iPod Apple Strategy about the iPod

[imanidiot]

Another WWDC and Apple refuses to mention anything about their iPod line. Its like they completely ignored it.
The problem is that Apple consider the iPod a declining business where at the same time they can't just stop making it. So in my opinion Apple is going to do the same thing they did with the beloved Classic, They will silently stop making one after one. And by ignoring any updates to their iPod line (the last one was in 2012 for gods sake) They force the customers to stay away from the iPod to another product.
I think by the end of 2015 Apple will keep only one iPod: The shuffle or the Nano. A silent cancellation of the touch is most likely.
Apple understand that there are still a slice of their customers who like iPod's and still using it but what they are going to do to please those is completely unknown as I mentioned most likely one iPod will survive a brand new nano with new design and software or a brand new shuffle with 8G of storage.
Personally I wish the Classic is the one they will keep but its just sad they killed it.

Don't shout.

 

[Caseynd]

No more parts peeps!

 

[thedeejay]

Good point.

With such a high demand in iPhone and other Mac products, energy and resources etc need to go to what's selling. Don't blame em.

It just doesn't make sense to buy an iPod Touch anymore. iPod touch is a handicapped iPhone. Let me give you this one scenario and it's probably the same thought in many other families. My 18 year old brother was thinking of buying an iPod touch last year. He works part time so for him it would be a a weeks pay. About $200. He said "well, my phone sucks right now and I want an iPod so why don't I just get an iPhone". He ended up buying a 16GB 5C for $450 off someone and now he has a better phone and an iPod. And I think I would've done the same if I were him. Or I would've gotten the iPad Mini. No point spending that kind of money when you can get something with a bigger screen for the same price. iPod is either going to be 2-3 years behind or it's going to be ended very soon. Time will tell.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Apple doesn't listen to rants on MacRumors. Occasionally, they might listen to massive Feedback. Maybe. Sometimes. Perhaps. Every now and then.

http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipod.html

I wasn't aware that a politely expressed preference - and explanation as to why a particular (discontinued) product was liked (and bought) can be construed as a 'rant'.

And, irrespective of whether or not Apple listens, reads, heeds, the content of fora - any fora - but especially fora which were set up to discuss things Apple, such as this forum which is dedicated to matters Apple, and, above all, on a thread discussing whatever Apple's strategy may be with regard to the recently deceased iPod classic, offering opinions on precisely that strike me as entirely appropriate; whether or not Apple reads, heeds, or listens to any of this is moot…….

 

[sracer]

I wasn't aware that a politely expressed preference - and explanation as to why a particular (discontinued) product was liked (and bought) can be construed as a 'rant'.

And, irrespective of whether or not Apple listens, reads, heeds, the content of fora - any fora - but especially fora which were set up to discuss things Apple, such as this forum which is dedicated to matters Apple, and, above all, on a thread discussing whatever Apple's strategy may be with regard to the recently deceased iPod classic, offering opinions on precisely that strike me as entirely appropriate; whether or not Apple reads, heeds, or listens to any of this is moot…….

There will always be those who take any criticism of Apple as a personal insult. No getting around that.

back on topic, what I think made things worse with the discontinuing the iPod Classic is the way Apple handled it. They yanked inventory from stores on the day before the iPhone 6 keynote, then quietly announced that the Classic is discontinued the day after the keynote.

There were people who were waiting on buying the current Classic to see if Apple was going to make an iPod-related announcement at the keynote. They were "skunked out" of getting a Classic.

Apple should've let the inventory remain in the retail channel, announce at the keynote that the Classic was discontinued and allow customers (and unfortunately flippers/scalpers) to buy the remaining stock.

 

[Rawkfist]

There will always be those who take any criticism of Apple as a personal insult. No getting around that.

back on topic, what I think made things worse with the discontinuing the iPod Classic is the way Apple handled it. They yanked inventory from stores on the day before the iPhone 6 keynote, then quietly announced that the Classic is discontinued the day after the keynote.

There were people who were waiting on buying the current Classic to see if Apple was going to make an iPod-related announcement at the keynote. They were "skunked out" of getting a Classic.

Apple should've let the inventory remain in the retail channel, announce at the keynote that the Classic was discontinued and allow customers (and unfortunately flippers/scalpers) to buy the remaining stock.

I assume the reason Apple pulled inventory was to prevent a flood of Classic purchases that they might to warranty at some point. If they are having difficulty getting parts that could be tricky if not impossible.

 

[sracer]

I assume the reason Apple pulled inventory was to prevent a flood of Classic purchases that they might to warranty at some point. If they are having difficulty getting parts that could be tricky if not impossible.

That is a reasonable assumption. But at the same time Apple knew how many units they had in the channel and whether or not they could cover the warranty. It's not like they woke up one day and discovered that they were suddenly short of parts. Their supply chain management is tops in the industry.

 

[12vElectronics]

I assume the reason Apple pulled inventory was to prevent a flood of Classic purchases that they might to warranty at some point. If they are having difficulty getting parts that could be tricky if not impossible.

1. Apple knows how many Classics were still under warranty.
2. Just because they are/were having a difficult time securing parts, doesn't mean they were flat out of stuff.
3. Warranties generally say that if an item is no longer available, they will substitute it with something else of equal value.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

At this stage, I suspect that the issue (I was about to write 'problem', but I doubt that it really could be classed as a 'problem') from Apple's perspective concerning the iPod classic, may not be what Apple has stated that it is.

This is especially in the light of Tim Cook's recent (possibly disingenuous) statement where he argued that lack of spare parts was the issue/problem which led to the taking of the decision to discontinue with the production of the iPod classic.

I suspect that the issue/problem is not so much that the iPod classic does not make money, but that it does not make enough money for Apple. In other words, the classic is its own technological cul-de-sac, it does what it was designed to do superbly, but that is its sole purpose and is its own end.

Apart from those who were happy to pay for downloading music, once one bought an iPod, that was it; one paid for nothing else, because many of those who bought the iPod had the idea that music once bought (in the form of, say, a CD) was theirs to own, and play and rip/burn as they pleased or needed. The idea of having to perpetually renew a rental agreement in order to get access to music already paid for - and the idea of paying for storage of same (as in the iCloud) - is an alien concept for those of us brought up buying LPs, and CDs, where you feel ownership of the right to play and store and use this music once the initial transaction has taken place.

Thus, the classic generates insufficient additional revenue streams for Apple, and is not a part of any of the other (Apple) economic ecosystems which inter link and feed into (and off) each other, constantly generating further revenue as part of their default settings. As such, it had to be terminated, irrespective of the fact that there are still a (surprisingly large) number of us (among whom I would count myself) who would continue to buy it as long as it existed.

 

[Ffosse]

Why should Apple continue to provide products for a vanishingly smaller number of people who might want them?

Not good business sense at all.

 

[Tubamajuba]

Why should Apple continue to provide products for a vanishingly smaller number of people who might want them?



Not good business sense at all.

Some people seem to think that Apple is a charity, and that they shouldn't ever worry about "good business sense".

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Some people seem to think that Apple is a charity, and that they shouldn't ever worry about "good business sense".

Ah, another hyperbolic post....

Candidly, I doubt that anyone thinks Apple is a charity - its conduct on a great many matters makes it quite clear that it is nothing of the sort. Equally, those of us who rather cherished our iPod classic have never argued that Apple 'shouldn't ever worry' about the proverbial bottom line or 'good business sense'.

However, as I have earlier argued, I don't think this is really simply about the proverbial business bottom. Indeed, I suspect that Mr Cook is being somewhat disingenuous in his stated reasons for discontinuing the iPod classic.

Rather, I think this is about Apple putting technological padlocks on their products and systems, corralling their customers into this system, while ensuring that it will become increasingly difficult to use one of their products without buying into the entire technological ecosystem.

 

[sracer]

Ah, another hyperbolic post....

Candidly, I doubt that anyone thinks Apple is a charity - its conduct on a great many matters makes it quite clear that it is nothing of the sort. Equally, those of us who rather cherished our iPod classic have never argued that Apple 'shouldn't ever worry' about the proverbial bottom line or 'good business sense'.

However, as I have earlier argued, I don't think this is really simply about the proverbial business bottom. Indeed, I suspect that Mr Cook is being somewhat disingenuous in his stated reasons for discontinuing the iPod classic.

Rather, I think this is about Apple putting technological padlocks on their products and systems, corralling their customers into this system, while ensuring that it will become increasingly difficult to use one of their products without buying into the entire technological ecosystem.

Good thought. I wondered if the move was also precipitated by a desire for Cook to go "out with the old, in with the new". The iPod may be iconic but it is also a tie to the past.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Good thought. I wondered if the move was also precipitated by a desire for Cook to go "out with the old, in with the new". The iPod may be iconic but it is also a tie to the past.

Sort of on the lines of putting his own mark on the company by discarding/discontinuing products identified with a revered (but deceased) predecessor? You could very well have a point.

However, re the iPod classic, I am coming increasingly to the view that it wasn't a question of it not making money, or not even a question of it not making enough money, but that it could not be modified to fit into a future Apple technological ecosystem where revenue will be generated constantly, indefinitely and eternally.

Once an iPod classic was bought, that was it, there was no further expenditure on the part of the customer and no future profit for Apple unless you chose to buy tracks form iTunes.

However, now, the new rental idea - whereby the customer does not 'own' but merely 'rents' tracks, and music, and other forms of media yet to be mined successfully for their income generating properties, means that the generation of revenue continues in a steady stream, instead of being abruptly halted, as was the case with the old iPods.

The upshot of all of this is that access to the old sources (and ways and means and concepts) of playing, or accessing, music must now be radically transformed, which means curtailing or ending the old ways of doing things.

That is the market decision which has been taken, (and it is one which I personally regret) rather than the fairly superficial stated opinions ('Apple is not a charity') which have passed for analysis of this decision on these threads.

 

[nm9277]

Apple isn't gonna discontinue the iPod touch. If they discontinue it, only iPod nano and shuffle would be left in the iPod lineup! So I don't think iPod touch will be discontinued!!!