Why Apple WILL release an updated iPod – and soon
Second only to talks of Leopard and the iPhone are musings regarding the next big step for the iPod; admittedly, with the most anticipated operating system and cell phone launches coming hand in hand from Apple in the very near future, it would seem that Apple could not possibly be capable of managing a powerful trifecta of technology, including an iPod update. However, there are 3 reasons a forthcoming iPod release would make more sense than buttering bread, and I will expound upon them below.
Reason 1: its quite simple, actually, and it is only because we are due for such an update to the iPod. Apple has been infamous for causing much weeping and gnashing of teeth because of their almost too-frequent updates to the iPod line, and the recent drought, though not upsetting due to advances in the iPhone and Leopard arenas, has been longer than typical.
Following Apple’s long-standing production schedule for the iPod, the little toy is overdue for a facelift, and arguing that it is not because there are bigger fish for Apple to fry is truly a poor argument indeed.
Reason 2: Apple is completely capable of doing so. The most overused argument against a new iPod is that Apple’s hands are full managing the upcoming releases of Leopard and the iPhone.
This argument is also flawed based on some conceptual disagreements; you see, just because the iPhone and Leopard are anticipated as revolutionary releases does not mean that an updated iPod will also be equally revolutionary. I don’t expect to see a double-screened, touch-sensitive iPod that can cook, clean, and do laundry. Updates do not always have to be ground-breaking.
As such, it would not be impossible for Apple to update the iPod because expectations (as they have always been for iPod updates) are set too high; a single generation update could take many forms, if not simply equipping the iPod with a longer widescreen than the current taller version, increasing the capacity of the hard drive, or making the current unit sizes more compact.
Reason 3: releasing an updated iPod will not detract from iPhone sales. If you can believe that the iPod update that will come at some point will not be a phone-less version of the iPhone, it only follows you cannot compare Apples (wink) with oranges. Those that are interested in the iPhone will do whatever they must do to obtain it; similarly, those who want an updated iPod will not waste the money on the iPhone to buy a smaller-sized iPod.
Such a comparison is quite ridiculous; why on earth would a reasonable iPod lover who has no interest in a new phone downgrade from a high capacity to a low one, and take on extra features they will never use?
Again, as such it is to be expected that if an updated iPod will not be a downscaled iPhone, Apple should accordingly continue production of new iPods to maintain its veritable strangle-hold on the media market.
I daresay they have no need to fear strong competition, but to delay the forward progress of their fast-paced iPod production string would be detrimental to the high-end, upscale image they project with their product. People are willing to pay money annually to have the latest and greatest, and if anything, delaying an updated iPod will not help sales of either devices in any way.
Finally, just because Apple has been silent on the issue does not mean the iPod has dropped off the radar. If there are arguments against an iPod update to be made, let them be made in a strong, logical fashion, and let us leave the, “it won’t be updated just because!” arguments to fanboys and haters.
May 28th, 2007
[...] And all the trappings of music fanship, band loyalties, merchandising, grassroots promotion, have been expanded to the nth degree by the web. But the walls between genre preferences have largely collapsed. People used to claim they liked “everything but rap and country.†But that’s barely true for anyone these days. The iPod is “singles-based.†It blends well with the MySpace culture, which is also based on single people who want to make a staggering amount of information about themselves available in the public domain. [...]
May 28th, 2007
Do you actually get paid for publishing this crap? There is another guy that published an article about why Apple will not release a new iPod soon.
YOU or no one else knows when Apple is going to update the iPod and what it will be, so why speculate on it? It amazes me the amount of people that write all these articles on Apple like they know what is going on in that company. You wish you worked there, then you wouldn’t have to write these pathetic articles.
If you make over $80,000 a year let me know because I will give up my job and sit on my ass and make up stories about Apple.
May 28th, 2007
To Darryl – it is customary to read an article before you comment on it.
May 28th, 2007
“3 reasons” is correct grammar. The “why” is entirely superfluous. Though, admittedly, part of the reason I mention it is because I sometimes find myself saying “why” after having said “reason” and I’m doing my best to kick the habit altogether. Seeing the two words together in print seems to distract me from my goal, and it’s annoying because the error is so much more easily avoided in print than it is in speech as one generally has the opportunity to edit.
“We’re on a mission from God.” -Elwood Blues
May 28th, 2007
[...] But over at Mac.Blorge, Triston McIntyre rebuts: Second only to talks of Leopard and the iPhone are musings regarding the next big step for the iPod; admittedly, with the most anticipated operating system and cell phone launches coming hand in hand from Apple in the very near future […] releasing an updated iPod will not detract from iPhone sales. If you can believe that the iPod update that will come at some point will not be a phone-less version of the iPhone, it only follows you cannot compare Apples (wink) with oranges. Those that are interested in the iPhone will do whatever they must do to obtain it; similarly, those who want an updated iPod will not waste the money on the iPhone to buy a smaller-sized iPod. Such a comparison is quite ridiculous; why on earth would a reasonable iPod lover who has no interest in a new phone downgrade from a high capacity to a low one, and take on extra features they will never use? […] Again, as such it is to be expected that if an updated iPod will not be a downscaled iPhone, Apple should accordingly continue production of new iPods to maintain its veritable strangle-hold on the media market. [...]
May 28th, 2007
Apple will release a new iPod, but it will not be around the same time as the iPhone. Part of Apple’s success stems from it creating media excitement for its products. This works most effectively when only one product is being promoted at a time. You will notice that the iPhone is being written about everyday. If Apple had another product creating excitement like a new iPod, it would compete with the iPhone for media attention. Moreover, Apple is a company that likes to spread its product releases out this way it has more level earnings throughout the year. It does not want to releae a whole bunch of products at once because this will hurt subsequent quarters. Finally, Apple also likes to release products when they make the most sense. For instance, Apple completely updated its Nanos and Shuffles shortly before Christmas, but barely updated the iPod. This is because studies have shown people tend to spend less money on gifts for others then they do themselves. So, people were more likely to spend for Nano’s and Shuffles then iPods during the Holidays. Accordingly, it wasn’t going to confuse the market by giving major updates to all its iPods at the same time. It also doesn’t want its own products competing for sales with one another. Many potention iPod users will buy the iPhone especially if it is sold pay as you go with out a contract. Some people probably will not even use the phone features.
Apple, like all companies, will want to use its technology in as many products as possible to spread the development cost out as much as possible. AS such, we can assume that Apple will us much of the iPhone technologuy as it can in other products, including an updated product. However, Apple is still refining the technology in the iPhone, so it is not going to immediately put them into an iPod until it works out manufacturing kinks with the iPhone.
In summary: you will not see a new iPod until the end of summer.
May 28th, 2007
No new iPod till the end of summer? Good. Gives me more time to save!
May 28th, 2007
To condemned,
My apologies for the grammatical errors; I should have better proofed my work.
To Darryl,
I’m not particulary sure what hold your boast about an 80k salary has on your comment…
If you aren’t familiar with the Apple/Mac community, we enjoy musings about the potential of things to come. It is enjoyable.
May 29th, 2007
Some of these readers need to chill. It’s a bloggers right to play devils advocate and write on things that may not have come up in other articles, as kooky as they may sound at times.
My take is….No new iPod until October. Apple will let the iPhone excite people from June through September, when things may calm down. I seriously question the possibility of a wide screen iPod. That’s an iPhone only feature, as much as no one will like hearing that. Apple will not use the ace which is widescreen, on a product of lower margins. They will wait until sales start to drop and then make such a big change to the HD pod.
The new iPod will have a new OS to use maybe a new look(recessed wheel, raised center button) Christmas wil see a 2nd gen iphone.
The Nano is near perfect, they may offer movie and game capabilities, MAybe. Again Games are a feature of the bigger ipod and Apple doesn’t like to have the same features on all players. ( Nike =Nano, Movies=iPod,
widescreen=phone). Ipods are selling great and next year we’ll see a widescreen iPod.
Yell scream and crtique grammar, but that’s MiTake.
May 29th, 2007
no critique from me… i’m only working on keeping “why” away from “reason” as putting them together in speech is my weakness. you have done nothing grammatically incorrect which i am likely to duplicate.
merry x-mas to all and to all a good night!
p.s. thanks, triston… i do have better things to worry about, but so many of us do have our pet peeves as well
May 29th, 2007
ah, what the heck… something on topic… i can’t imagine apple would think for a moment that it’s going to sell its iphone to even a fraction of its ipod market and that apple will only realize the full potential of its iphone hype if it offers an iphone form factor ipod (video, to be sure) for those not in the market for a phone and who need the memory for music/podcasts/audiobooks/movies/shows/ etc… oh, and straight away while the hype is freshest.
May 30th, 2007
re c0nd3m3d: Just a minor note, since everyone seems to enjoy critiquing grammar, if Apple is able to sell just one iPhone to and iPod user, technically a fraction, however minuscule, will have bought one.