“A tear-down of Apple Computer’s newly refreshed video iPod reveals potentially high margins for the company and confirms that both PortalPlayer and Broadcom have retained their respective sockets inside the device,” Katie Marsal reports for AppleInsider.
Marsal reports, Craig Berger, an analyst at Wedbush Morgan Securities who covers PortalPlayer, had predicted that the iPod chip maker would retain its slot in the device and ripped one open just to be sure. ‘We do see both the PortalPlayer MP3 processor and the Broadcom video processor chip inside this device, consistent with our prior expectations that this device would remain a discreet two-chip solution for the time being,’ he told clients in a research note on Thursday.”
Marsal reports, “Berger said Apple made very few hardware changes over its fifth-generation iPod with video playback, but did update the player’s power management chips. ‘The lack of hardware changes implies that this device is a short-term, stop-gap device intended to buy Apple more time until it is ready to launch its true iPod Video later this year or early next year,’ he said.”
Full article with graphics and photos here.
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Apple debuts new iPod in 30GB and 80GB with Hollywood movies, games and new lower price – September 12, 2006