iPod Next Generation iPod touch, an iPad?

[ipedro]

Apple has had several product reorganization cycles throughout its history and it appears that the time is ripe for the iPod line to be re-assessed. Apple has never liked a crowded lineup so every so often we see products converged, others replaced or discontinued entirely and the lineup simplified.

With iMessage providing messaging that can replace SMS and FaceTime supplying the building blocks for an iOS phone service (with camera disabled), an iPod Touch has essentially become an iPhone without a phone. What's been missing is a cellular radio.

However, I don't anticipate the iPod touch merging with the iPhone. Instead, an LTE 5" iPad would without a doubt kill the market for the iPod Touch. It's led by younger individuals who don't want a phone contract but want access to iOS' app store and the iTunes store for music. With a larger screen for gaming, yet portable enough to be carried everywhere, a smaller iPad would leave few reasons other than price for somebody to buy an iPod touch and would even encourage a significant demographic of users to drop their iPhones.

With the iPod touch replaced by a smaller iPad, this leaves the iPod line without a flagship product. The iPod Classic has been waiting for a heir in the music player segment for 3 generations and while the new iPod nano has been popular, it still can't replace neither the iPod touch in function nor the Classic in storage.

A music focused device in a Nano candybar form factor could take on the title of iPod (without any prefix or suffix). If sold in 32, 64 and 128GB sizes, the Classic would be retired.

The iOS line would consist of:

Tablets
iPad 10"
iPad 5"

Phone
iPhone 5

Music
iPod (candybar)
iPod Nano (clip on/watch size)

Another route could be to leverage the iPod brand and name the smaller iPad, simply iPod with the music segment falling to the clip on iPod Nano. We would have iPad (10"), iPod (5") and iPod Nano (clip on).

Whatever the route taken, the iPod Touch is not a sustainable product as it's converging too close to the iPhone to make it a viable separate device. Meanwhile there's a demand for a Kindle Fire competitor. A smaller iPad (or larger iPod) would be a key differentiator to take it into the next decade.

 

[Hepnotic]

I don't think Apple is interested in making a tablet to compete with the Kindle Fire.

Apple makes quality products that other companies imitate. They dont imitate cheaper products to compete with other companies.

I'm sure 4 years ago, during the netbook craze, people were clamoring for Apple to make a $300 laptop with a 10" screen. But they didn't. They made the macbook air. And now companies have "ultrabooks" which is pretty much their version of the same thing.

If people want a $200 tablet, they should get the fire. But they shouldnt expect Apple to cheapen their brand.

And what has lead you to believe that the iPod Touch isnt sustainable? Both the iPhone and iPod touch have coexisted for almost 5 years now.

 

[ipedro]

The iPod touch isn't sustainable in its current form because of feature creep. If Apple stagnates the features, the iPod Touch would die for lack of innovation and if they continue to add features, they'll be bringing it closer and closer to an iPhone, making it redundant -- also killing it.

Apple's iCloud strategy predicts that the next iPod Touch will need to have the option for always on Internet -- LTE or 3G -- so it essentially becomes an iPhone without the earpiece and voice contract, nowhere near enough of a differentiation to keep it viable as a separate product line.

The solution is to differentiate the products to a point where they complement each other, not compete for the same space. An iPod with a larger screen works to its advantage as the demographic for the iPod Touch would benefit from a larger screen for gaming and media consumption. The iPod touch demographic is the iPad demographic but at a cheaper entry point.

Then there's this:

iPod sales are declining in all form factors. It needs to be reinvented or it will inevitably go the way of the walkman.

 

[rgarjr]

iPod sales are declining in all form factors. It needs to be reinvented or it will inevitably go the way of the walkman.

iPod Touch no update except for a white one
iPod Nano only minor firmware update
iPod Classic they havent touched in years

Yeah I could see why they aren't selling.

 

[ipedro]

^ My point exactly. The iPod line needs to be reinvented because Apple has been holding back adding features that would bring it up to part with the iPhone. Keep it as is, sales decline for lack of innovation. Add features and it becomes redundant because it's like an iPhone.

Apple will either eliminate, replace or reinvent the iPod Touch within this next couple of generations.

 

[Hepnotic]

I think the declining iPod sales isnt so much because of a lack of new features or design, but has more to do with the rise of smartphone sales, and people using their droid and iphones for music and apps, making the iPod Touch a niche item. The Zune HD had a fresh design and some nice features that the iPod Touch didn't have, yet it completely flopped.

If Apple made an iPad with a 7" screen, I don't think they could get the price down in the $200-$300 range that competitors have theirs at. Especially since the retina display is going to be the standard for Apples tablets. There's no going back to non retina.

I think the iPod Touch isn't obsolete because a lot of people cant afford to buy the iPhone, or afford the monthly data plans they require, or are on carriers that don't have the iPhone.

I am on a family plan with Sprint. The cost of all 5 of my family members per month is the same price for one person to have the data everything plan the iPhone requires. To me, it's not worth that extra money. I have my dumb phone, and an iPod Touch, and between those two, I can do pretty much everything I need to do.

 

[MOKHAN]

Also, people are buying iPhones. Sort of defeats the need for an iPod, mind you, not for everyone, but most people.

 

[yinz]

I was thinking the same thing as the OP, but rather, I was thinking instead of calling it a smaller iPad, they'd probably keep it the iPod touch. That way, they retain the iPod brand while differentiating it from the iPhone. Also, they don't taint Steve jobs words by making a smaller iPad.

Also, do you thiNk 5"? I'm thinking it'll just be 7.xx" like they predicted on the iPad thread... But instead calling it iPod touch. Plus bigger ipod sounds better than smller iPad. It also makes sense Why there are rumors of a 7" ipad Mini launching iN the fall. The fall is when the ipods come out right? That's just what I think.

 

[Holdencommstra]

I think the declining iPod sales isnt so much because of a lack of new features or design, but has more to do with the rise of smartphone sales, and people using their droid and iphones for music and apps, making the iPod Touch a niche item. The Zune HD had a fresh design and some nice features that the iPod Touch didn't have, yet it completely flopped.

If Apple made an iPad with a 7" screen, I don't think they could get the price down in the $200-$300 range that competitors have theirs at. Especially since the retina display is going to be the standard for Apples tablets. There's no going back to non retina.

I think the iPod Touch isn't obsolete because a lot of people cant afford to buy the iPhone, or afford the monthly data plans they require, or are on carriers that don't have the iPhone.

I am on a family plan with Sprint. The cost of all 5 of my family members per month is the same price for one person to have the data everything plan the iPhone requires. To me, it's not worth that extra money. I have my dumb phone, and an iPod Touch, and between those two, I can do pretty much everything I need to do.

that is why apple continue to manufacture the iphone 3gs and iphone 4 but only 8gb is the big issue.samsung has mp3 players that are kinda the same as the samsung phones.

 

[WLS]

I've been posting the same conclusions for almost a year but no one wanted to believe the facts.
anyway, Moderator doesn't this thread belong in the iPod Touch forum???

 

[mrsir2009]

I agree that something has got to happen with the iPod Touch. It's leaning dangerously close to iPhone territory.