Tim Cook: iPod is a 'Declining Business'

[Msail30bay]

Sad…..

We all know dooms day was coming……….. it's gonna be a long good-bye to you, iPod (classic)……… or get a new one, fast! The iPhone WILL NEVER replace you, how can it? It costs $$$ to use data for streaming music when on the road, storage is limited, and battery life sucks. Unless, Tim! …. can REALLY improve the Nano, making it the next best thing to the classic. However, that sexy click-wheel WILL be missed.

 

[NT1440]

"Why invest in the huge manufacturing, inventory, shipping, and advertising logistics for what is rapidly becoming a niche (I need one just for the gym) kind of product? "

According to your theory then, Apple should abandon the Mac Pro.

An iPod is not a content creation machine.

 

[Parasprite]

Who wants to listen to an iPad mini at the gym?! My Dad has an arm grip for his Classic.

I pretty much only bodybuilders big enough that it ends up looking like an iPod Touch.

 

[Msail30bay]

Am…...

Make iPhone available in 32GB, 64GB & 128GB variations.
Introduce 6th generation iPod Touch with the same capacities. Drop intro price to £199.
In turn drop the iPod Classic as it loses it's one selling point (capacity).
Drop the iPod Shuffle & introduce smaller iPod Nano to fill market. Drop intro price to £99.

Sorted.

That is lovely, but who's going to pay high monthly fees for their cellular service when their data is being sucked dry? Hellooooo!!! With Apps and such eating up storage on the iPhone plus adding your entire iTunes library to it, well, it will HAVE to be more than 128GB. Streaming is lovely when you are using WiFi, but not on a camping trip.

 

[sseaton1971]

Declined? Sure. But does that chart still say $5,000 *million* dollars?

That is exactly what I noticed. Sure, the iPod is in decline, but it is still making a lot of money... and it is a potential entry point for people interested in Apple products.

 

[John.B]

The Classic is still the best option for people that actually collect MUSIC and have a car with a USB input.

My Honda has tight integration with my iPod Classic

I use a 16GB iPod nano. It has enough space for my mobile music collection without the spinning hard drive of the Classic.

The one thing I'm disappointed with is Honda's USB iPod integration. Turning off the ignition saves the song I was playing in a playlist, but I can't browse where I was in that playlist, because that takes me all the way back to the playlist menu (of which there are literally hundreds).

 

[Msail30bay]

Sure, that will be the iPhone, and any number of other products...some day.

But, what will replace the iPhone?

-----> good point! They probably will convinces people that we all a chip or two implanted in our brains and we'll be able to communicate, watch t.v, shop, etc without leaving the house or even open our mouths……….

 

[sseaton1971]

I've seen all over these forums people posting about how the iPod wouldn't be declining if it was updated more often. The writing is on the walls guys, the standalone mp3, regardless of the brand, is a declining industry given that every phone now functions as such.

There is no point is dumping resources into a product category that will soon only serve as a niche product (in the sense of "well I want something just for the gym" that so many point as a reason that sales should continue).

I don't think Apple is dumping a lot of resources into the iPod line. The classic hasn't changed, the touch is pretty much an iPhone, and the nano and shuffle are pretty basic devices. If Apple can continue to generate revenue in the billions, I don't see them dumping the entire line in the near future.

 

[John.B]

Also, I don't get why there is a data plan-only iPad and iPad mini but not a data plan-only iPod Touch (iPhone without the phone).

 

[ctyrider]

If someone can afford an iPod Touch, they can afford to buy an older model iPhone, like a 4 or 4S. They're pretty damn cheap now, but are still good devices.

The only iPhone 4S that Apple sells now is an 8GB model - this little space makes for a lousy music player.. And it still costs $450. For $229 you can buy an iPod Touch with larger 4" screen, and 16GB of storage. iPod Touch is a no-brainer for someone who doesn't need traditional phone functionality, but wants to have low-cost iOS device.

Why does apple care about the preteen? The goal is to make it normal for everyone to have a monthly plan. Remember in big business kids are the keys to the purse so you better make sure it becomes the societal norm for kids everywhere to have cell phones.

That may be the goal for the Carriers, but not so much for Apple. WiFi is just about everywhere these days - coverage 90% of the time is good enough for many people. And my 11 year old isn't going to have a $70/month smartphone plan anytime soon, I can promise you that.

You're right that the iPod touch serves as the wedge into getting people into the iOS market for those who don't have a smartphone, but what are the odds that when they finally get a smartphone (as the "low end" older models stay comparable in price to an iPod touch) that they are going to just move into an iPhone.

Low-end iPhones aren't comparable in price to iPod Touch - see my post above. The point is that there is a sizable market out there for "non-smartphone smartphone" (i.e. iPod Touch). All the people I know have at least one in their household for their kids or elderly parents.

It costs very little overhead for Apple to maintain iPod Touch line - they share practically all hardware components with earlier gen iPhones and they run iOS. Apple is not going to drop that line & concede that market - no chance no how.

 

[seanjs]

I stopped using my classic entirely when they introduced iTunes match. I liked the idea of carrying around my entire library, but with Match I can do that and just stream stuff I rarely listen to anyway. That covers me 99% of the time; the other 1% I wish I had a Classic (because I'm on a plane with no Internet or something) isn't much of a loss.

 

[MrGuder]

I still have my 5th Gen Classic White iPod 30 GB, it still works great but the battery doesn't hold a charge for long. It really served me well for so many years, it's amazing it still works, a testament to the quality Apple puts into their products. Tim Cook is right though because it was this iPod Classic that got me started into the Apple world, I now have an iPhone 5 and I want to get a Mac Mini for home to get away from windows then I want to get a ipad air or mini too. Once I got my iPhone w/ 64 Gigs I stopped using my iPod Classic, can't believe it almost 10 yrs old.

 

[Zyiros]

They better make a cheaper iPhone (meaning $299-$399) or some kind of alternative then...

 

[koban4max]

Sure, that will be the iPhone, and any number of other products...some day.

But, what will replace the iPhone?

family....nothing replace family with great smile.

 

[SusanK]

If someone can afford an iPod Touch, they can afford to buy an older model iPhone, like a 4 or 4S. They're pretty damn cheap now, but are still good devices.

Don't want an iPhone. If the discontinue the iPod Touch that is one more Apple product I'm not spending money on. Cook just doesn't get it.

 

[poppasketti]

The iPod touches' cannot beat the iPod Classic for price vs capacity, you lose too much for the sake of "convenience" or "cool factor", plus I don't need a camera on a music player. We have to start thinking of features for price, not just convenience. Plus I don't buy Apps for a music player, it's just another gimmick tacked on, on top of the lower capacity device.

That's pretty outrageous to call the added features of an IPod Touch gimmicks. If you just want a music player, that's fine, but to me my iPod Touch is like having a computer in my pocket.

I can remote login to my office computer from my couch to check files, I can play a movie on my desk while at work during those less brain intensive tasks, and I have music for the car ride home.

It has all the bells and whistles of an iphone without the phone and contract, plus it's thinner and lighter.

I didn't expect to get much use out of my iPod touch when it came with my mac, but I use all of those gimmicks in my daily life, including the cameras and apps.

You may be in a different market, but the iPod Touch is still a very useful and feature-rich device.

 

[carjakester]

not many people need an iPod when their phone already has one. the iPod shuffle i believe could stay alive. running with one of those is almost like nothing is there.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Put Bluetooth on the Classic? Make a Touch with 128g of flash storage?

There are options...

ALSO Extend the number of 'authorized' computers to 10 maybe?

 

[mrsir2009]

Also, I don't get why there is a data plan-only iPad and iPad mini but not a data plan-only iPod Touch (iPhone without the phone).

Because that would make it an iPhone. Not having carriers provide calling + SMS to the device won't do much to hinder its use as a phone. There's iMessage, Whatsapp, Kik, Skype, Viber, Google Voice and many more options to fill that gap

 

[Lancer]

I was hoping Apple would update the classic with a touch screen, for those who need big storage but the easy access of touch screen. But yes less people need or want the iPod when they can have an iPad with much more function of a bigger screen. Most now will just get an iPhone for day to day music of the fav songs.

 

[OrangeSVTguy]

How cool would an ultra thin iPod Classic with SSD blade or integrated storage. 1Tb iPod would be pretty darn cool since it would be so thin but damn expensive lol.

 

[QCassidy352]

If they re-focussed it as a music device and increased the capacity to 128GB & 256GB options alongside the option to purchase HD music in iTunes it would gain a whole new audience of 35+ audiophiles willing to purchase a dedicated music device to sit in their high-end iPod speaker.

It's very short sighted what they've done with the iPod over the past few years and clearly demonstrates that Cook doesn't fully understand his own customers. Believe it or not we're not all teenagers in the iPod user base.

I think you think there are a lot more "audiophiles" than there are. It's clear from your posts that you are such a person, and as such, you probably have friends who are also. But if by "audiophile" we're talking about a person who insists on lossless music and would spend several times the price of a regular speaker for a high end system to better hear the nuances of the music, then I'd suggest to you that you are a very small minority.

Apple does not cater to small minorities, even ones that are willing to spend a high dollar value per person on equipment - best example being "gamers," by which I mean not someone who plays games, but someone who wants every FPS on the latest cutting edge graphics games.

----------

That may be the goal for the Carriers, but not so much for Apple. WiFi is just about everywhere these days - coverage 90% of the time is good enough for many people. And my 11 year old isn't going to have a $70/month smartphone plan anytime soon, I can promise you that.

unless you're on a college campus or spend all your time working in a facility with free wifi, where's that "90% of the time" coming from? In the car, on the street, waiting in annoying lines, on public transit... these are the primary places I use my iphone data plan, and none of them have wifi.

 

[apple_iBoy]

I think the iPod did a wonderful thing for Apple.

Like and even more than the iMac, the iPod catapulted Apple into public consciousness. It heavily capitalized the company and gave it the ability to venture out into avenues that turned out to be very profitable. I think it also gave Apple a leg to stand to do things like switch processor architectures (again) in 2006, which made possible whole new classes of form factors and new cross-platform compatibility with Windows.

 

[taptic]

One day, in the future, this is will be the iPhone.

Ok, Larry Page, time to stop trolling the MacRumors forums.

 

[disinfectant]

In turn drop the iPod Classic as it loses it's one selling point (capacity).

The iPod Classic is 160 gb though :\

----------

That's pretty outrageous to call the added features of an IPod Touch gimmicks. If you just want a music player, that's fine, but to me my iPod Touch is like having a computer in my pocket.

I can remote login to my office computer from my couch to check files, I can play a movie on my desk while at work during those less brain intensive tasks, and I have music for the car ride home.

It has all the bells and whistles of an iphone without the phone and contract, plus it's thinner and lighter.

I didn't expect to get much use out of my iPod touch when it came with my mac, but I use all of those gimmicks in my daily life, including the cameras and apps.

You may be in a different market, but the iPod Touch is still a very useful and feature-rich device.

Yes but it doesn't have 160 gb and if you have a smartphone/tablet already, you don't need any of that stuff with your MP3 player.