Weak iPod Nano Sales?

[Leoff]

Yea, the nano replaced the mini at the same pricepoint. So you got 2GB less storage than the mini and worse battery life...?

Why exactly was I supposed to "upgrade" from my mini?

nano sales will take off as soon as the nano at least matches the previous generation (the mini) in features.

Well, let's see... just off the top of my head:

1) Smaller form factor. For those who bought the mini because it was physically smaller than the regular iPod, there should be more satisfied customers for the even smaller profile.

2) Color Screen. Something small and insignificant to some, others think it's a nice touch.

3) Ability to hold/display photos. An additional selling point.

4) Flash Memory. More reliable and faster access times than mini hard drives.

 

[StarbucksSam]

I think the nano is TOO small... sort of.

I would consider buying one if an 8GB version came out with 18 hour battery life. I would also consider less than that, but that's my ideal. 6 GB seems like such a small upgrade for me - I am pushing 4 and I don't think it would last me long enough.

 

[Abulia]

1) Smaller form factor. For those who bought the mini because it was physically smaller than the regular iPod, there should be more satisfied customers for the even smaller profile.

I like the mini size just fine. As others have said, the nano is almost "too small." Also, the pastic form factor has a "cheap" feel and appearance and holds fingerprints way too easily.

2) Color Screen. Something small and insignificant to some, others think it's a nice touch.

Excellent. Reduces battery life so you can see the title/artist in full color. Also see bad press re: the color display screen and scratching issues, none of which were an issue with the mini.

3) Ability to hold/display photos. An additional selling point.

Not sure what Joe User uses their iPod for, but for me it's a portable music player, not a photo album.

4) Flash Memory. More reliable and faster access times than mini hard drives.

Yet holds less and with a shorter total run time. Reliable is something of a subjective term I suppose; I'm not aware of any widespread failures of mini hard drives.

What's really interesting is that they go from a moving hard drive to entirely solid-state and battery life worsens. Moving in the wrong direction, Apple.

Those are just off the top of my head, though.

 

[bloodycape]

I know Sandisk is planning to bring out a 6gig flash player.at a comeptive price since they are suppling their own memory. If anything aplle will be going 6gig in the nano as 8gig and more can be costly and I don't think many people will pay 300 for a 8 or even 10gig nano when you can get the ipod at the same price with more space.

 

[celebrian23]

I think that's the biggest issue- the pricing. I'd LOVE an 8 GB nano, but I'd rather pay a little more for a 30GB ipod.

 

[StarbucksSam]

I think that's the biggest issue- the pricing. I'd LOVE an 8 GB nano, but I'd rather pay a little more for a 30GB ipod.

I dunno. Between a 249 8 gig nano and a 299 30 gig video... I might take the nano... based on what I need, not price.

 

[celebrian23]

I'm thinking how the average customer would think. Which is value for your money. Though I see your point too. I guess from apple's standpoint it's what is going to be the most lucrative for us.

 

[timswim78]

Yea, the nano replaced the mini at the same pricepoint. So you got 2GB less storage than the mini and worse battery life...?

Why exactly was I supposed to "upgrade" from my mini?

nano sales will take off as soon as the nano at least matches the previous generation (the mini) in features.

Yea, I'm at a bit of a loss here. I want something that is small, and has a pretty decent capacity. The mini was perfect for my tastes.

I no longer like the choices that Apple offers:
- The nano has too small of a capacity, especially for its price
- The regular ipods are larger than what I would like to use.

 

[dashiel]

load of crap. apple doesn't release ipod sales by model. all you get is they sold X million ipods per quarter. i don't think i've ever seen a breakdown about sales per model from anyone, including apple.

 

[tk421]

Well, with all this talk of the Nano being inferior to the mini, I sure see a lot of Nanos on my college campus.

I also know a guy that has both a Nano and a video iPod. He prefers the Nano and uses it most of the time.

For myself, I'd rather have a full-size iPod, but that's because my music library is too large for a Nano (It's getting too large for my 15 gig iPod). But my wife, who listens to less music than I do, wants a Nano more than anything else.

 

[stingerman]

Don't forget that Samsung was counting on an exclusive deal for Apple's Nano flash business, but the deal was scuttled due to complaints from competitors within Korea. Apple then took the opportunity to second source the Flash memory from two other vendors as well as Samsung. So Samsung received a smaller portion of the order, while Apple built up a larger supplier base.

Recall Apple was going to make a 2 to 3 Billion dollar investment in Samsung that was scuttled in the last minute. So the Samsung news is more about the exclusive deal that they lost. Apple of course comes out the winner enjoying reduced flash costs. This will be huge to their bottom line.

 

[Marlon_JBT]

DigiTimes is at it again!!!

The iPod nano sells itself. People seem to love these things and with the introduction of the 1GB nano @ $129, it's a battle to keep them in stock.

Meanwhile, we've had a ton of the iPod for a long time... nobody wants them. At all. However, if you're going for a 4GB nano, it makes much more sense to get the iPod. 30GB for just a couple dollars more.

(However, I wish I had thought of that back in July... I could have had twice the capacity for $100 more. oh well...)

 

[MacEffects]

wow. i thought the nano was a really good seller. Even though i think the video sold better, it still says that it is the #1 seller on store.apple.com.

Scroll down to top sellers or something in the middle of the page on the left.

Well, I think that a lot of the sales from the iPods are from stores locally and non Apple Retail Stores. Either that or Apple is making that up
. Well, I am glad my DashMini wasn't made for the iPod Nana

 

[johnbro23]

Has Digitimes ever posted accurate information? To my knowledge, they haven't posted any Apple related rumor/speculation that was true. I'm not sure why MacRumors even gives them a Page 2 story.

 

[iMeowbot]

Whether or not there is a nano connection, there really goes seem to be a glut of flash out there. Prices have been dropping quickly.

 

[adamfilip]

Sales of the nano are down to 6 million units a day from the expected 6.05 a day.

analysts expect apple to go under any minute.. SELL SELL!!

 

[ACW]

Yea, the nano replaced the mini at the same pricepoint. So you got 2GB less storage than the mini and worse battery life...?

Why exactly was I supposed to "upgrade" from my mini?

nano sales will take off as soon as the nano at least matches the previous generation (the mini) in features.

With 14 million sales in the last quarter of 2005 I think its safe to say sales have already took off, the problem now is, who dosnt own one?. So many people got one last year the market isn't as large as it was.

 

[BenRoethig]

I wouldn't be surprised if this was true, although I'm not sure that it is. However, the fact that Apple introduced the 1GB model kind of leads me to believe it is.

I thought Apple kind of dropped the ball with the Nano. People LOVED the Minis--the different colors, the size, the battery life (2nd gen) and storage capacity. The Nano kind of went against all of that. They should have kept the colors (blue, green, pink, white or black or both). They shouldn't have reduced the storage capacity from 4-6GB to 2-4GB. People don't want to pay the same for less. And there was a ton of bad press about the scratching. One great thing about the Minis was that they were so durable and very hard to scratch!

Exactly right. There was a 2gb reduction on both price points from the Mini. Mac users are willing to accept that in favor of a thinner design and a color screen. The vast majority of others aren't, they see it as a downgrade. Apple should have waited until they could at least matched the Mini's capacity or sell the Mini for another revision before merging the lines.

 

[celebrian23]

I thought the mini was the only ipod you could run with, am I wrong? My friend told me this, and I know the ipod can't be run with (jiggling the hardware i believe) but I was unsure about the nano.

 

[devilot]

I thought the mini was the only ipod you could run with, am I wrong? My friend told me this, and I know the ipod can't be run with (jiggling the hardware i believe) but I was unsure about the nano.

The mini still uses a hard drive (which is what people worry about jostling) whereas both the Shuffle and the Nano use flash memory-- no such worry.

But plenty of people have done rigorous exercising w/ iPods that use hard drives w/out failure anyway. YMMV.

 

[Gasu E.]

I just bought one this friday and so did my girlf friend. That adds two to the sales numbers. I hope it helps

It did help. A lot. Hence the problem.

 

[macdong]

I thought the mini was the only ipod you could run with, am I wrong? My friend told me this, and I know the ipod can't be run with (jiggling the hardware i believe) but I was unsure about the nano.

sometimes i tie my iPod (3G) on my arm with an arm band when i am playing basketball alone.
it runs with me, jumps with me, and sometimes gets hit by the ball.
but it never complains

 

[student_trap]

sorry but in my opinion the nano is the worst ipod ever. Its far to thin for its width, most people i have spoken to have said they thought it too fragile, and of course its scratching problem, which became such a big issue that even those who know little about apple know about how easily their 'new' ipod scratches! It has a smaller battery life and smaller capacity.

its one redeeming feature...flash memory, which makes me wonder why they couldn't have simply revamped the mini using flash memory?

All the others are great devices, shame about the nano.

 

[Ish]

. . . However, if you're going for a 4GB nano, it makes much more sense to get the iPod. 30GB for just a couple dollars more.

(However, I wish I had thought of that back in July... I could have had twice the capacity for $100 more. oh well...)

Bought a 30GB ipod recently after much deliberating then found I couldn't bend right down or work with it in my pocket. Yes, the extra memory is good, but if the size means you don't use it as much, it's better to go for something physically smaller and choose what to put on it. Did a complicated deal with a friend and now have a 4GB black nano instead. Wrapped it in invisible shield and now it lives in my pocket.

When they first came out I thought they were too small, but my perception must have changed as I got used to them. Think that, unless you have large hands, they're just right.

Extra memory in the nano would be great. I'd personally not worry about how much extra memory I could get for my money if I had a full-sized ipod because I had one and it wasn't right for me.

 

[kretzy]

This is a bit surprising, but as others have said, the high end Nano isn't that much cheaper than the 30GB.