Apple Inc AAPL introduced over the ears headphones, the AirPods Max, for $549 on Tuesday and the hefty price tag for the multicolored headphones is proving to be difficult to stomach for many on social media.
What Happened: While some prospective buyers may be enamored by the headphone’s five colors or its 20-hour battery life, the steep price has left many disgruntled with the Tim Cook-led company.
Twitter user @dolcedarks commented, “Insanity!! in the middle of a pandemic [expletive] $600 (probably with tax) earphones. Unbelievable.
Media veterans like Huffington Post editor Philip Lewis and CNBC editor Steve Kovach also took potshots at the California-based tech giant.
Me looking at the AirPods Max price pic.twitter.com/g1cS3xDbO2
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) December 8, 2020
"Sorry, I can't hear you. My AirPods Max automatically mute poor people." pic.twitter.com/SwDsPKNTKe
— Steve Kovach (@stevekovach) December 8, 2020
Why It Matters: Tech reviewer Marques Brownlee admitted on Twitter that he was saving his full thoughts on the latest headphones from Apple for an “in-person” review.
“But let’s just say I’m… skeptical they’ll pry me away from the Sony WH1000XM4’s that cost $200 less. But I would LOVE to be wrong,” said Brownlee.
The barrage of criticism online also touched on how the AirPods were more expensive than even the newly-introduced PlayStation 5 console by Sony Corporation SNE.
$549. So AirPods Max or PS5? pic.twitter.com/RHk0pdd3nd
— Jonathan Morrison (@tldtoday) December 8, 2020
What are we doing Airpods Max or PS5? Let that sink in... pic.twitter.com/vmLfparMt7
— Danny Winget (@superscientific) December 8, 2020
YouTuber Zack Nelson, known as JerryRigEverything, compared the headphones's case to “$550 bikinis.”
So Apple is selling $550 bikinis now? pic.twitter.com/YpPUXqsV6R
— JerryRigEverything (@ZacksJerryRig) December 8, 2020
Even though the headphones’ retail price is a shocker to some, they are reportedly already commanding huge premiums on reseller websites like eBay Inc EBAY and are listed for $849 to $1,199.
Price Action: Apple shares closed nearly 0.5% higher at $124.38 on Tuesday.
See Also: Apple Gets $200 Bull Case Target From Wedbush On Strongest Product Cycle Since 2014
Photo — courtesy of Apple.
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