They've had them for some time:
Posted on 06/08/2011 2:37:05 PM PDT by mgstarr
Apple's new iOS 5 software for iPhones, shipping this fall, has many additions, but appears to have one notable subtraction: The music app is no longer called "iPod" — it's just called "Music." There's a separate app for "Video," as on the iPad and iPod touch.
Apple is probably mostly trying to unify the experience across all of its iOS devices, so playing music and videos is the same on all of them. Simpler, less confusing. It makes sense.
But it's hard to overlook that Apple is also probably starting the inevitable wind-down of the iPod brand. Since launching almost 10 years ago, the iPod was Apple's most important product for years, driving huge growth at the company and making the iPhone and iPad possible.
But thanks to smarter mobile phones like Apple's own iPhone, listening to music is now mainly a function of your phone, not a separate device like the iPod.
And that's why iPod sales fell 14% year-over-year last quarter, while iPhone sales more than doubled year-over-year. The iPod business is declining, and while it will obviously stick around for many years, it's probably going to go away eventually.
(A first step could be retiring the iPod classic — the scroll-wheel device that has been on the iPhone's "iPod" app logo since the beginning — this fall, near its 10th anniversary. That's another good reason to tweak the way the iPhone app works and looks.)
Apple Starts to Wind Down the "iPod" BrandAgain, we don't expect the iconic iPod brand to go away any time soon. The iPod touch continues to grow, although Apple could conceivably rename that if it wanted. But other iPods still serve a purpose, and will likely stick around for many years.
But the wheels are in motion. Apple's most important product, the iPhone, won't have the word "iPod" on it anymore. And that's kind of a big deal.
I honestly did not know they still sold iPods. Or not many, anyway. Everyone I ever knew that had an iPod now uses their phone as their music devices. That even includes those of us who leapfrogged the iPod.
Who buys them any more?
When will we have watchpods - - music, time, video............?
Great product. I have got a huge amount of enjoyment out of the ones I have owned. For years, my music languished because I was too busy to sit down, put it on and listen.
Then, when I got my first iPod in the fall of 2001, I rediscovered all of my music. I had several thousand CD’s, worked like hell to digitize them, and they have sat in a dusty box since then.
Great product. Thanks, Apple, for introducing it.
>But thanks to smarter mobile phones like Apple’s own iPhone, listening to music is now mainly a function of your phone, not a separate device like the iPod. <
Don’t care. I have other MP3 players and prefer to use them over the Ipod which couldn;t even handle a 30 minute jog while my Sandisk was built for physical exercise.
I still LOVE my iPod Shuffle (2nd gen) and use it every day when I run. I hate running with my phone (too bulky, “twitchy”), so I bought 3 of the 2nd gen models when that horrible 3rd gen shuffle came out. With any luck, the OS will continue supporting those devices, because I’ll have mine for at least 20 years!
I got my first iPod this past Christmas. I’ve had mp3 players for almost 10 years, but never one by Apple. I’ve been pretty happy with it - I even upgraded my car stereo to add a USB port, which I really like.
I can’t see myself owning an iPhone until the price for the service comes down. I have an el cheapo phone and prepaid service (Net10) that costs me $15 a month.
I might switch service if I can find a family plan that fits. (We have 3 phones, so the total we pay is $45. Any suggestions?)
I use my iPhone for phone calls and the internet. While I have my songs loaded on there, I still use my tiny iPod Nano for listening to music.
It's much smaller and lighter and therefore better for working out, walking around, on airplanes or just hanging out soemwhere.
I am one with a separate phone, ipod touch and video camera. I prefer dedicated devices.
“my Sandisk was built for physical exercise.”
I have an iPod Nano 6th gen (the small Nano.) I think I prefer it over my Sansa Clip. The Nano is thinner and lighter. The raised buttons on the Clip are much easier to use while exercising than the touch display on the Nano, however, even though the display is pretty cool..
The Nano is probably my favorite overall. I have an iPod touch but I use that for apps and video. For music I use the Nano and the new Shuffle.
“Who buys them any more?”
Me! Don’t got no stinkin’ iPhone. I’m too old to browse the ‘net with such a small screen. And my thumbs are as precise as sledgehammers when I try to text! But I can leave the iPod plugged into the console of my climate destroying SUV so I have tunes when I’m killing icebergs.
Maybe I should have asked if there are enough new customers to justify their continued availability.
Well you’ve got a point there. I’m close to the age of the average Buick buyer (between 60 and dead) and I don’t lose ‘em or wear out the battery too fast so I don’t have to go to the Apple store too often.
HOT NEWS: Prolly, coodbee!
I just don’t get it.
I despise the “does all” phone.
I guess I must be old.
I want my phone to be a phone, have the ability to get “text messages” (Like an old pager used to do- handy for use when an answering service is taking your after hours calls) and tell me what time it is.
For all the other stuff I want I use an Ipod Nano 5th gen.
The thing is pretty doggone impressive. It weighs nothing, is so thin it is nearly two dimensional and yet it all of this stuff!
I can stuff a bunch of podcasts on it as well as language lessons, or any esoteric weird stuff I can think of (All thanks to the podcasts and IPOD University in the Ipod store) as well as a couple of Top Gear (The British version) episodes to watch while I have lunch.
If I need to record a conversation it can do that, and no one is the wiser if stealth is required. It even can take fairly decent videos.
It even makes a handy audio source when troubleshooting or installing commercial sound installations, amplifiers and jukeboxes!
Amazing and astounding capabilities in such a tiny and reasonably priced device.
The best part is, it doesn’t have a damn phone in it!
I would hate to see the Ipod go away, but I think they ruined the Nano when they made it a tiny little touchscreen device and took out the camera and shrunk the display.
They've had them for some time:
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Here’s my challenge:
I have a very nice 4/3 Panasonic GF-1 camera that takes amazing pictures, but so often I see a great shot and I don’t have my camera with me. I always have my phone, which has a fairly good camera.
I have a couple of music players, but I always have my phone. Even in my car I just plug it into my car stereo through the aux jack and I can listen to MP3’s or Pandora.
The phone is not my favorite option in either case, but it is always on me and ready at any time to be used as a camera, web browser, music player, GPS navigation device, etc.
Oh, and I can make and receive calls, which is nice.
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