Two headlines, one story.

There are rumors that Apple will kill off Beats — I say good riddance

Apple has no plans to phase out its successful Beats hardware brand

I find these kinds of stories interesting, if a little “inside baseball,” for a lot of people. One source is suspect and offers nothing but opinion. The other uses the old trope of “sources have told us…” One of these stories must be wrong. But, who cares? For arguments’ sake, what do you think?

Personally, I don’t believe for a second Apple will kill off Beats. There’s way too much value to it, if only for the fashion market. That being said, I have no idea if Beats headphones are still widely popular among an important segment of Apple’s market – professional athletes. I think if Apple has lost those infuencers, then they may kill off the brand.