Brian X. Chen, for The New York Times:
For Apple, the acquisition of Beats, expected for weeks, largely follows a familiar pattern. Apple has historically bought technology outfits that have resources and talent that it can blend into future devices and online services. Beats fits that criterion.
But the Beats deal is also different. Until now, Apple, the richest tech company in the world, has avoided billion-dollar takeovers in favor of smaller deals. The Beats deal is its largest ever.
What I think is even more different than the amount of this deal with Beats compared to others is the that Beats is a huge brand. They have celebrity endorsers, their headphones are insanely popular, and they have two very high-profile co-founders. Money aside, this is a rare acquisition indeed.
In terms of significance, the 1996 deal with NeXT was Apple’s largest ever. In terms of money, this Beats deal is the largest ever.
I think the Beats deal will prove to be Apple’s 2nd most significant acquisition. I’m curious to find out how “Jimmy and Dre” will help shape the internal culture of Apple, and how the Beats brand will impact the Apple brand (and vice versa). Will Apple eventually start putting their logo on Beats headphones or leave them as they are? How long will Jimmy and/or Dre stick around at Apple?