Filed under: iPod Family, Rumors, Video
ThinkSecret: New Video iPod Coming
Thinksecret chimes in today with a rumor about something
I've been thinking about for awhile now: What's next for the iPod Video? Specifically, they claim to
have confirmation that Apple is wrapping up development on a video-enabled iPod with a 3.5" touch-enabled color
screen. One of the problems with a device with a 3.5" screen is, where do you put the controls. Apple's solution,
if this rumor is true, is to put the controls on the screen itself. This rumor is in alignment with recent Apple patent filings for using gestures on a
touch-screen.If this is true, I'll buy this device without reservation. Like many, I've been waiting for an Apple PDA of some sort for years and a device like this might finally come close to what I'd expect Apple to release. Apple doesn't need to buy Palm, they just need to keep expanding the iPod as a device to tie together the different parts of our computing experience. An iPod video "tablet" would fit that bill nicely.
While I personally believe that Apple is definitely working on an upgrade to its video iPod and that this is likely the form factor, I don't believe it will ship in "late March or early April" as ThinkSecret suggests. I believe we won't see an upgrade to the iPod video line until September or October.
The picture above is a mockup, courtesy of Rainy Day Magazine.
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Matt said 1:30PM on 2-09-2006
Yeah, this sounds great and all, but imagine what your screen would look like after just a few uses? you'd get so many streaks and oils on that. i don't see how they're going to figure that out, except to include the new designer iSqueege with it. I love ipods and all, but a tactile interface on the screen without anything like a stylus sounds like trouble if your main goal is viewing video, or anything else on the screen.
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Steve said 1:33PM on 2-09-2006
While everone oohs and ahhs over the possibility of an iPod that shows higher resolution movies, what excatly does that mean for the iTMS? Some questions that come to mind:
Will they now have to offer Lost in two resoultions?
Will there be different price points?
Will Apple release some content only for the new higher rez iPod and so make the 5G a dinosaur?
Will podcasters support both resolutions or will it become harder and harder to find content for the 5G?
As audio iPods keep improving, theoretically anyone with a 1G can still listen to anything for sale in the iTMS, but this sounds to me like Apple may be about to offer video content that even their last generatuion can't play. That's going to make people angry way beyond just the "i wish my ipod had that feature too".
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pintovsky said 1:36PM on 2-09-2006
Another mockup:
http://pintovsky.com/ipod6g.jpg
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Chris Meisenzahl said 1:41PM on 2-09-2006
Very cool. I might have to buy another iPod for the wife before too long. And hand down the Shuffle to my daughter.
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Amorales said 1:57PM on 2-09-2006
Well Steve, the problem I see with our argument is that the 5G iPod can play higher res video than what it's current default is. So, they can release video that will scale down to the screen size on the 5G and still play on the supposed newer model.
Doesn't anyone else think that perhaps ThinkSecret has taken the news on Apple's latest patent application and simply decided to put a ship date on it? They say that they have sources confirming it but considering their success rate lately, I don't think they're very reliable.
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Jacob Varghese said 2:04PM on 2-09-2006
There really isn't much reason to go into the PDA market for Apple. If they were to buy Palm, it would be for the Treo smartphones. Building a mobile phone OS is no easy task. Starting out with a successful smartphone and licensing the palm os would be a great entry point for Apple.
I don't see this as "an upgrade to the iPod video line", but more of a new addition to the iPod family.
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Chris said 2:16PM on 2-09-2006
I've got to call this one out as BS. First off, the idea of getting my fingers all over the screen to use the iPod is counter to the way that people want to view their iPods. How many people do you know with their 5G iPods in cases or with screen protectors? How many people do you know who freak out when someone touches their TV screen or monitor?
Fingers, with their inherient printiness, are not really the type of input device that you want to use on a screem, gesture patents or not.
This is someone's pipe dream and I don't see Apple doing anything like this.
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kmduke said 2:17PM on 2-09-2006
I love the idea of more screen real estate, HATE the idea of losing the tactile ability to drive my ipod from my pocket.
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Nathan Cunngham said 2:30PM on 2-09-2006
When playing around with some future iPod mock-ups a while back, I came across a pretty interesting fact: the "face" of the iPod is an almost exact 16:9 ratio. Coincidence?
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gadgetgoon said 2:32PM on 2-09-2006
Someone I know has seen this iPod video in person. It is purported to have the full screen which is a touch screen. Bluetooth as well. He saw it working with a bluetooth keyboard. Now whether or not these features make it to a production model is another story but that's what I got.
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AH said 3:20PM on 2-09-2006
Couple of things; this is not a rumor exclusive to Think Secret, Apple Insider is reporting the same. Secondly if you read the Think Secret article they do note that they have always claimed the video capable iPod Steve introduced last year was not THE "Video iPod". So they didn't exactly pull this theory out of thin air.
While the repeated discussion of fingerprints is fascinating, you may want to note that there are many devices out there, namely PDA's, which have touch screens and somehow manage to appeal to people despite the fingerprints. Yes I know the main purpose of this would be to watch video, so fingerprints aren't desirable, but I am sure IF the rumored specs of this device are correct Apple has considered this.
How it will be addressed? Who knows?
The problems with rumors is how wrapped up people get in the details.
The rumors often end up being right, but the details tend to be a bit different than what is reported.
For instance, it was widely reported that Apple was going to release Intel based Macs at MacWorld. They did. Score one of the rumor mills.
But the details were wrong; it wasn't a Mac Mini or an iBook, as many believed it would be, it was the iMac and Powerbooks which got the bump.
It doesn't exactly take a wild guess to figure out there will be an iPod released much more geared towards its video capabilities rather than the audio. Chances are it will have a bigger screen. And chances are it will be released this year.
Could it be on their 30th anniversary? Well that does seem like a pretty good date to make a splash. Ultimately who knows, but before you start calling "BS" and dismissing things outright make sure you don't bury yourself too far into the details, you might miss the bigger picture if you do.
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vanfruniken said 3:23PM on 2-09-2006
Apple can prevent "printiness" or finger smudges on wide screen Video iPods by locating the click wheel on the back, so you could run your finger on the back, WHILE rendering a DASHBOARD-like TRANSPARENT clickwheel on the screen.
Great idea, huh?
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Joe said 4:18PM on 2-09-2006
I've been betting that this is the configuration for the next gen iPod for some time now. It just makes sense. They don't want the iPod itself to get any bigger, so really the only way to go "widescreen" is to lose the controls (or put them on the back I guess). I'm betting that they release something that looks like this before the summer. They'd probably release or include a screen protector. You will still have the "lock" switch to lock out the controls from accidental use.
I also think that apple will release a Mac-mini-dvr. They would include a dvr app that can export directly to the video iPod or use wi-fi to network to your other Mac's iTunes. It would make the video iPod work similarly to the PocketDish.
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Philippe D. Radley said 5:03PM on 2-09-2006
I own a Palm T/X, a Motorola V551 (the two connect via Bluetooth) and a 3G iPod. I see no reason to go crazy over this new device. The screen will be the size now available on Palms and PocketPC's. What makes that so extraordinary I don't know. After all, on my T/X I can play music (MP3, AAC, etc...), hear and read books, and input all kinds of things and, if I really want to, watch video. Take away the iPod's hardware buttons and I probably will only use it as something to play through my audio system at home (though, since MP3/AAC fidelity is inferior to an ordinary CD, I generally don't do that). To me this is all marketing: keep making a fuss over some new embellishment and hope your sales skyrocket!
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james said 6:48PM on 2-09-2006
this would be just in time for their 30th year anniversary, and as we know they released an awesome product on their 20th year anniversary.
I don't think it would be that impossible for a company like apple to create a screen surface which won't pickup/show fingerprints.
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Justin said 10:37PM on 2-09-2006
Oh I was wondering why I have had to get three ipods so far because of failure of the unit. Now this all makes sense to me now. The 5Gs were a beta unit for the new Video Ipod
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icerabbit said 10:58PM on 2-09-2006
The only issue I see is battery life.
Had they stuck to the 4G width, there should have been more room for a better battery then currently featured in the 5G. What battery life would this type of 6G have if it had to run the same battery? Unless they have a new screen and/or backlight which only require a trickle of power and can shave some of the hard drive too.
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tdungan said 5:16AM on 2-10-2006
I don't get it... a 3.5" diagonal is NOT as big as people think it is. Sure, it's in line with the other iPod models considering the nano is 1.5" and the regular iPod is now 2.5". But why does everyone think 3.5" is SO great?
Assuming the screen is still only 4:3, that gives you 2.1"x2.8". Hardly enough to even warrant a touch screen display. Everyone thinks this means a display like the PSP but that has a 4.3" diagonal. That's a significant difference when you're talking about displays that small.
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Odi said 9:58AM on 2-10-2006
That's right, in fact it will be the Mighty Mouse's scroll wheel that will be used.
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JZ said 5:02PM on 2-10-2006
How about a stylus? That would pretty much resolve the smudge/finger print problem. Then they could incorporate the "Front Row" experience in the new video iPod.
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