“New research carried out by the independent research provider, Generator, illustrates that Apple’s iPod business, already a global hit, could soon put second-tier mobile phone makers in the shade. ‘A lot of people don’t realise that Apple’s iPod business is already bigger than Sony Ericsson. What’s more, Apple is the market leader in a growth market while Sony Ericsson is a second-tier player in a mature industry,’ explains Andrew Sheehy, Research Director at Generator. Apple’s scale now means that the company can negotiate deals with suppliers of miniature cameras, video recorders and wireless modems – items normally used in mobile phones – that are competitive with what many mobile handset makers can secure,” Business Wire reports.
“Although Wi-Fi modems could be used instead, the report explains that the best way to implement a WiPod would be via wholesale data agreements with one mobile operator in each iTunes market. Apart from being able to take pictures and shoot movies with their WiPod, users could wirelessly publish their self-generated digital content on iTunes. ‘The mobile content side is interesting but you could also offer knock-out voice service with this approach – Apple could offer free WiPod to WiPod calls, using a Skype-like software application. A lot of people in the mobile industry will be worried when this starts happening,’ cautions Sheehy.”
Full article (free registration required) here.
An in-depth explanation of the business opportunity for the WiPod, complete with a market forecast and other information and analysis related to Apple and the digital music market can be found at: http://www.generator-solutions.com/wipod.htm
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and flying cars by 2020
Shazaam!
Vonage users can already get a wi-fi phone, so why not have one built-in to an ipod?
Generator research?
Rumor Generator?
That’s what they’re researching, rumor generating.
By the way, there are no wires hanging from my iPod!
The vonage phone is the UTStarcom F1000 WiFi Phone
vonage wi-fi phone link:
http://vonage.com/device.php?type=F1000
I’ve been a Vonage customer since 2002 and GIVEN how cool and progressive the service is, it is too bad those Wi-Fi phones look like proof of concept phones from the 1990’s.
The thing about these people with their ideas is…they just don’t get it. Apple thinks differently. Adding everything but the kitchen sink just because you can doesn’t make it a better product and it also doesn’t mean more people will buy it.
Apple’s good at figuring out what people really want, keeping it simple and making it look good.
It’s a lot harder than just saying “WiPods can have cameras and video and voip and tunes and microphones and radios and phones and toilets and electric drills and…”
I’d buy one, as long as it had a latte maker built in.
Gotta have my latte.
I know that the proposed WiPod will provide me with current inventory of my sock drawer and organize my extensive porn collection. But the question is, will it play music?
I’d buy one if it does.
Exactly jimbo. Why don’t we keep our attention on stuff that actually exists. What do you say, MDN?