“On Tuesday, Apple fanned the flames of interest by sending out and e-mailing invitations to an Oct. 12 event at the California Theater in San Jose, Calif., enticing invitees with the text ‘One More Thing…’ accompanied by a picture of a closed red curtain,” Rex Crum reports for MarketWatch. “Speculation has immediately centered around another change to Apple’s line of iPod music players, and the company has precedent on its side. It was almost exactly a year ago that Apple used the same venue to debut the iPod Photo and U2 iPods at an event that featured Bono and The Edge of the band U2.”
“Industry analysts believe Apple is set to show off a long-awaited video iPod that can play music videos and other visual programming. Performance upgrades to Apple’s line of Macintosh computers could also be on the agenda,” Crum reports. “Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray said that a video iPod would definitely have a “wow factor” upon its release but that it would need to cost less than $400 and have a sizable library of downloadable videos available when it launches in order to avoid becoming a niche product. Shaw Wu of American Technology research echoed Munster’s comments about a video iPod’s price, adding that a $299 price tag would be preferable for the new product as anything higher could make it difficult for Apple to spur rapid sales. Wu said that, based on channel checks and industry sources, the first video content through Apple’s iTunes service would come in the form of music videos and video podcasts, with movies possibly arriving at a later date. Wu also said he believes Apple will refresh its Macintosh link with faster PowerPC processors as the company enters [its] transition to using Pentium chips from Intel Corp.”
Full article here.
“A video player might also help Apple boost the iPod’s average selling price, Banc of America Securities analyst Keith Bachman said. As Apple has introduced lower-cost players, including the $99 iPod shuffle, the average selling price for the devices fell to $179 last quarter from $290 a year ago… The company also may introduce faster Mac computers next week… Bachman wrote in notes today to clients.”
Full article here.
We love it when the analysts speculate on retail prices for unannounced products with unknown features and capabilities almost as much as we loved hearing from them that the iPod mini was “overpriced” upon its debut.
Related articles:
BBC 6 Music reports Apple video iPod to be unveiled in London next week – October 05, 2005
Report: Apple’s ‘One More Thing’ special event to feature PowerBook and Power Mac, not video iPod – October 05, 2005
Leaked Apple ‘iPod video’ spy photos? – October 05, 2005
Analysts: Apple all but certain to introduce video iPod – October 05, 2005
Report: Apple to launch video iPod next week – October 04, 2005
Apple invites media to ‘One More Thing’ special event on October 12 – October 04, 2005
Jefferies & Co. analyst: checks indicate Apple started video iPod production last month – October 04, 2005
UBS: Mac momentum continues building, Apple could sell 10 million iPods in holiday quarter – October 03, 2005
RUMOR: Apple to deliver new iPod, Power Mac, PowerBook models this month – October 03, 2005
Apple adds video to iPod trademark – August 03, 2005
Video iPod? Does The Wall Street Journal have a ‘Deep Throat’ inside Apple Computer? – July 25, 2005
Disney CEO Iger meets with Apple, Pixar CEO Steve Jobs to discuss distribution deal, video iPod – July 22, 2005
NY Post: signs point to Apple’s iTunes+iPod video plans – July 19, 2005
Report: Disney considers teaming with Apple to deliver iPod video content – July 19, 2005
More info about Apple’s reported iPod+iTunes video talks – July 18, 2005
WSJ: Apple in video iTunes talks, may unveil video iPod by September – July 18, 2005
Cringely: Apple working on HD movie download service and Video iPod – July 15, 2005
Report: Apple Computer to launch ‘Video iPod’ by 2006 – April 11, 2005
Why the vPod? I want Intel-based Macs! NOW!
MW: done
Think Secret says its not going to happen. I trust them. No Video iPod this year.
Personally, I reckon that some Apple product released at some time in the future will cost about $500 give or take a $100 or. In addition there may also be other models with differing specs available at other prices.
Although I would love new products, I also think it would rock if Steve Jobs came on and referenced the two pockets for the iPod and for the iPod Nano then pointed to his back pocket and asked what that was for – it’s for record companies to kiss.
I think we can assume the video iPod is real. As the rumors get more and more intense, they reach a point where Apple has to publicly deny them if they’re not true. Otherwise, Apple’s stock is set for a huge hit after the “disappointment” of whatever Apple does announce.
Apple has denied rumors before. (Remember when the media outlets were reporting that Apple was getting ready to buy, what was it, Sony Music?) When the rumors get this far along and Apple says nothing, they’re usually true.
Examples:
— Headless iMac
— Mac switches to Intel
— Flash-based iPod
Each time the rumors were furious, and each time Apple said nothing. Just like now. This video iPod is real.
Ray: Oh yeah, ThinkSecret is never wrong. (snort)
video ipod!! there is no way apple is going to let this holiday come and go with no big release…last year was the ipod photo and yes the nano is great, but there are a lot of flash players out there..and a lot of higher-end gadgets (like, quite a few video players already) that if apple doesnt have something, i think ppl are going to settle for 2nd best.
I can’t imagine Jobs would call a “Special Event” just to announce speed-bumped PowerPC Mac products as Think Secret claims. That’s just nonsense.
I agree with M.X.N.T.4.1
The only thing we know for sure is there is going to be an entertaining event on Oct 12th.
Whatever is going to happen, I know Steve Jobs is reading all these rumors and laughing his turtle-necked vegan butt off.
The sheer amount of hyperventilating that is going on is good for entertainment value alone!
MW: Feed, as is in “Feed me, Seymour!”
I think that Steve will announce that him and Bill are going to have a gay marriage in San Francisco. On the honeymoon I wonder who will be on top?
One entertaining thought would be if the video iPod played UMD disks like the PSP.
Peter:
That thought crossed my mind too. Wasn’t Steve in serious discusions with Sony some time ago? Maybe to arrange for Apple to “adopt” the UMD format for handhelds? After all, many of the new releases are coming out on UMD. Why would they do that if the PSP were the only unit able to use them?
MW = middle, as in “stuck in the middle with you”.
What are these analysts going on about? The iPod photo was the first Pod with a color screen, and was the most pricey model.
Apple tends to unleash new iPod tech at the high end, and eventually bring it down to the rest of the grid. The entire line just went color screen last month, so I doubt any new Video Pod would debut at the cheaper models.
My prediction for the iPod “video” prices…
$399 40GB
$499 80GB
With Apple keeping the current 20GB iPod (with color screen/photo) in the lineup at $299 and discontinuing the current 60GB model.
I think that both the xPod and the new macs will play UMDs
This way Apple doesn’t have to go into the market of playing video by itself
Who’ll need Blu-Ray when UMD and regular DVDs will have all the marketshare?
This is why the xPod will be easy to watch movies on:
http://www.informit.com/articles/article.asp?p=380915&seqNum=3
Specifically look at what he did with the LCD screen:
So, unlike your PSP the xPod will allow you to tilt your screen to watch your UMD movies
iDon’t: “I think that Steve will announce that him and Bill are going to have a gay marriage in San Francisco. On the honeymoon I wonder who will be on top?”
Uh, I think you mean- behind.
“So, unlike your PSP the xPod will allow you to tilt your screen to watch your UMD movies”
what’s the point of that if the iPod has a dock?
* Bump up the bit rate for songs sold through iTunes
* Video iPod, with optional device to WiFi broadcast sound + video
* Intro Airport Video Express
* Tweak PowerBook and G5 desktop speeds
“We love it when the analysts speculate on retail prices for unannounced products with unknown features and capabilities almost as much as we loved hearing from them that the iPod mini was “overpriced” upon its debut.”
Of course you do. That’s why you quote their articles all the time.
I predict:
Video
80GB $599 US
40GB $499 US
no change in current iPod prices, hopefully
The iPod line currently tops out at $399 US, and in my memory, Apple usually keeps a$599 US top model for early adopters to buy.
As a “one more thing,” Apple will release the “iDiaper.” People will poop their pants when they see how fast a quad core G5 is.
Oh no. I said “poop.”
From Dave:
“I can’t imagine Jobs would call a “Special Event” just to announce speed-bumped PowerPC Mac products as Think Secret claims. That’s just nonsense.”
Think secret is rearely wrong but this event has to be for something that the general media writes about. The WSJ never runs stories on powermacs. They love the iPod, they love the Mac Mini, they love iTunes, they would LOVE a Movie Store, they would (and so would I) LOVE intel macs earlier than predicted but I’m not sure developers are ready, unless rosetta is actually as good as apple claims it is.
it has to involve one of those, or something entirely new that no one has ever thought of.
The analysts are wrong to think that the device will cost only 299. That would be nice but Apple knows they could get more for it than that. They will probably try to keep it below 600, because only mac heads buys things at that price, but for christmas people spend more money than normal and they could probably get non mac heads to buy it for anything less for 450. that’s assuming its actually a video ipod. if its something else whats the point of price speculation.
Remember when apple speculation completely lacked discussion of price, because the faithful were going to buy it anyway? I sorta miss not caring if anyone else would buy it; it felt like apple was our company and made things for us.