“Contrary to persistent rumor and speculation, Apple Inc. does not plan to introduce a sixth-generation of its flagship video iPod digital music player any time soon,” Kasper Jade and Prince McLean report for AppleInsider.
“People consistently familiar with the iPod maker’s future music directions say rough estimates for the new video and music player are tracking for the third calendar quarter of the year,” Jade and McLean report.
Jade and McLean report, “At the same time, however, other well-placed sources have approached specific time frames with caution, explaining that a mix of uncertainties — in particular those relating to the roll-out of iPhone — could leave consumers hung up till early next year.”
“Although Apple eventually intends to break widescreen video capabilities away from the iPhone for a device of similar proportions, sans the cellular capabilities, expectations of first-half 2007 launch are said to be overly ambitious,” Jade and McLean report. “Those people familiar with the matter say such a move would serve only to dilute the value of the iPhone and, similarly, the device’s worth to wireless carrier AT&T.”
Full article here.
Our educated guess is that early next year is simply too long for Apple to wait. Look for 6G iPods in time for holiday 2007 shopping at the latest.
Related article:
Who wants an Apple iPhone minus the phone? – February 21, 2007
I knew it!
Geez…this thing has been a long time coming. It will be a bigger seller than the iPhone!
It will come. Remember the 30/60 gig iPod with photos? That should have been the video ipod then.It came a year later. The technology exists, it’s possibile to make, they just have to sell all the phones first.
Meanwhile, deep in Cupertinos R&D lab, the 6G iPod is thinking…
I’m tired of rumors starting
I’m sick of being followed
I’m tired of people lying
Saying what they want about me
Why can’t they back up off me
Why can’t they let me live
I’m gonna do it my way
Take this for just what it is
People will buy the iPhone because it’s primarily a phone and a communications device, not because it’s an iPod. The iPhone is adequate proof that a 6th gen iPod is in the wings but why would Apple hang on to it any longer than they have to? Both devices appeal to different markets and whilst Apple probably won’t release a new iPod before they release the iPhone, it makes no sense to deny the rest of the market, not to say the world who won’t be getting the iPhone for some time, from a new range of iPods.
=:~)
This “Rumor” is obvious. Apparently Appleinsider needed to fill space on their blog. Why would Apple cut into iPhone sales by releasing an touchscreen iPod before the iPhone? Anyone with half a brain knows this will not happen. I think MacDailyNews is correct in stating that a 2007 holiday release is the most likely.
I’d be happy with an iPhone divorced from Cingular service – and the extra fees. Then I could simply add that feature at a future time should I decide I wanted it. Sure, I’d still be paying more than I would for a 6G iPod, but it’s a compromise that I personally could live with.
iPod w/ video is still selling like hotcakes, no need to rush.
I don’t want a new phone, and I’m not buying the iPhone. I want a new iPod, and I will buy a new iPod. The iPhone has limited storage capability, is in no way, manner, shape or form a suitable substitute for what I want in a music player, and will in no way, manner, shape or form be cannabilized by my purchase of my next iPod. All that is achieved by delaying the iPod, is Apple being delayed from taking my money.
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Unless, of course, they release an 80GB iPhone in June
I believe that it is important to realize that you will NOT be able to buy the iPhone without an AT&T wireless service contract. So folks like me who don’t want the phone capabilities will just have to wait for the next gen iPod. (There is no Cingular reception around my home…)
Apple will sell 100 times more iPods than iPhones. I doubt the worry that the iPod will canibalize iPhone sales is much of a worry since they have similar price ranges and margins.
same as last year: special event in september to introduce widescreen video iPod and successors to the nano and shuffle. its so obvious.
A few reasons not to come out with a iPhone sans phone just yet:
1. The iPod 5.5G is probably selling just fine and Apple have no rush to replace it yet. They’ll milk the cow until they are ready to release the next version. It’s actually quite cheap and they could probably discount it another $50
2. More people listen to music than view videos on their iPods. After the AppleTV kicks in and people start buying/importing more movies and tv-series to iTunes a Widescreen iPod will come.
3. Apple wants to maximize the amount of people that buy the iPhone, because it will not only increase revenue but most importanty word-of-mouth. Word of mouth is an important part of Mac sales.
I’m personally waiting for this 6G iPod too, but if it won’t come out before the IPhone i’ll end up getting the iPhone.
I still think that we will see touch screen iPods by Christmas 2007… not sometime 2008! imagine the Chri$tma$ $ALE$!!!!!! I’ll take two (100GB plus please)
I have a feeling that 6G iPod is almost as ground breaking as iPhone is. Many people are saying that iPod is a classic. Classic is only a step away from “been there, done that; what about something new for a change…”
Apple tends to deliver new stuff, while Microsoft promises new stuff.
If Apple doesn’t update the iPod, they’ll lose the mindshare.
@Bob
Okay! We get it! You don’t want an iPhone. Lot’s of people don’t want or need an iPhone. We don’t need to hear from everyone that doesn’t need or want an iPhone every time there is a story about iPhones or iPods. Apple knows that not everyone is going to buy the iPhone. That’s why they are predicting just 10 million sales over the next year. Put the iPod on your Christmas list and chances are it will be there for you.
Classic is only a step away from “been there, done that; what about something new for a change…”
Yeah. If you’re 12.
I’d say that anywhere between a few months after the iPhone and at the latest a month before Christmas is the sweetspot.
Cingular really is the killer in the deal. I can’t use Cingular, so that’s a deal breaker for me. I won’t have one until I can get it from another service or can get one w/o phone altogether. So I’ll stick with what I’ve got.
Our educated guess is that early next year is simply too long for Apple to wait. Look for 6G iPods in time for holiday 2007 shopping at the latest.
When the touch screen iPod arrives it will replace the HD iPods currently on the market, and maintain their price points. I see an announcement just after October earnings report with shipments commencing before the end of the month. That gives the market a full six weeks to generate NEW iPod ‘buzz’ before Thanksgiving shoppers hit the streets, and a full month before Christmas.
This schedule also allows Apple to clear back to school inventories in time for the launch.
I would imagine that the WiFi Widescreen iPod’s debut depends upon how well the iPhone is selling.
If by October the iPhone has sold in the millions and demand far outstrips supply, then the WiFi iPod won’t hit stores for a while because all contracted manufacturing will be making more iPhones instead.
The question isn’t:
When will Apple come out with a wide-touch-screen iPod?
but rather:
When will the competition come out with one?
Just ’cause Apple has multi-touch as a diferentiator doesn’t mean that the competition can’t steal its thunder by having the first wide-touch-screen MP3 player.
Apple doesn’t exist in a vaccuum and my thought is that once a leak comes out that a competitor is about to release a wide-touch-screen MP3 player, that is when we’ll see Apple bring theirs to market. And price it about $50 less then the competition…
Case in point: Zune
The next gen Ipod will come out in time for Christmas 2007, Sept, Oct time frame. Doesn’t take much to figure that out. MSFT will lose another Christmas.
If there was decent competition for the “big” iPod, Apple may be more willing to get the widescreen touchscreen iPod out there sooner. However, there is obviously no hurry. The current iPods are selling well. Apple has Leopard, new Macs, Apple TV, and iPhone to release in the next six months. The 6G iPod will roll out sometime before the 2007 Holidays, as MDN predicts.
“The next gen Ipod will come out in time for Christmas 2007, Sept, Oct time frame. Doesn’t take much to figure that out. MSFT will lose another Christmas.”
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Precisely. Apple will do what they always do every summer. Offer a free iPod nano (or $179 off a regular iPod) with a purchase of a Mac for the back to schoolers. This clears out the existing inventory, and then they roll out the 6G models in Sept/Oct in time for the holiday rush.
MW: schools….yeah that’s right.