“In no uncertain terms, Apple has been instrumental in launching the mobile revolution,” Evan Niu writes for The Motley Fool.
“This was all made possible by the creation of iOS, which powers Apple’s mobile devices,” Niu writes. “While the iPod Touch also runs iOS, Apple has never explicitly broken out iPod product mix and disclosed unit volumes for the iPod Touch. The Mac maker used to often say that over half of all iPod units sold each quarter were iPod Touches, which is strategically significant as a sort of gateway product into the iOS ecosystem. But lacking concrete data around iPod Touch units, we’ll focus on the iPhone and iPad.”
Niu writes, “As of the most recent quarter, Apple has sold over 1.1 billion iOS devices to date (not including the iPod Touch).”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: And not counting Apple TVs, either. The 1st generation Apple TV (launched on January 9, 2007) ran Apple TV Software 1.0 (a modified build of Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger), so it doesn’t count. The 2nd gen. Apple TV launched on September 1, 2010 and ran an iOS-based operating system, as have all other Apple TVs since. So, with 25 million total Apple TV units sold as of March 8, 2015, and with a new model now out, we figure conservatively that roughly 23 million iOS-based Apple TV units have been sold to date.
Okay, let’s hear your estimates for how many iPod touch units Apple has sold since the 1st generation model launched on September 5, 2007.
I can only recall one person I know who had an iPod Touch, and now he uses an iPhone. I’m still using my trusty old iPod Mini in my car, and my wife still has her ancient click wheel iPod classic type that works okay as a portable. But both of us having iPhones, we don’t really need them. I’m curious myself about the numbers.
Considering the sales numbers for just the iPhone and iPad to date I ‘m leaning towards iPod Touches (and Apple TV) sales numbers to be relatively insignificant in relation to total iOS device sales.
I have a 5th gen iPod touch (with A5); I think it’s great. Got it for $149 as an Apple refurb. Still runs the latest iOS competently. It weighs almost nothing, and it’s the thinnest iOS device at 6.1mm (ties iPad mini). I can hold it comfortably in any position to read a book (held sideways with one hand). The 4-inch Retina display (like iPhone 5/5S/5C and current iPod touch) is ideal at 10-12 inches from eyes, which I can handle without my eyeglasses. I carry it around the home (with headphones on) and listen to the Music app while doing other stuff. Good battery life per charge, since it does not maintain a cellular connection like iPhone.
What I use it for is more limited (compared to my Mac), but in terms of TIME spent in active use, it may be the “computer” I currently use most. I had an iPad 2 (before getting this iPod touch), but I gave it to a family member. I’ll probably buy the newest one with A8 in about one year; glad it still has a 4-inch display. 🙂
The iPod Touch was my entry into iOS, and I suspect a few others in the beginning. It was first generation. I had a good non AT&T plan and did not want to give up my plan. I was a big Apple fan so I got an iPod Touch instead. Next year I got a 3G. My husband surprised me by telling me he wanted it and I better not give it to my best friend. I had gotten him two iPods and he hardly ever touched them. He used it all the time until some meth whore stole it at a bar. ( We are sure we know who stole it and he had sex for meth ). My husband got another one until he got his iPhone than gave it to his mother so she could FaceTime us. She passed away and we got it back. My best friend got her own iPod Touch, then an iPhone. I do know a couple of parents who got their kids and iPod Touch because they were to young for a phone at the time. Apple was brilliant with the iPod Touch. It gave people a way of trying an iPhone before they could get one. When the iPhone was only on one carrier the iPod Touch was the way Apple could build an ecosystem. I think the iPad has been a cause of the iPods rapid decline. Now parents are getting those for their kids instead of an iPod Touch. The iPod market is all but gone now, I hope it can stay around. I have great memories of my iPod Touch.