. The AirPods have become a cultural phenomenon – consumers making memes out of the headphones and supposedly “flexing” in them. The AirPods got a slow start when they were released in September 2016 but have essentially gone viral over the last 6 months. The explosion in the headphones could not have come at a better time. Apple has been struggling to convince investors of its future projections but the AirPods have shown that Apple can still produce viral, highly-marketable products. Apple successfully merged both fashion and technology with the AirPods. If you were to watch a sporting event or E! you would see both athletes and celebrities using AirPods because they are now seen as a fashion statement.
With the growing popularity of wearable technologies, consumers are speculating the next generation of AirPods will adopt some Apple Watch technology. The new AirPods could possibly monitor cardiac rhythms and record other sophisticated readings. The new generation of AirPods will join Apple’s biomarker-recording technology. If an individual wears AirPods all day, the data collected can test and predict health irregularities and save lives. We can expect AirPod sales to continually increase as the popularity of wearable technology increases.
Do you think AirPods will continue to boost sales for Apple? Can you think of any other examples of wearable technology that Apple may release?
source: https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/apple-s-airpods-once-punchline-emerge-flex-financial-force-n970541
Great insight on the AirPods! I actually didn”t know where the memes originated, but now I do. I definitely see them being more prominent right now and that has helped boost sales. I remember hearing that some of their iPhones did not have the best sales so this is a great way for investors to see Apple can still produce great products, as you mentioned. It is interesting to see them potentially adopt Apple Watch features. Do you think that even though these are 2 different products, that the AirPods could cannibalize the sales of the AppleWatch if the AirPods get features from their watch? Also a concern would be the price point – I wonder for how long consumers will be ok with spending a premium on ear buds, when there are higher quality headphones for cheaper prices. What do you think?
I own wired earbuds, over the ear headphones, and “wireless” headphones. The Apple Airpods blow all of them out of the water. And it’s not just a “flex” piece. Functionality – they perform better than all of my other earphones/headphones. Do they provide me studio room music quality? No. But the things the AirPods do well are that: truely wireless, good battery life, portable, and a really good mic. I think Apple has done it again. They’ve created a new product that is made to last. It may have took a while for AirPods to take off, but they’ve definitely silenced the critics. From all the memes made to everyone writing off the Airpods – I honestly think that AirPods are really useful. I find myself using them everyday. I don’t see them as a fashion piece but I do like the way they look so they’re aesthetically pleasing. Cardiac rhythm is cool – but do I care about that in my headphones? I just rather my AirPods be able to control volume without me having to take out my phone. I would also like them to be noise canceling. It is definitely exciting to see the future of wearable technology!
Great title! It is no surprise that when social media meets a product, potential sales may multiple by two or three-fold. in addition, the memes gaining peak popularity during Christmas season was an added cherry to the company. I believe the Apple Airpods will be around for a long time. The price differentiation compared to other brands screams ‘luxury.’ My only worry for the product is hoping that each new generations of the Airpods will be more innovative compared to its predecessor. Personally, I was not impressed by the added features of the Airpods 2 and will not be upgrading this year.