iPod touch The Future of iPod touch

[Bamsham]

There was a similar posting back in November, but since we know so much more about where the iPhone is going, I was wondering if there was any information (hard or otherwise) about the future of the iPod Touch, specifically:

--I can buy a 16gb iPhone for $299 but the 16gb touch is $399. Any price adjustments? (Now, yes, I'm aware that AT&T is subsidizing the cost of the iPhone, and when you add in 2 years of service the iPhone costs more, but the initial price point for the hardware is still $100 apart)

--Any plans to stick a GPS in the touch?

--When will touch be the only way to go? (i.e. how long are we away from no more 'classic'? Answers in either date format, or capacity format are acceptable)

--Will the touch's max capacity (32gb) be coming to the iPhone soon?

 

[aethelbert]

--I can buy a 16gb iPhone for $299 but the 16gb touch is $399. Any price adjustments? (Now, yes, I'm aware that AT&T is subsidizing the cost of the iPhone, and when you add in 2 years of service the iPhone costs more, but the initial price point for the hardware is still $100 apart)

a. They want you to buy the iPhone.
b. Look at the price without a contract

--Any plans to stick a GPS in the touch?

No, and there's really no need for it in the market.

--When will touch be the only way to go? (i.e. how long are we away from no more 'classic'? Answers in either date format, or capacity format are acceptable)

I think that once flash hits 256GB, the hard drive in the classic will be dropped. However, I wouldn't be surprised to see them keep a click wheel model. I'm guessing by early 2011 the entire iPod line will be flash based, but the form factor is still questionable.

--Will the touch's max capacity (32gb) be coming to the iPhone soon?

Probably in early 2009.

 

[witchdrash]

GPS in the touch at the moment is limited by technology, I suspect it's unlikely that you will see the GPS at all in the touch, in the same the camera and bluetooth has never made it across from the iPhone. The iPhone is Apple's flagship product in this area, the touch, is in a way, it's inbred half brother, pretty good, but if it had everything it would cannibalize sales from the iPhone, and the iPod Touch is far more the music player than the general device the iPhone is touted as. But then again, never say never..

I expect the iPhone will see a jump to 32gb, but not for a while, a 16gb and 32gb iPhone 3G at launch would have been far better than an 8gb and 16gb. If we saw it this year I'd be surprised.

Classics will probably not vanish for a while, the classics are aimed at those who want essentially a portable hard drive with a music player, plus the touch system relies heavily on the speed of the flash memory (if you've ever seen cover flow on a classic you will know what I mean), but the classic will vanish eventually, but not any time soon. Plus it's the familiar iconic iPod design. I would expect Apple to produce HD based iPods for a long time getting larger and larger, so I'd say we're in for the long-haul on this one, could be wrong, but it's how I'd do it.

 

[Wild-Bill]

The future of iPod Touch, for many, will be a $9.99 hole in your wallet as you are forced to buy the 2.0 firmware upgrade that iPhone users get for free......

 

[philipk]

The future of iPod Touch, for many, will be a $9.99 hole in your wallet as you are forced to buy the 2.0 firmware upgrade that iPhone users get for free......

There is some stupid anti-trust laws in the US that requires prevents Apple from giving the update for free.

BTW
Legally, iPhone users DON'T get it for free. They pay for it through their monthly subscription.

 

[wbeasley]

Not FORCED...

The future of iPod Touch, for many, will be a $9.99 hole in your wallet as you are forced to buy the 2.0 firmware upgrade that iPhone users get for free......

It's your choice. If you are happy with the way your Touch currently works, you don't have to spend a cent. It's your CHOICE. You think the new abilities add something worthwhile, then buy it.

I can't wait for the 2.0 software. Now I won't have to be consider JailBreaking mine.

Not everything in life has to be free. It appears there will be a quite a few FREE apps being supplied. Be grateful to all those people who have given you something. If you see value in buying a game or other app, then do so.

Back to checking the Apple site to see if 2.0 is available yet...

 

[illidian]

For all you complaining about $9.95 for everything that 2.0 offers, did you also say that Apple should give you Leopard for free since you bought their hardware?

If you use Bootcamp, does Microsoft owe it to you to provide you with Vista if you bought XP?

 

[jordskee]

no there will never be gps unless you can get wireless internet anywhere,
cause you would have to be at your house or at a wifi location

 

[Scarpad]

There is some stupid anti-trust laws in the US that requires prevents Apple from giving the update for free.

BTW
Legally, iPhone users DON'T get it for free. They pay for it through their monthly subscription.

Did'nt Stop Microsoft from giving me the latest Zune SW uptaing it to the same one as on the New Zune's

 

[Tragedies]

If yorue inetrested in buying an iPod Touch, you can look at eBay, where new modelds of both the 8GB and 16GB are going for alot cheaper then RRP due to many upgrading from the iPod Touch to the iPhone, therefor less demand for the iPod Touch (I guess this is Apple's plan.)

There is a possibily of the iPhone getting higher capacity with in time.

 

[goosnarrggh]

There is some stupid anti-trust laws in the US that requires prevents Apple from giving the update for free.

BTW
Legally, iPhone users DON'T get it for free. They pay for it through their monthly subscription.

Bull. It has absolutely nothing to do with any legal requirement for actual dollars leaving a user's wallet on a regular basis and being transferred into Apple's bank account. If that were the case, then Apple would not have been allowed to give away the Apple TV 2.0 (and 2.1) upgrades (both of which included significant enhancements) for free. Just like with the iPod Touch, there is no commitment for any ongoing revenue stream from the sale of an Apple TV.

Rather, it apparently has to do with the way in which Apple *reports* its revenue for the sale of the Apple TV versus the way it *reports* its revenue for the sale of an iPod Touch.

In other words, Apple would have been perfectly within its rights to report the revenue for the sales of the iPod Touch in the same way in which it reports the revenue for the sale of an Apple TV, and if it had done that, then they would not have had any legal requirement to charge for the iPod Touch 2.0 firmware. Bottom line: Apple is charging for the iPod Touch 2.0 firmware because it wants to, not because it has to.

 

[-Dark Angel-]

When the iPhone gets the touch 32GB memory, the touch will move on up to 64GB memory. If you want GPS, then you have to go with the iPhone as that will most likely never come to the iPod touch.

 

[Mr.Jones]

Hey I'm new to the site and I know this is a little off topic, but I noticed today that Walmart is selling their 16gb IPod Touch w/ January's upgrade for $368.54 USD. Does anybody think this is an indicator of a future price drop or just Walmart's "everyday low pricing"?