Zenith, Koss Add Color To Accessories
By Martha McDonald -- TWICE, 12/6/1999
Color is spreading its wings and becoming a bigger part of the accessories category as it moves beyond computer accessories designed to match iMacs.
Companies such as Zenith, which has added remote controls in five transparent "fruit" colors, and Koss, with its new headsets in four transparent colors, are leading the way. Both added the colors to existing models.
"We have been paying close attention to the trends in the industry, primarily in computers, and we noticed the success of the iMac recorders," said Len Coakley, Zenith's accessories VP. "We also noticed that retailers were running ads on different colors for various products like telephones, CD players and tape. So we decided to give it a shot in remote controls, and we went with the five popular colors - lemon lime, grape, blueberry, strawberry and tangerine."
The four-function remote with menu and glow-in-the-dark keypad is a current model in the Zenith line. It has just started to ship to Kmart and BrandsMart and will also be going into other accounts, Coakley said.
The remotes are actually clear on the bottom with the transparent colors on the top. They operate most TVs, VCRs, cable boxes and CD players, and offer features such as menu and a glow-in-the-dark keypad. "We are very proud to be the first in the industry with color remote controls," Coakley said. "And the timing couldn't be better. It's just in time for the holidays, and at $14.95, it's a perfect stocking stuffer."
He pointed out that so far, the three most popular colors are grape, blueberry and lemon lime.
Coakley also said that Zenith is considering adding colors to other accessories.
Koss has also noted the move to color and is now offering its iPhone line that includes seven audio and communications headsets and earbuds in four of the popular transparent colors: purple, blue, red and lime green.
"We have seen such a great response to the iMac colors, so we decided to try colors for our headsets," said Jill McCurdy, Koss VP of product development. "These are all current models in our line, and the response has been great." She added that all seven models are available in all four colors.
The new iPhone line includes seven models at suggested retail prices ranging from $7.99 to $19.99. At the top of the line is the i50, a dual-sided stereophone featuring the company's Clear Voice Technology (CVT) noise-cancellation microphone for use with a computer. It has an adjustable headband and an 8-foot cord. The suggested retail price is $19.99.
The $14.99 i40 is a portable stereophone in a collapsible design. It includes both a 1/4-inch and a 1/8-inch stereo plug for home and portable use.
Also at $14.99 is the i30, a single-sided, mono headphone for use with a PC. It includes a CVT noise-cancellation microphone and adjustable headband.
The $9.99 i20is a portable stereophone with a volume control on the cord at a suggested retail price of $9.99. The i10, at $7.99, is an ultra-lightweight portable model.
The i15 and i5 are both electret microphones at suggested retail prices of $14.99 and $9.99, respectively. The i15 has an omnidirectional microphone and is designed for use with voice-activated and voice-recognition software, and computer games with sound cards. The i5 can be attached to a shirt or jacket to be used with a computer audio system.
The new headsets i20, i40 and i10 began shipping in October, followed by the i5 and i15. The i30 and i50 are scheduled to begin shipping by January.
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