“While it may seem that Apple has all but forgotten the iPod, the launch of its streaming music service might have the company singing a different tune,” Michael Simon writes for Macworld. “Music is tailor-made for the iPods of yore, and it just might be the thing that breathes new life into its line of personal players—which are rumored for a refresh next week.”
“While a new set of colors – gold, darker blue and darker pink variants for each of the models – might give sales at least a small shot in the arm, Apple Music presents an opportunity to truly give the iPod a reboot,” Simon writes. “If Apple could fit the nano with a 4G chip strictly for music streaming… it could be an always-on gadget that puts not thousands of songs in your pocket, but tens of millions.”
Simon asks, “What if the rumored iPod refresh includes Wi-Fi, cellular, and Apple Music?”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: How much for the data plan? It’d better not be too much or people wouldn’t bite or, as they do now, they’d simply opt for the more capable iPhone.
SEE ALSO:
New gold iPod nano, new iPod touch and iPod shuffle colors coming July 14th? – July 1, 2015
Why? If an iPod is going to get a 4g chip it might as well be a phone.
One of the reasons iPhone is so successful is that it can do so many things. There is no way I would spend $200-300 on an iPod when my phone can do everything.
Including being drained dry rapidly of battery power. I prefer dedicated devices and still love me old iPods. I use storage on my iPhone 6 Plus just for apps, pics and home video.
I use a non-cellco connected phone strictly as a WiFi media player, light surfing, photo-grabbing, Evernoting, etc. on WiFi (I download stuff like podcasts for roaming around off WiFi). No fretting I’m running down “my phone” that way…
That’s a tough call. There does seem to be a lot of overlap with iPhones. I would consider buying a used older iPhone to use as an iPod. I can’t imagine what Apple can offer for a reasonable price to attract new iPod buyers. I see used 64GB iPhone 5s models for $489 and that would pretty much cover my needs for a modern iPod. Enough storage and fairly modern processor with a decent camera and Touch ID. I’ve still got my 80GB and 160GB iPods as alternatives. Both have always been in cases from day one and are in perfect condition.
I don’t think Apple can do better than that with a new iPod Touch but of course, I’d have to see what Apple can actually offer for $500. 128GB? I don’t necessarily think I want a larger than 4″ display for an iPod.
That’s nonsense. There is already an “iPod” works great with Apple Music (and does MUCH more). It’s called “iPod touch,” and it starts at $199. If you add all of those “G4” parts to an iPod nano (plus larger battery), it will cost more than $199, and it won’t be so “nano” anymore. iPod touch doesn’t have cellular streaming; it streams over WiFi. And you can download songs from Apple Music over WiFi, and listen to them “off-line” between WiFi hotspots. And unlike iPod nano, iPod touch is a full iOS device (it should be called “iPad something”).
This is how iPad nano should be upgraded to support Apple Music. It’s still a useful device, because it’s so small. For people who don’t own an Apple Watch, it’s a great exercise companion. It has good motion-based exercise tracking. It has built-in Bluetooth. It has a built-in (real) FM radio. But the current version can’t do anything with Apple Music, because iTunes won’t sync songs downloaded from Apple Music. It can only sync songs that you OWN that are stored locally (not in iCloud). Unlike songs purchased from iTunes Store, songs downloaded from Apple Music are “subscribed” (not owned).
Since the subscription for Apple Music is monthly, Apple can update the current iPod nano’s onboard software so that it must be synced with iTunes at least one per month (to play Apple Music song downloads). Most owners already sync more than once per month. Each sync confirms that the owner’s Apple Music subscription is active. If active, any songs on iPod that are downloads from Apple Music continue to play. If iPod is not synced at least once per month, songs on the iPod that are downloads from Apple Music no longer play (until iPod is synced to confirm active subscription). If subscription has lapsed, songs on iPod that are downloads from Apple Music get removed during next sync with iTunes.
iTunes does most of the hard work; iPod just needs to monitor time since last sync and stop playing songs downloaded from Apple Music if time since last sync is more than one month.
ken1w, your idea of a monthly sync makes wonderful sense if it is to be on the day your monthly Apple Music bill is paid. That works marvelously.
I also agree that an iPod need not have cellular, just WiFi. At home or at a hotspot, you can stream, otherwise play the resident music. Brilliant.
I think the music labels and indie music creators would be OK with some leeway on the exact timing of the monthly sync. It would be annoying if the iPod’s sync with iTunes had to be precisely on the day the monthly Apple Music bill is paid. 🙂
They should be motivated to make this happen. Personally, more than half of my music listening (in any given week) happens when I go for my runs. I’m listening to my iPod nano when I go running (while it also tracks my run stats). If I could put Apple Music downloads on my iPod, I would do it. The songs that play on my runs would then count toward the revenue distribution system used by Apple Music. Might as well capture every potential opportunity for a song play.
Not giving an iPhone to my 9 year-old son. He has a 4th-gen iPod Touch and we have been waiting for a new Touch because I don’t want to give him a 3-year old 5th-gen model…