If I wanted a phone, would I be looking at the iPod touch?
If I didn't want to pay $2000 or so for a contract that I didn't need, would I be looking at the iPhone?
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Firmware Hints at New iPod Touch?
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If I didn't want to pay $2000 or so for a contract that I didn't need, would I be looking at the iPhone?
Why would Apple care if the iPod "steals iPhone sales"? They don't get a monthly fee for the iPhone from TT anymore. They get about $300 from ATT upfront and $200 from you. As long as they ake the same amount from you why would they care?
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bikemonkey
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But what's the point if it takes crap pictures? That's rather like wearing a watch with the incorrect time.
I've got a 5MP camera on my phone and the quality isn't great. If I want to take pictures for a small photo album or whatever I'd at least use my compact.
update is.......... a stylus pen!
woo hoo, they're gonna throw in a stylus pen with the ipod touch!!!
woo hoo, they're gonna throw in a stylus pen with the ipod touch!!!
I forsee one of two (well, maybe both) happening if this means anything:
1) Slightly larger form factor that fits into the "Tablet PC" mold. Bigger, but not something you can't fit in most pants pockets.
2) iPod Nano + Touch. Same size as present one, but it gets touchified. The only reason I see this not happening is the iPod/iPhone apps are written for that screen size. If that's the case, the more likely scenario may be a 2GB or 4GB Touch for about $150.
1) Slightly larger form factor that fits into the "Tablet PC" mold. Bigger, but not something you can't fit in most pants pockets.
2) iPod Nano + Touch. Same size as present one, but it gets touchified. The only reason I see this not happening is the iPod/iPhone apps are written for that screen size. If that's the case, the more likely scenario may be a 2GB or 4GB Touch for about $150.
Why do people keep insisting that you need an internet connection for GPS to be useful? You need a clear view of the sky and some good mapping software. That's all. I'd give up a gig or two of memory for a good navigation system. Would need a speaker, though, to be really useful.
In the end, I'd settle for BT in the touch, as long as they put access to it in the SDK so developers can make use of it to create add ons. BT would allow tethering, GPS (via BT receiver), etc etc etc.
And a speaker would be really nice for watching movies, etc.
it'd be sad to see the stainless steel back go from the ipod touch if it follows the iphone 3g's design. it's an apple trademark. everyone hates it, but without it, ipods wouldn't be ipods. they'd be some cheap plastic thing. apple needs to keep some of their quality in their products before they become just another low-end manufacturer.
I'd rather have no camera if a crappy 2MP thing is gonna bump up the price even by £10!!! Apple can stick that crappy camera
GPS would be pretty useless with only a WiFi connection on the iPod touch.
You can use the GPS but without a data connection to download the maps from Google it would have no way of showing you where you are.
A company (either Apple or someone else) would need to provide downloadable maps and those things take up a tremendous amount of space.
I don't see GPS coming to the iPod touch any time soon.
You can use the GPS but without a data connection to download the maps from Google it would have no way of showing you where you are.
A company (either Apple or someone else) would need to provide downloadable maps and those things take up a tremendous amount of space.
I don't see GPS coming to the iPod touch any time soon.
I'm sorry but holy sh*t read a few replies before you post. This thread isn't that long and people have addressed what you just said only a few posts up
I just hope people with stubby fingers will still be able to get the best from their iPod Touch!
I'm sorry but holy sh*t read a few replies before you post. This thread isn't that long and people have addressed what you just said only a few posts up
So I can't post an opinion?
OK, I'll stop doing anything here until I get your go-ahead.
Well of course there's a new touch coming out in September. It was either that or a price cut. Apple had to after the release of the 3G iPhone because it just didn't make sense that the watered down version of the iPhone cost less than the actual thing I think that the new touches will either see a price drop of about $100 OR they will drop the 8GB touch and sell the 16GB version for $299 (about the current price of an 8GB touch). No matter what happens, september will the be the month to get a new touch and it's gonna be awesome.
p.s.
don't forget about the other ipods in the lineup. They're up for review too...
I think that the new touches will either see a price drop of about $100 OR they will drop the 8GB touch and sell the 16GB version for $299 (about the current price of an 8GB touch). No matter what happens, september will the be the month to get a new touch and it's gonna be awesome.p.s.
don't forget about the other ipods in the lineup. They're up for review too...
United Kingdom + Northern Ireland < 0.2 GB.
Complete Europe ≈ 1.8 GB.
Each of six parts of USA (Midwest, New England + Mid Atlantic, Plains, South Central, Southeast, Western) ≈ 0.4 GB.
Complete USA ≈ 1.8 GB.
Canada + Alaska < 0.3 GB
Hardly what I would call a "tremendous amount".
So if iPhone 1,2 was the same basic iPhone with a couple of hardware features (gps, 3G) i.e evolution not revolution, then could iPod 2,1 indicate that this is a revolution not just an evolution (which would be a form factor change) and maybe its the rumored touch tablet. I simply can't see what can be done to change the basic form factor of the iPod Touch other than make it bigger.
My guess is that this is the rumored 1.5x version of the iPhone/iPod Touch, with enough screen real estate to be able to do some real business applications, and enough battery life for a full days use on a single charge. Best example of where this would be a winner is the medical community where apps like MIM demonstrate the power of the platform, but the battery on the iPhone doesn't last a day of constant use and the screen is just a little too small to be practical. A kind of iPod Touch for power users, the iPod Touch Extreme!
I just think there is something in the fact that this is iPod 2,1 not iPod 1,2.
Sorry if I'm repeating someone else, I'm too tired to read through all the posts!
My guess is that this is the rumored 1.5x version of the iPhone/iPod Touch, with enough screen real estate to be able to do some real business applications, and enough battery life for a full days use on a single charge. Best example of where this would be a winner is the medical community where apps like MIM demonstrate the power of the platform, but the battery on the iPhone doesn't last a day of constant use and the screen is just a little too small to be practical. A kind of iPod Touch for power users, the iPod Touch Extreme!
I just think there is something in the fact that this is iPod 2,1 not iPod 1,2.
Sorry if I'm repeating someone else, I'm too tired to read through all the posts!
Huh? My Garmin doesn't have that limitation. You can download maps IN ADVANCE of a two week vacation. The roads don't generally change that much that you need moment by moment updates. Even 8GB is more than enough storage for this.
I for one almost didn't buy my Garmin because I was hoping they would update the touch at the same time they released the 3G iPhone. They didn't, we were heading off for two week road trip, so I bought the Garmin - and absolutely love it.
The touch with GPS would have been better though - even if I already have a 1st gen touch.
The more features offered the more you can charge and people still feel like they are getting a deal.
That being said, if Apple didn't upgrade the Bluetooth on the 3G I don't see them doing anything for the Touch. We know how much complaining there will be from all the iPhone users who can't get stereo BT but the Touch users can.
- GPS chip gives you a more solid all in one platform. Also, more options for buying apps from the store.
- Speaker probably isn't a big deal as you have accessory options available, ie headphones, external docks, portable speakers.
- Camera can be useful, not the end of the world, but again more functions.
- microphone, see camera, though if Apple isn't worried about people using it for apps such as Skype then it will be ok, I guess it won't happen as if it is available for Touch then it is available for 3G and we already know Apple doesn't want VoIP on the 3G.
- as a few others have mentioned a 3G/Edge data only connection would be quite appealing. Gives you more ways to use the device and for those of you stuck with other carriers you can maybe drop the data plans with the other carrier and stick with the data only on a touch. Given that Amazon allows this for the Kindle device for FREE, surely some carriers wouldn't mind something like this generating them an extra $10-15 a month?
That being said, if Apple didn't upgrade the Bluetooth on the 3G I don't see them doing anything for the Touch. We know how much complaining there will be from all the iPhone users who can't get stereo BT but the Touch users can.
- GPS chip gives you a more solid all in one platform. Also, more options for buying apps from the store.
- Speaker probably isn't a big deal as you have accessory options available, ie headphones, external docks, portable speakers.
- Camera can be useful, not the end of the world, but again more functions.
- microphone, see camera, though if Apple isn't worried about people using it for apps such as Skype then it will be ok, I guess it won't happen as if it is available for Touch then it is available for 3G and we already know Apple doesn't want VoIP on the 3G.
- as a few others have mentioned a 3G/Edge data only connection would be quite appealing. Gives you more ways to use the device and for those of you stuck with other carriers you can maybe drop the data plans with the other carrier and stick with the data only on a touch. Given that Amazon allows this for the Kindle device for FREE, surely some carriers wouldn't mind something like this generating them an extra $10-15 a month?
A Long Post!
Okay, so the first iPhone was iPhone 1,1 and the new iPhone was iPhone 1,2. Logically, if the ipod Touch is iPod 1,1 then wouldn't the new ipod Touch be iPod 1,2? It also seems logical then that iPod 2,1 would be an entirely new form factor for the ipod. Would it make any sense market wise? Well, the back to school program is dumping iPod Touches like hot cakes and from that couldn't we deduce that they are clearing inventory for a new product?
The Touch is significantly more expensive then the last promotion's Nanos which would suggest to me that Apple saw a lot of value to dumping them. It not only sweetened the back to school program immensely but it also seriously drew down on product inventory. Why is that significant? Well, the iPhone presents a real problem because of the perceived value. Consumers see it as a $199 device. Now we all know in the long run that it's much more expensive then that but it is still perceived as a $199 product by Joe Consumer. Currently the 8 gb iPod Touch is selling for $299. So most consumers will look at that and think that they are paying $100 more for the same device without a phone! This is a marketing night mare! Okay, quick fix, flash has dropped significantly, material costs are down with the large amount of current orders, so they drop the price down to $149. Pretty slim but it will allow for continuing sales, but at that price point the ipod Touch is a dead dog. How can they continue to advance the Touch when they are up against the iPhone ceiling?
Hey, I know, a new form factor! It's bigger then the iPhone and in a completely different category! Big screen form factor, say 5x7 or maybe even a little larger, some where under a 12 inch screen. There are currently a number of companies that have played with the notion of a sub-compact notebook but they really haven't taken off. Why? Maybe a lot of reasons but I think it's because no one has taken the time to map out the future to give a compelling reason to have a really small device.
What if you had a larger iPod Touch that had the following:
iPhone/Touch gesture driven flat screen technology
Accelerometer
GPS
Camera
Bigger Speakers
Bluetooth
Much larger battery potential
More room for a larger processor and more memory
Access to iTunes AND the App Store
Thats great but what else is possible. I don't think it will have an optical drive because if they couldn't get it into an Air then we probably won't see it here either. But a bigger form factor might allow for some other possibilities like a wireless keyboard. And if it had a camera on the front and back (as the rumors have suggested) why not have full on video chat potential! Can you also imagine the gaming potential of a bigger screen device with more memory and more battery? Why not substitute if for a laptop at school? Full web browsing, touch keyboard or wireless, games, recorded notes, the possibilities are endless. Why not use it as a business device? Here's a sweet idea, why not have a clip on your dash for a large crystal clear GPS turn by turn device that also plays music?
Apple has to develop a device to assume the position of the Touch. I think that is why they originally tried to do the iPhone without the subsidization that the current cell phone economy uses (besides the fact that it is a dead end marketing scheme that works against manufacturers). Apple knew that a subsidized phone would ruin their current ipod line up, specifically the Touch. Unfortunately, the subsidy system is so ingrained in so many countries they couldn't fight it. So what else can Apple do but create a new branch that will run alongside the iphone with a much deeper potential.
Here's an interesting idea. Why would a consumer want to buy a little device like that? How do you increase the potential and present a value added viable product? Remember a few months back when there was a leak about Apple submitting a patent for a dock type device that you could slide a small computing device into? Everyone assumed it was for the MacBook Air but really, the Air's form factor doesn't lend itself to using it in a dock. But what if you had that larger iPod Touch with that handy little 30 pin connector at the bottom of the ipod. Wouldn't that fit nicely into a plug inside of a slide in dock device. Now you have a little device that you can carry around with you at school or for business and when you get to school, home or the office you just drop it into a larger iMac size screen and BAM! You now have a full on desktop computer with lots of ethernet and usb ports, an optical drive, larger external drives (Time Capsule), larger speakers, keyboard and a mouse! Now THAT is a concept!
The whole point of this is Apple. MP3 players have been around forever but the problem was that no one looked to the future and attempted to build a whole ecosystem around it. Then apple came along and took a simple idea and really studied it. They started by building an infrastructure to support the device, iTunes. Then they looked at iTunes and built an infrastructure around that adding books, movies, lectures and now applications. Now you have a whole ecosystem supporting and deepening the value of that lowly ipod and extending the value of the Mac. What could they do to further extend that system? Cell phones have been around for a long time too but no one really looked at the potential of what a device like that could really do, until Apple. Now you have a phone that feeds off of the same ecosystem that the ipod started by combining a phone, a computer and a music device. The other cell phone companies will have a really hard time competing against the iphone because they don't have the Apple depth that the iPhone has. What else could Apple add to that quickly growing ecosystem. Hmmm, what about a TV device and lastly, what about the ultimate subcompact computing system! This is the ultimate irony. When the iPod first came out everyone went on and on about the halo effect. How it introduced the legions to the Mac environment and draw them unwittingly to the fairer platform. Well, now that ipod doesn't just introduce you to the Mac, it becomes the Mac.
I truly believe that this was Steve's idea from the very beginning, that the iPod and iTunes were gateway products designed to grow an entire ecosystem. This is about the Apple's incredible fabric of depth. Everyone has joked about Apple's three legged stool. Maybe that fourth leg is finally here and the little smile on Steve's face was because of just another, "...one more thing".
Okay, so the first iPhone was iPhone 1,1 and the new iPhone was iPhone 1,2. Logically, if the ipod Touch is iPod 1,1 then wouldn't the new ipod Touch be iPod 1,2? It also seems logical then that iPod 2,1 would be an entirely new form factor for the ipod. Would it make any sense market wise? Well, the back to school program is dumping iPod Touches like hot cakes and from that couldn't we deduce that they are clearing inventory for a new product?
The Touch is significantly more expensive then the last promotion's Nanos which would suggest to me that Apple saw a lot of value to dumping them. It not only sweetened the back to school program immensely but it also seriously drew down on product inventory. Why is that significant? Well, the iPhone presents a real problem because of the perceived value. Consumers see it as a $199 device. Now we all know in the long run that it's much more expensive then that but it is still perceived as a $199 product by Joe Consumer. Currently the 8 gb iPod Touch is selling for $299. So most consumers will look at that and think that they are paying $100 more for the same device without a phone! This is a marketing night mare! Okay, quick fix, flash has dropped significantly, material costs are down with the large amount of current orders, so they drop the price down to $149. Pretty slim but it will allow for continuing sales, but at that price point the ipod Touch is a dead dog. How can they continue to advance the Touch when they are up against the iPhone ceiling?
Hey, I know, a new form factor! It's bigger then the iPhone and in a completely different category! Big screen form factor, say 5x7 or maybe even a little larger, some where under a 12 inch screen. There are currently a number of companies that have played with the notion of a sub-compact notebook but they really haven't taken off. Why? Maybe a lot of reasons but I think it's because no one has taken the time to map out the future to give a compelling reason to have a really small device.
What if you had a larger iPod Touch that had the following:
iPhone/Touch gesture driven flat screen technology
Accelerometer
GPS
Camera
Bigger Speakers
Bluetooth
Much larger battery potential
More room for a larger processor and more memory
Access to iTunes AND the App Store
Thats great but what else is possible. I don't think it will have an optical drive because if they couldn't get it into an Air then we probably won't see it here either. But a bigger form factor might allow for some other possibilities like a wireless keyboard. And if it had a camera on the front and back (as the rumors have suggested) why not have full on video chat potential! Can you also imagine the gaming potential of a bigger screen device with more memory and more battery? Why not substitute if for a laptop at school? Full web browsing, touch keyboard or wireless, games, recorded notes, the possibilities are endless. Why not use it as a business device? Here's a sweet idea, why not have a clip on your dash for a large crystal clear GPS turn by turn device that also plays music?
Apple has to develop a device to assume the position of the Touch. I think that is why they originally tried to do the iPhone without the subsidization that the current cell phone economy uses (besides the fact that it is a dead end marketing scheme that works against manufacturers). Apple knew that a subsidized phone would ruin their current ipod line up, specifically the Touch. Unfortunately, the subsidy system is so ingrained in so many countries they couldn't fight it. So what else can Apple do but create a new branch that will run alongside the iphone with a much deeper potential.
Here's an interesting idea. Why would a consumer want to buy a little device like that? How do you increase the potential and present a value added viable product? Remember a few months back when there was a leak about Apple submitting a patent for a dock type device that you could slide a small computing device into? Everyone assumed it was for the MacBook Air but really, the Air's form factor doesn't lend itself to using it in a dock. But what if you had that larger iPod Touch with that handy little 30 pin connector at the bottom of the ipod. Wouldn't that fit nicely into a plug inside of a slide in dock device. Now you have a little device that you can carry around with you at school or for business and when you get to school, home or the office you just drop it into a larger iMac size screen and BAM! You now have a full on desktop computer with lots of ethernet and usb ports, an optical drive, larger external drives (Time Capsule), larger speakers, keyboard and a mouse! Now THAT is a concept!
The whole point of this is Apple. MP3 players have been around forever but the problem was that no one looked to the future and attempted to build a whole ecosystem around it. Then apple came along and took a simple idea and really studied it. They started by building an infrastructure to support the device, iTunes. Then they looked at iTunes and built an infrastructure around that adding books, movies, lectures and now applications. Now you have a whole ecosystem supporting and deepening the value of that lowly ipod and extending the value of the Mac. What could they do to further extend that system? Cell phones have been around for a long time too but no one really looked at the potential of what a device like that could really do, until Apple. Now you have a phone that feeds off of the same ecosystem that the ipod started by combining a phone, a computer and a music device. The other cell phone companies will have a really hard time competing against the iphone because they don't have the Apple depth that the iPhone has. What else could Apple add to that quickly growing ecosystem. Hmmm, what about a TV device and lastly, what about the ultimate subcompact computing system! This is the ultimate irony. When the iPod first came out everyone went on and on about the halo effect. How it introduced the legions to the Mac environment and draw them unwittingly to the fairer platform. Well, now that ipod doesn't just introduce you to the Mac, it becomes the Mac.
I truly believe that this was Steve's idea from the very beginning, that the iPod and iTunes were gateway products designed to grow an entire ecosystem. This is about the Apple's incredible fabric of depth. Everyone has joked about Apple's three legged stool. Maybe that fourth leg is finally here and the little smile on Steve's face was because of just another, "...one more thing".