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Bragi sells off its in-ear headphone business as it focuses on software

It's not going to compete with Apple or Samsung directly.

Bragi hasn't been shy about transitioning away from making consumer-facing earbuds and toward developing high-concept features, but it's now clear that shift is complete. The company has confirmed to TechCrunch that it sold its hardware business to an unnamed company in March, finishing a "transformation" into a company focused on AI, software and patent licenses. If you see its technology in the future, it'll be part of someone else's earbuds.

The company previously said that it knew its future in hardware was uncertain from the outset. With that said, Bragi wasn't so much encouraged leave the hardware market as it was pushed. While products like the Dash were ahead of their time, they were quickly overshadowed by other smart all-wireless earbuds like Apple's AirPods and Samsung's Gear IconX, let alone more traditional offerings from the likes of Bose and Jabra. Bragi faced stiff odds trying to compete against hardware heavyweights, and bowing out may have given it a better chance at survival.