iPod touch iPod Touch EOL?

[WLS]

I said or seen most of this in other threads but I think it deserves it's own
It's an interesting question as to whether the Touch is reaching the end of it's life. They could but not necessarily will come out with a new Nano iPhone that will have no cell phone contract. It would be able to connect with 3G to get data under a data only contract. If they do so and price it under the regular iPhones it would have the effect of making the Touch obsolete.

The latest rumors say that a next iPhone will be completely redesigned and might look more like a Touch.
http://thisismynext.com/2011/04/22/iphone-5-design/
"the design of the phone is set to radically change (“a completely redesigned handset”). Our sources say the new model (or at least one of the new designs in testing) looks “more like the iPod touch than the iPhone 4.” The phone will be thinner than the iPhone 4, and may have a “teardrop” shape which goes from thick to thin (something along the lines of the MacBook Air profile)."

TUAW also discusses an iPhone that also would obsolete the Touch as it now exists:
http://www.tuaw.com/2011/06/18/point-counterpoint-on-the-iphone-5-replacing-the-ipod-touch/

Also this site has some interesting thoughts on the Touch being discontinued:
http://www.cloudfour.com/ditching-the-training-wheels-why-the-ipod-touch-will-be-discontinued/

If they can make an iPhone that is not much thicker than a Touch and at the same cost then it ceases to make any sense to keep them separate. It just could be that the future for the Touch is in becoming the Phat Touch that has been rumored. A larger game centric device springing from the ashes of the old Touch. That would actually make a lot of sense for Apple..

I'm getting to the point where I think it would be a better move to just buy a used iPhone with no contract rather than a new Touch that doesn't have GPS and the other features that the iPhones have over the Touch. If they offer a Nano iPhone at the same Touch price I'd be sold and if not then I'll be on eBay looking for a used iPhone 4 or 3GS.

If you want to discuss, great but please read the offered links and don't waste space by just saying it won't happen or it can't happen because you don't like it. Give some solid reasons.

Sounds real interesting and coming eventually, if not this year then next but with the delayed iPhone(s) announcement until September and that Touches will no longer be given as free promotions this Fall it sounds like the time is more likely sooner than later.

 

[Carouser]

So the iPod Touch gets phone capability and a different name. This isn't 'discontinuing the iPod Touch' except by the most trivial criterion.

 

[Sjhonny]

No, not until there's a 128 GB iPhone. I'm guessing the iPod Touch will be around at least two more generations, otherwise there wouldn't be a successor for the iPod Classic. + for many people the iPhone is just to expensive. Even an el cheapo iPhono(?) model will bear at least a 400$+ price tag, otherwise we'd see massive regular iPhone sales cannibalization (maybe 20% of the iPod Touch users know they have a TN panel in there device or 256 MB ram - never had any issue concerning these 'inferiorities')

 

[YMark]

If you want to discuss, great but please read the offered links and don't waste space by just saying it won't happen or it can't happen because you don't like it. Give some solid reasons.

You want "solid reasons" but gave none of your own. More baseless rumors....yawn.

 

[Sjhonny]

You want "solid reasons" but gave none of your own. More baseless rumors....yawn.

I don't believe in absolut truths, so as long as someone else/ a group of people supports your argument/idea, you have a valid one in my opinion. It's not anymore baseless. You can try and counter such an argument, with other arguments, but you just avoided the topic.

 

[Bear]

As I don't see myself getting a smart phone anytime soon, if I can't get an iPod touch to replace mine when it needs replacing, I don't see what Apple will have to sell me.

There are always rumors. A lot more of them are wrong. I think the iPod Touch is selling more than well enough still for Apple to keep it in the product line and to release new models.

 

[sracer]

Sounds real interesting and coming eventually, if not this year then next but with the delayed iPhone(s) announcement until September and that Touches will no longer be given as free promotions this Fall it sounds like the time is more likely sooner than later.

I highly doubt that the iPod Touch will be discontinued before the iPhone is available on all major US carriers. Not everyone is willing to switch cell carriers particularly in mid-contract just to get an iPhone.

So by offering an iPod Touch, Apple can reach people who are on cell carriers that don't currently offer an iPhone and still bring them into the iOS ecosystem.

With the rapid growth and penetration of Android handsets, Apple will have to aggressively offer the iPhone on every carrier who offers an Android set.

When that happens, those iPod Touch owners will have greater incentive to switch to an iPhone when it is available on their cell carrier... because of familiarity with iOS and their investment in iOS apps.

Bottom line, the iPod Touch will serve as a stop-gap until the iPhone is more widely available.

Of course this is all my opinion.

I don't believe in absolut truths, so as long as someone else/ a group of people supports your argument/idea, you have a valid one in my opinion. It's not anymore baseless. You can try and counter such an argument, with other arguments, but you just avoided the topic.

The capital of Nebraska is Lincoln, THAT is an absolute truth.

 

[WLS]

I don't believe in absolut truths, so as long as someone else/ a group of people supports your argument/idea, you have a valid one in my opinion. It's not anymore baseless. You can try and counter such an argument, with other arguments, but you just avoided the topic.

An absolut truth:
Absolut Vodka is a brand of vodka, produced near Åhus, Skåne, in southern Sweden.
Believe it or not it is still true.
You are correct that YMark clearly failed to read the links I posted or he would have known that I was not the only person with this opinion so clearly it is not baseless. His claim was the baseless one as it had no origin other than his own opinion.

 

[ESPN]

The reality is that you are too gullible.

Saying that the ipod touch is reaching EOL is like saying Windows 7 will be discontinued in a few months. Windows 7 isn't going away and ipod touch marketshare for mediaplayers is still way to valuable for Apple to discontinue it.

An ipod nano with only 3G, who would buy the iphone then?, anyone can use 3G and have a phone service now, this would make Apple's signature product the iPhone completely obsolete.


128 GB touch hasn't come yet, the touch has a monopoly on mediaplayer marketshare and you think touch is reaching EOL, your logic is seriously flawed if you even believe a pico gram of these iphone nano rumors are true.

 

[fsangiul]

An absolut truth:
Absolut Vodka is a brand of vodka, produced near Åhus, Skåne, in southern Sweden.
Believe it or not it is still true.
You are correct that YMark clearly failed to read the links I posted or he would have known that I was not the only person with this opinion so clearly it is not baseless. His claim was the baseless one as it had no origin other than his own opinion.

I read those links and I still think yours predictions about the future of the iPod touch are baseless. It just doesn't make sense to apple merge two products into one if both have good sales and they are pointed to different buyers. Those authors say that if you want an iPod, just buy an iphone and use it without any contract.
I think that this is a poor idea, because apple would have to spend more money in components which are not going to be used. Second to that, if apple wont sell anything "at cost". Yes, the 16 gb cost 180 dollars to be manufactured, but they would never sell it at that price because they would earn very little with each device sold.

(Sorry for any error, I'm not native in english)

 

[WLS]

But are those sales as good as you think and will they continue??


some data would say that sales are stagnating.
Here from Cloudfour http://www.cloudfour.com/ditching-th...-discontinued/

"iPod Sales are Stagnating
Explosive growth is everywhere in mobile. I’m accustomed to looking at graphs with a sharp upward trajectory. So graphs that deviate from that pattern stick out like a sore thumb. Last October, Asymco published one that showed how iPod sales had been passed by iPhone sales.

Graph showing iPod sales have stayed relatively the same while iPhone sales have grown rapidly to surpass iPod sales

Since 2006, iPod sales have stayed at near the same volumes. There are seasonal growth spurts—many are sold during the holiday season. But overall growth has stagnated.

iPod revenue has continued to grow due the fact that an increasing percentage of iPod sales come from iPod Touch devices which have a higher price point. But even that growth didn’t prevent Apple from experiencing a decrease in iPod sales in Q2 with 9 million iPods sold compared to 10.9 million in Q2 2010.

No matter what silver lining you find, it is clear that iPod sales aren’t keeping up with iPhone and iPad growth."
--------------------------------------------------------------------
While unit sales may have been growing for the Touch it was within a market group that was showing overall loss in unit sales.
That is not a trend that can continue. One can project that forward to say Touch sales are due to hit a wall soon if they haven't already. A lot of Touch sales (65%) are to younger teens but the number of younger teens with cellphones is increasing and their parents may be choosing to just get them an iPhone (likely their old one) in the future rather than a Touch. A big motivator for them to get their child an iPhone now instead of a Touch is simple- being able to track them through their phone with find my iPhone is a killer feature for parents. iPhone wins, Touch loses in that face off.
If Apple is able to bring to market a reduced cost iPhone as Tim Cook himself says they are working on ( hardly a baseless rumor), then the Touch is over. They may sell the current model for a year or two just to milk it for what they can get out of it but no new Touches will be designed. Just like some of the other older iPods. In any event the market for the Touch has moved on. Parents who have 3rd and 4th generation iPhones have older off contract iPhones that they are much more likely to gift to a 14 year old than buy them a new Touch. We are talking about what was around 65% of the market just leaving for an iPhone even if it is a used one.
The Touch sold well when it was compared to the cost of a new iPhone but when it is compared to a free older model then it is no bargain at all. And this situation is only going to get worse this Fall when the next gen iPhone is brought to market. The people buying the new iPhones are going to have an extra older one that is going to make a mighty tempting holiday gift to one of their kids over a new expensive Touch
Apple knows this and that is why they would drop it..

 

[fsangiul]

But are those sales as good as you think and will they continue??


some data would say that sales are stagnating.
Here from Cloudfour http://www.cloudfour.com/ditching-th...-discontinued/

"iPod Sales are Stagnating
Explosive growth is everywhere in mobile. I’m accustomed to looking at graphs with a sharp upward trajectory. So graphs that deviate from that pattern stick out like a sore thumb. Last October, Asymco published one that showed how iPod sales had been passed by iPhone sales.

Graph showing iPod sales have stayed relatively the same while iPhone sales have grown rapidly to surpass iPod sales

Since 2006, iPod sales have stayed at near the same volumes. There are seasonal growth spurts—many are sold during the holiday season. But overall growth has stagnated.

iPod revenue has continued to grow due the fact that an increasing percentage of iPod sales come from iPod Touch devices which have a higher price point. But even that growth didn’t prevent Apple from experiencing a decrease in iPod sales in Q2 with 9 million iPods sold compared to 10.9 million in Q2 2010.

No matter what silver lining you find, it is clear that iPod sales aren’t keeping up with iPhone and iPad growth."
--------------------------------------------------------------------
While unit sales may have been growing for the Touch it was within a market group that was showing overall loss in unit sales.
That is not a trend that can continue. One can project that forward to say Touch sales are due to hit a wall soon if they haven't already. A lot of Touch sales (65%) are to younger teens but the number of younger teens with cellphones is increasing and their parents may be choosing to just get them an iPhone (likely their old one) in the future rather than a Touch. A big motivator for them to get their child an iPhone now instead of a Touch is simple- being able to track them through their phone with find my iPhone is a killer feature for parents. iPhone wins, Touch loses in that face off.
If Apple is able to bring to market a reduced cost iPhone as Tim Cook himself says they are working on ( hardly a baseless rumor), then the Touch is over. They may sell the current model for a year or two just to milk it for what they can get out of it but no new Touches will be designed. Just like some of the other older iPods. In any event the market for the Touch has moved on. Parents who have 3rd and 4th generation iPhones have older off contract iPhones that they are much more likely to gift to a 14 year old than buy them a new Touch. We are talking about what was around 65% of the market just leaving for an iPhone even if it is a used one.
The Touch sold well when it was compared to the cost of a new iPhone but when it is compared to a free older model then it is no bargain at all. Apple knows this and that is why they would drop it..

It doesn't make sense at all. The ipod was designed to be a media player that can run apps too. The iphone is ... a phone. The big market of teens or people who just want a media player won't buy a phone just because apple wants. Yes, I'm sure that in the near future there will be a cheaper version of the iphone, but I hardly believe that it will replace the ipod touch.
Just to point out one contradiction in what you said, why would apple prefer you to buy an used iphone instead of a new product?

 

[WLS]

Just to point out one contradiction in what you said, why would apple prefer you to buy an used iphone instead of a new product?

Not a contradiction at all since I did not say that Apple would prefer you buy a used product. I said that is what people would do and Apple is aware of that. Their answer would be to bring to market the low cost iPhone for those people to consider buying and still drop the Touch eventually.

 

[fsangiul]

Not a contradiction at all since I did not say that Apple would prefer you buy a used product. I said that is what people would do and Apple is aware of that. Their answer would be to bring to market the low cost iPhone for those people to consider buying and still drop the Touch eventually.

I don't understand why you think that people will replace an ipod touch with a lower cost iphone,since they are two different products.

 

[Bear]

Their answer would be to bring to market the low cost iPhone for those people to consider buying and still drop the Touch eventually.

Right now an iPhone would cost me noticeable less to buy than an iPod Touch due to the subsidies when you get a 2 year contract. (Well before you add in the mandatory data contract.) Guess what, I'm one of those still not interested in a so called smart phone.

I seem to be able to find free wifi for my iPod Touch almost any place I want to use it. And when I've drained the battery on the touch, I still have a working cell phone. I see no need to get a data contract from the money suckers.

 

[ESPN]

Right now an iPhone would cost me noticeable less to buy than an iPod Touch due to the subsidies when you get a 2 year contract. (Well before you add in the mandatory data contract.) Guess what, I'm one of those still not interested in a so called smart phone.

I seem to be able to find free wifi for my iPod Touch almost any place I want to use it. And when I've drained the battery on the touch, I still have a working cell phone. I see no need to get a data contract from the money suckers.

Exactly, plenty of people pair their "dumb phones" with an ipod touch, perfect fit and cost effective.

 

[mlmwalt]

Right now an iPhone would cost me noticeable less to buy than an iPod Touch due to the subsidies when you get a 2 year contract. (Well before you add in the mandatory data contract.) Guess what, I'm one of those still not interested in a so called smart phone.

I seem to be able to find free wifi for my iPod Touch almost any place I want to use it. And when I've drained the battery on the touch, I still have a working cell phone. I see no need to get a data contract from the money suckers.

I agree with you and ESPN. I used my not-so-smart BB Storm2 for work stuff and my Touch for everything else. And I make the most of two bad battery situations.

 

[0007776]

Eventually stand alone MP3 players will die, but not for a few more years. The iPod touch still has life left in it not everyone wants to pay for a smartphone.

 

[mosx]

I don't understand why some people keep insisting that the iPod touch is going to be phased out in favor of a cheaper iPhone.

Not everyone wants a smartphone.

Not everyone wants a cellphone contract in general.

Not everyone wants a cellular radio in everything "just in case", and the popularity of the wifi iPad proves that as well as the high demand for other non-cellular tablets.

There is a HUGE market of adults who own an iPod touch and a so-called "dumb phone". That market isn't going to disappear.

And let's not forget that Apple as a company puts profit above everything else, including customer satisfaction. You know as well as I do that a "cheaper" iPhone would still be $400 or more and it would suffer significantly in the face of the contracted iPhones/full price iPhones. Look at how much they take away from the iPod touch as it is. The camera sensor is so bad that its a cruel joke and the screen isn't as good as the iPhone 4, and its been stuck at 256MB of RAM since 2009. Don't forget the iPhone 3GS still costs $500 off contract and its a two year old device with half the storage of the iPhone 4, less RAM, significantly lower quality screen (even lower quality than the iPod touch) and lower quality rear facing camera. The iPhone 4 only costs $150 more. Well, I say "only", but that does translate into $650. With Apple putting profit above all else, at this point, a "cheaper" iPhone 4 costing $400 or less would probably be something like an iPhone 3G.

So its a LONG way off before we'll see a cheaper iPhone that would be better than an iPod touch in every way, and still give Apple the near rip-off profit margins they demand.

And even then, there will still be people who do NOT want an iPhone.

There will always be a market for the iPod touch or a device like it.

As much as people say "iPod sales are slightly down or stale", don't forget, theres MILLIONS upon MILLIONS of iPods still being sold every year. Despite the iPod brand name, theres more MP3 player competition now than ever.

And as far as markets for certain products disappearing... well, despite the fact that you can walk into a store and get a fully functioning 4GB MP3 player these days for around $60, and even less functional and lower capacity players cheaper, Target, Walmart, Best Buy, etc. still sell portable CD players. So, again, not everyone wants a smartphone or a cellular radio in a device. I love the idea of an iPod touch because of the fact that I love the idea that I will NEVER have to pay a monthly fee to get full use out of it.