4GB 'iPod Mini' and 15GB iPod

[MacRumors]

Apple released the iPod Mini today at MacWorld SF 2004.

The new iPods come in 5 colors (silver, gold, blue, pink, and green) has a smaller form factor and offers 4GB for $249. Also bundled with the units are a belt clip and armband.

The new form factor iPod will be shipping next month in the U.S. and Worldwide in April.

While many aspects of the Mini iPod rumors turned true, the ambitious pricing and 2GB size did not come to fruition at this point in time. Today, Apple also replaced the low end 10GB iPod with a 15GB size for the same price.

[uv23]

Nice but still too expensive. For the $50 differential, there's no reason for me to buy this over the 15gb iPod.

[Powerbook G5]

I am so getting one of those silver iPod minis.

[CrackedButter]

I just got off the IRC channel and everybody is complaining about the price. The price is great when compared against the flash players... thats it.

You are not comparing it against the bigger ipods. They have different attributes.

If you want the 15GB then get it but there is nothing wrong with the iPod mini either... it has its market just like the 20" iMac.

[gola]

The pricing seems a bit high, no? 50$ between 4 and 15 GB? Crazy.

[Juventuz]

The 15 gig iPod at $299 is nice, but the new 4 Gig iPod at $249 is where they dropped the ball.

I'm sorry, but I don't see the point in having a 4 gig iPod that's only $50 cheaper than a 15 gig iPod. If they wanted to cut into the Rio players and others then they should have offered it at $199.

[jxyama]

yikes. it's a lot more expensive than i had imagined...

sure, smaller profile is nice and all... but is it worth sacrificing 11 GB for $50 savings?

i thought they'd price it a bit lower to differentiate a little more from the lowest iPod.

$200 would have been just about perfect. if 4 GB was too expensive, they could have offered a 2 or 3 GB ones so they could be priced at $200..?

[ionas]

but for costomers who got not that much money it doesnt make sense - i would go for a 15gb ipod then...

if it drops to 199 or even 169 or so the new minipod will sell like hell.

[chrisw]

$249! Where's the logic in that...

[mainstreetmark]

$50 more for the 15 gig for the full iPod? Plus, they added another 5 gig for free, to make it an even better value.

A <$200 model would have sold like crazy.

[Le Big Mac]

Originally posted by Juventuz
If they wanted to cut into the Rio players and others then they should have offered is at $199.

Agreed. The price is stunningly high, given a) the small-capacity-player competition's prices and b) the price of the 15GB. Very curious. As a stockholder, I'll be pretty pissed if they don't have solid market research backing the price.

[Gimzotoy]

Well, I was mostly right. 4GB at $250, 15GB low end iPod. I miss the exclusion of the 2GB, though. I'm tempted, even at the higher price, but I'm gonna wait until I see one in person. Any idea when these'll make it to the Apple Stores?

Also, from what I can tell on the Apple Store, the armband is not included. Just the belt clip.

[sfhc21]

Very disappointing. I don't understand how this will compete with the lower priced MP3 players out there - its still too expensive to do so.

Great concept - terrible price.

[mike czech]

hmmm... while I DO like the dimunitive form factor, it seems like Steve's selling point was that they are "$50 more" than the competitor's offerings. Using this same rationale, I would definitely spend "$50 more" to get almost 4X the storage on the 15Gig iPod.

Under $200 is my target price, and under $150 I would buy them for my whole family.

Nice try, but still too pricey... How long til the prices drop??

edit: it seems like 10 other people chimed in with similar thoughts in the time it took me to type my post... lol

we're Steve's new "market research" I guess

[Wash!!]

the price is about right remember Apple is there to make money. Rio must be wetting their pants now now the ipod will be all over I love them I'm going to buy one for my daughter (pink) of course

[aswitcher]

Yeah, 4GB is too rich just because of the price of the 15GB model.

Can anyone comment on those new ear plugs? Good, Bad?

[junior]

I don't know... I'm a bit disapointed. Steve Jobs says that this will compete against the flash players. I don't think so. Rio, one of the best selling flash player companies, recognises the total difference between hardware based and flash players. They've therefore just announced a 4gb player for the same price. That's what Apple will be competing against, not the flash players.
Good news for the low end 10gb iPod getting the chop though. Still waiting for a 60gb iPod...

[Freakk123]

TOOO... FRIGGIN... EXPENSIVE! WHY?!? Apple had a chance to make the iPods even better, and dominate even more of the market... but then... this happened...

[britboy]

I'll be interested in seeing what the UK pricing will be, come april.... Probably somewhere in the £200 range. I'd really be hoping for a sub-£150 mini iPod, with perhaps 2GB. That's what I think apple should really have released. Still, it's a cheaper model, and I'll still be getting one when it becomes available over this side of the pond.

[alset]

I think it's a dead-in-the water product, but it will cause Rio 4gb shoppers to think twice and then upgrade to a 15gb iPod. This is another example of rumor sites (in general) killing an Apple product before it's release. I know I'm guilty of having expectations that were too high.

Someone will use the new 2gb storage "element" to compete.

Dan

[yosoyjay]

If it was to be priced at $199 I would have picked one up. At $249 I can't justify the cost.

Additionally, for another $50 I might as well get the 15 gig iPod. But I want a controller and a dock, so if I add those on to the $299 for the iPod I end up around $380. At this point I might as well spend the extra $20 for another 5 gigs...

Oh well, I guess I'll just have to wait.

[warcraftmaster]

they riped me off i just got my 15gb 3 months ago now its the lowest model
jk its good that its 15 now and i want to buy a mini blue one soon so i will be the only on with the new ipod again on my island

[coumerelli]

Here's the deal....just LOOK at that thing. If the iPod wasn't already popular enough, I think this thing is going to make waves. As Steve showed it, all I saw was another 'cool' apple product. How many do you think they can sell NOW? If walmart carried these, they would hit 10 million by summer, maybe 25 by next christmas. No kidding, this is going to be HOT! (but I'm still going for the 40 gigger.

Also, can the 4GB mini be used as a HD too, like it's older sibling?

[mrdrumbum]

$249? what the hell are they thinking?

they should have just made it 2 gigs for $149.

i think the ipods look much better than the minis. no white ipod mini?

[iJed]

I actually had my credit card on front of me in order to buy the new small iPod model... But this thing is so stupidly priced and under-specced compared to the 15G that I simply have no intention of paying for it. I really do not see Apple gaining a great deal of market share with this. They would have just been better taking $50 off of the 10G model and selling that.

Oh well. Really disappointing. Hopefully at least we can download the new iMovie and iPhoto...