iPod Touch would be a great product in emerging markets like china and India because it's cheap and it introduces consumers to the apple ecosystem.
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Apple May Be Working on 7th-Generation iPod Touch, 2019 iPhones Could Adopt USB-C
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I'm not remotely interested in the iPod touch, but if Apple adopted USB-C for iPhones then it would certainly raise the prospects of my upgrading. The Apple ecosystem is currently in shambles due to iPhones having lightning but Macs having USB-C. If you have an iPhone that shipped with a USB Type A cable, but have a new MacBook, there's a mis-match of cables, wall chargers and USB ports. Just get rid of lightning and have USB-C connectors everywhere. Simple.
It'd be nice to see Apple use the iPod as a design proving ground again. Apple might have problem that comes with success: if only hits are allowed then you can't experiment or take risks.
For example, why not make an iPod nano-sized device that can stream Apple Music via BT/wi-fi pairing? Not everyone wants an Apple Watch. Is that market worth it? Who knows? Is it worth it so that the team gets experience in product design and engineering? Probably, yes. The only way to learn how to ship a product is to actually ship a product. And shipping a hardware product is a lot different from shipping software. Those processes need to be exercised.
Just look at AirPower. Apple released the HomePod hardware fine, but the software wasn't baked. And they fumbled the presumably less-complicated power mat.
You need to keep your teams releasing product so they don't forget how to. That's something the VP should be worrying about.
For example, why not make an iPod nano-sized device that can stream Apple Music via BT/wi-fi pairing? Not everyone wants an Apple Watch. Is that market worth it? Who knows? Is it worth it so that the team gets experience in product design and engineering? Probably, yes. The only way to learn how to ship a product is to actually ship a product. And shipping a hardware product is a lot different from shipping software. Those processes need to be exercised.
Just look at AirPower. Apple released the HomePod hardware fine, but the software wasn't baked. And they fumbled the presumably less-complicated power mat.
You need to keep your teams releasing product so they don't forget how to. That's something the VP should be worrying about.
The iPod touch is long overdue for a replacement. But it seems right now that it’s primarily for kids who are too young for a phone. So it would be best if they simplified it to a single 64GB model at $199. A cheap entryway into the iOS ecosystem. And those kids will surely buy iPhones when they grow up.
If Apple does indeed update the ipod touch, they should market it not as a music device, but as a photography device. Give it an insane camera. Something that even rivals the iphone camera. Give it like 3 or more lenses. Seriously. Most people stream music now. So an ipod in the music storing sense is kind of outdated. But photography is another thing altogether. I really think it could be a great way to market it.
Of course this probably wont happen. If they update it, it will be an entry device for kids who are too young for an iphone. But i dunno. My neice & nephew are like 10 & 12 and have iphones. I think parents want to keep in touch with their kids.
Of course this probably wont happen. If they update it, it will be an entry device for kids who are too young for an iphone. But i dunno. My neice & nephew are like 10 & 12 and have iphones. I think parents want to keep in touch with their kids.
Is it possible they could release an iPod touch that does number sharing similar to how the watch uses number sharing and gives it the ability to access data?
Could Apple release a iPod touch cellular where kids could tie into their parents data plan to use iMessage and Apple Music? They could also FaceTime audio and FaceTime.
This would tie in kids to the Apple ecosystem at a young age and into Apple Music
This might not be possible, but just a thought.
Could Apple release a iPod touch cellular where kids could tie into their parents data plan to use iMessage and Apple Music? They could also FaceTime audio and FaceTime.
This would tie in kids to the Apple ecosystem at a young age and into Apple Music
This might not be possible, but just a thought.
As an iPod enthusiast and an owner of a 6th gen iPod touch, I truly hope they do update it. Any update is good at this point to keep the iPod around and to allow people to get a cheap iOS device without a phone plan.
Here's hoping it's actually a smaller iPhone!
And USB-C is a WIN!
It could be if Apple puts an LTE chip in it. Most people don’t need phone numbers these days. iMessage and FaceTime could work for the communication side of things while other apps work just like they do on the iPhone. All you need is data.
1 keep the size exactly as iPod Touch is now. small and light.
2 put in an Intel phone modem
3 no physical SIM; just an eSIM will do
4 make it available in 5 colours
5 Touch ID. no Face ID
6 no need for state of the art camera(s)
7 price it around USD 499 for base model. USD 599 for a bigger GB disk size
8 launch it in April 2019
it very easily becomes the new iPhone 5/s iPhone SE / for people who want a smaller sized phone.
and India will love it too.
and it plays to apple's emphasis (need) to keep people within its services environment.
there is a lot that can be done, in economic unsure times, that shores up the entire system, even though higher end phones are going through a bad spell.
2 put in an Intel phone modem
3 no physical SIM; just an eSIM will do
4 make it available in 5 colours
5 Touch ID. no Face ID
6 no need for state of the art camera(s)
7 price it around USD 499 for base model. USD 599 for a bigger GB disk size
8 launch it in April 2019
it very easily becomes the new iPhone 5/s iPhone SE / for people who want a smaller sized phone.
and India will love it too.
and it plays to apple's emphasis (need) to keep people within its services environment.
there is a lot that can be done, in economic unsure times, that shores up the entire system, even though higher end phones are going through a bad spell.
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This. I just mentioned this exactly in a post or two up... tie into mommy and daddy’s plan using the number sharing feature or somehow just give it a data plan.
I agree. I still use one often when I don't want to deal with a $900 phone being used for odds and ends. And I think it's a great entry point into the eco system.
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Just interested, why is a headphone jack so important? I'm truly just asking to understand. I switched over the past 2 years to wireless headphones and haven't found it annoying at all. I would guess people have invested in expensive headphones and want to keep using them? But Id guess in 2 or 3 years headphones jacks will be on even less devices, no?
The iPod touch market has merely shifted from personal to professional, but they are heavily in use still - hardly on its last legs. My former company bought over 100 of them last year for housekeepers to mark room statues and send message to each other. Unlike the company iPhones, they don't tend to randomly disappear.
I've seen them used in casinos, at ticketed events, restaurants, etc. It wouldn't surprise me if Apple updated it for these market segments.
I live in a cellular dead zone so i use a cheap flip phone plan and use my bricked iPhone 4s for music on the go and photo snaps. A new iPod Touch with more storage and a better camera than the 4s will get my money.
If you had to plug in both devices at the same time, you'd need two cables anyway. Why does it matter that they are different?
My guess is these sell well with parents buying them for their kids. (ages 5-10). They don't need a phone yet, but want the apps/iMessage/SnapChat, etc.
Apple wants to get these young kids into the Apple Ecosystem.
Apple wants to get these young kids into the Apple Ecosystem.
have a feeling iPhone will not have a port at all and go all in on wireless instead.
Do you not remember that the iPhone cannibalized the iPod? It might seem like a no brainer now, but at the time, the iPod was Apple’s biggest hit and its biggest revenue generator. Nobody else came close. Releasing the iPhone to kill its golden goose seemed preposterous because iPod sales weren’t even declining. Steve Jobs killed Apple’s biggest hit in a risky move that in retrospect paid off may times over.
An iPod with LTE makes a lot of sense because it allows it to fill in a low cost iOS entry slot that’s currently unserved. A $299 iPod with no phone plan but with an eSIM instead that would allow users to buy data on the device without having to go to a cell provider or sign a contract would be incredible.
It would only marginally hurt iPhone sales because it doesn’t offer a phone number. It would more than make up the revenue as a new must have device. I can see people with iPhones buying an iPod Touch as a smaller, more portable weekender device.
The iPod is pretty much redundant. Kids these days are getting phones at younger ages. Plus an iPad is a better product since it can play music, serve as a gaming device, and feature some educational benefits. I know the iPad can’t fit in a pocket easily, but there are alternatives to an iPod.
I think we’ve found from the Android experiment that folks who buy a device because it’s cheap, are not likely going to be spending much money on services. With the recent news out of CES, it’s more likely that they make a push to offer more services like Apple Music to folks that have a cheap phone but also disposable income.
Why make a cheaper AppleTV when you can just have a software AppleTV ON your new TV?