Not really. Most of the parts get cheaper every year. Most of the parts that have been listed as options are cheap. Apple have long since recouped the investments costs of the Touch in its current form factor. They've got room to tighten their margins a little. By this time next year, scale of economies will mean that they're raking it in again.
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iPod touch What is the iPod Touch really missing...
- Thread starter crackbookpro
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Not really. Most of the parts get cheaper every year. Most of the parts that have been listed as options are cheap. Apple have long since recouped the investments costs of the Touch in its current form factor. They've got room to tighten their margins a little. By this time next year, scale of economies will mean that they're raking it in again.
...great post!
Never ever thought about that. But, a built-in FM Transmitter is a great idea, so I do not have to go out purchase one!
It would be innovative...which Apple shoots for, but I wonder if there is an underlying business decision that Apple may opt not to do this.
I would vote yes as a consumer, and a maybe as a manufaturer- You have to strategize what the pros & cons are for Apple???
CrackBookPro-
If you know Steve Jobs, you wouldn't expect to see FM tuner on iPod Touch or iPhone. FM radio is just so last decade and Steve wouldn't want his precious babies to have such an old technology. To Steve, it will seem like a vibrant teenage homecoming queen going out with a 50-year old man.
Personally, I do want the FM tuner; I can use it in my gym to hear TV. And, it's not really a big deal to put it in. But, I'd say, over Jobs' dead body.
I agree with you about Steve Job's view of FM Radio, but I was talking about a built-in FM Transmitter...so, your iPod Touch can command any near stereo to play your 'iPod music' on an FM channel radiowave, and/or when you are in the car listening to the radio. I know there are auxillary ports now in newer cars for your iPod, but a lot of vehicles still don't have them, and they could be using this technology instead of going out and buying a 3rd-party FM Transmitter.
...still think it's not going to happen
but, it would be innovative!CrackBookPro
innovative?... agree to disagree
I really don't even look at those two products as true competitors to the Touch (Latte has some work to do). Really, who cares bud... So, you made your point, it's not innovative Totally not the message I was trying to get across in my post.Would you want it in an iPod Touch? Or do you think it should have always been in there since you bought Latte Products that have built-in FM transmitters?
CrackBookPro
Can we we agree that it sounds like a lot of people want everything in the iPod Touch (camera, FM transmitter, FM receiver, coffee maker, more storage, mini air conditioner, blah blah blah blah blah) and still want it to keep the $200 price point? And to everyone proposing all these things, I suggest to you this: take an intro to electrical engineering class. Learn about how these things are made, then learn some appreciation for what this already incredibly thin device contains. Chances are your laundry list of "I want's" will get cut in half.
No I can't. I find it hard to agree with pretty much any of your posts, because when stripped of their half truths, strawmen, and childish generalisations, what's left is generally pretty clueless.
As an example, the above post hits all the bases.
I mean camera, fm transmitter and the few other things mentioned aren't really earth shattering costs? Now the microwave and air conditioner may make the price jump up a bit....On my way to take that engineering course now
But does it ever hurt to ask for these things? Apple will come up with a way to please 
All of the above would be great - bump it back up to 229 for the base model and I'd still pay it.
The most important thing for me is, if they add a video camera... you'd expect them to also add an onboard microphone. that is CRUCIAL to me... if there is one thing the touch is missing, it's a built in microphone (for me).
The most important thing for me is, if they add a video camera... you'd expect them to also add an onboard microphone. that is CRUCIAL to me... if there is one thing the touch is missing, it's a built in microphone (for me).
I don't need it in my Touch since I don't use my Touch for music. I have several players that are better than the Touch for that. I keep the Espresso in my car, since music from it's FM transmitter sounds great on my car stereo.Would you want it in an iPod Touch? Or do you think it should have always been in there since you bought Latte Products that have built-in FM transmitters? CrackBookPro
I wouldn't count Latte out so quick either. The G-sensor on the Espresso allows EVERY screen/app to rotate no matter which way you've turned it. The 16gb model was $139. It plays AVI, WMV, AAC, RM/RMVB, MP3, WMA, FLAC, and WAV files. It's no Touch, but it's one hell of a great value for a media player.
Larger hard drive. A faster processor isn't as important to me, and I'd prefer not having a low-quality camera feature simply for convenience. I can carry around a camera for pictures...
The 16 GB 3GS Phone is $179 in parts and labor, take out the phone parts and its even cheaper for a touch with the same capabilities minus the phone. Camera and GPS parts combined are a total of $12.20, the $179 price for the 3GS is cheaper then the teardown cost last year of the 16 GB 2G Ipod Touch. The FM Transmitter as someone has already said is actually in the 2G hardware, so its a software issue, or a hardware hookup issue, neither of which increase the cost here. I'm guessing we'll see
16 GB for $249
32 GB for $349
64 GB for $449
with GPS, Camera and with 3.1 we'll get the FM transmitter enabled.
-Tig
Please never use only teardown costs, they are inaccurate and don't account for R&D, and other expenses between point A and B.
First off let me just comment on the whole "its an iPod not an iPhone " thing. I will NOT buy the iPhone because I don't use a phone enough to justify paying 70 dollars a month ( maybe its because I don't have friends or a life but non the less ) I just want the ipod to replace the following :
my camera
my portable computer ( for small task )
my current media player
and my gps
If I could get all that I would willingly pay 500 dollars for it!
What makes me mad is the fact that apple comes drops the price on the iPhone because they think that will get more people to buy it, Wrong at least for me the price of the device itself is not bad I would not mind paying even 800 USD for it but I just can not justify freaking 70 dollars a month for the rest of my life. I think that the ipod touch is more of a all in one device then just a music player thats what the nano and classic are for. If I could buy the iphone and use it without paying for the phone functions ( having them deactivated ) I would gladly buy it but I hate the monthly plan. I currently have pay as you go phone and spend about 30 dollars for 4 Freaking months!!! thats a lot less then 70 a month lol
Sorry English is not my first language and sorry if I seemed complain a lot lol
my camera
my portable computer ( for small task )
my current media player
and my gps
If I could get all that I would willingly pay 500 dollars for it!
What makes me mad is the fact that apple comes drops the price on the iPhone because they think that will get more people to buy it, Wrong at least for me the price of the device itself is not bad I would not mind paying even 800 USD for it but I just can not justify freaking 70 dollars a month for the rest of my life. I think that the ipod touch is more of a all in one device then just a music player thats what the nano and classic are for. If I could buy the iphone and use it without paying for the phone functions ( having them deactivated ) I would gladly buy it but I hate the monthly plan. I currently have pay as you go phone and spend about 30 dollars for 4 Freaking months!!! thats a lot less then 70 a month lol
Sorry English is not my first language and sorry if I seemed complain a lot lol
just had this device yesterday
so far, im loving it so much
i could say this thing will come close to inch perfect
if
they add a Camera&Video
and an Internal FM Radio Transmitter
really these are the only 2 thing i would love to see on 3rd gen.. but sadly as we all know it wont happen
but other than that, its all good
so far, im loving it so much
i could say this thing will come close to inch perfect
if
they add a Camera&Video
and an Internal FM Radio Transmitter
really these are the only 2 thing i would love to see on 3rd gen.. but sadly as we all know it wont happen
but other than that, its all good
Fair enough, but then you have to factor most of the R&D across both the iPhone and Touch.
More importantly, even if Apple broke even or lost a little on the hardware, don't forget both are designed to be a delivery platform for iTunes, which makes a lot of money. Factor that in, and it makes sense to make the Touch closer to the iPhone so that apps that use a camera, etc. can be used by the Touch (almost doubling the potential market for the software as well as Apple's cut).
Given the huge order of cameras that Apple's just made (many more than they could use in just iPhones), unless they have a completely different device coming (which is always possible), it seems very likely now that the Touch will get a camera. I can see Apple wanting to take over what had been the camcorder market.
Also, Apple's filed a number of patents in the last few weeks dealing with facial and object recognition for both phone and music player platforms.
First of all the teardown cost isnt terribly inaccurate, and we are comparing the teardown of last years touch, to this years phone (with improved features), and last years touch cost more to make then this years 3GS at the same memory size. R&D costs really arent an issue with the Touch, R&D is for the most part covered by the IPhone, plus Apple has the OS sales to Touch cash cow to offset that as well. Doubling memory and keeping the price close to the same is a standard Apple technique for Ipods, I don't know why you are upset by me predicting this.
-Tig
...explain about the FM transmitter
I am pretty positive the 2nd Gen did not have an actual hardware for FM transmitter... Care to share some info? ...I could be wrong, but I think there was just some software.
CrackBookPro
