Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iPod Family, iPhone
PiperJaffray analyst predicts Autumn 6G iPod
Gene Munster, a PiperJaffray analyst, is predicting the debut of a widescreen 6G iPod early this autumn, possibly at a $399 price point according to this article at the UK's PC Advisor. While many of us would love a 6G widescreen iPod, would it make sense for the iPod to appear so soon after the introduction of the iPhone? Munster thinks the iPhone will sell a million units in just the first three months after launch. That's a lot of iPhones to move in such a short time. I think a 6G iPod would cut into iPhone sales. If you had the choice between a 6G iPod and an iPhone, would you still get the iPhone?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Toastmaster General said 5:11PM on 5-24-2007
the phone was the least exciting feature of the iphone to me. I just want an ipod with all the features of the iphone except the phone and make it 100gb. I can fit half my music on my 60gb.
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Josh said 5:27PM on 5-24-2007
I'll take the iPod...i was hoping they would release them at the same time, but it makes sense why they are not.
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Jason Martin said 5:36PM on 5-24-2007
I too think the fall would be too soon after the release of the iphone to make much sense, especially right before the holiday shopping season. I'm guessing the 6G widescreen iPod may appear at MacWorld 2008, which would help guide holiday shoppers towards the iPhone.
Also, I have no need for the phone features of the iPhone. I don't care for cell phones in general, and I usually buy mine off ebay for
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thedevastation said 5:43PM on 5-24-2007
Personally, im not in this for the widescreen iPod. I have been waiting for the iphone for seemless syncability between address book, ical, mail, and hopefully iChat. i have a 5G that does the trick on my subway rides and an apple TV at home. They could release a new ipod tomorrow, im still getting that iPhone!!!
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Sneakz said 5:47PM on 5-24-2007
Don't be stupid. Even I can predict a 6G iPod release this autumn. And infact, it won't be autumn, it will be September 11th, 2007. Stevie J always release new iPods on the second Tuesday of September. He won't let the anniversary of 9/11 stop him.
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fraserdrew said 5:59PM on 5-24-2007
I'd take the phone, but mainly because i don;t have a huge music collection, and could do with both a new phone and new iPod!
However, saying that, 16GB of storage would be soooo much better, for films etc.
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Thayne Miller said 5:59PM on 5-24-2007
still going to get the phone. I'm not that excited about the iPod features, but certainly the phone features! I hate having a crappy motorola...
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Matthew said 6:01PM on 5-24-2007
I gotta agree with Munster here.
Here are the big two reasons why the iphone sales will not really have that much of an effect on iPod sales:
Reason 1: Difference in hard drive capacity. iPhone: 8gb and 600 dollars. iPod: probably 100gb and 400 dollars. There is no contest here. If you want to take your music collection with you, you're going to need an iPod. If anything, the iPhone will canabilize iPod Nano sales, but thats a bit of stretch too, being that the size of the Nano is what really sells it and face it, whos gonna run with an iPhone attached to your arm?
Reason 2: Okay this is more like speculation than anything. My bet is that a big killer difference between the iPhone and new iPod is going to be wireless methods to play your music. Maybe using an airport express, or some form of bluetooth. Thats going to be a pretty killer feature and one that the iPhone won't have.
The first reason is enough for me to buy an iPod. I want all of my music with me, not just some of it. The second reason would be icing on the cake.
Matthew
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Otsego said 6:14PM on 5-24-2007
iPhone all the way. Even though the storage size is a fraction of my 3G ipod, being able to combine my celly and ipod into 1 is just downright glorious. Not to mention a decent snapshot camera and widgets. I can do with the 8G for a coupla years until we get an upped capacity.
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xSmurf said 6:37PM on 5-24-2007
In that line... I've found this today while digging in iTunes' resources...
http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/7110/picture1wm0.png
There was no colour version, only this mask. What does this look to you guys?
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brian said 6:47PM on 5-24-2007
Longtime Apple watcher here. My prediction is that Apple won't release a touchscreen iPod until after Christmas. There are exactly 3.2 hojillion people that will pay through the nose to get the touchscreen interface and Apple won't release a touchscreen iPod (which will cost less, and thus have lower profit than, the iPhone) until they've collected money from every single sucker out there. Apple's not evil, they just know how to squeeze every dollar out of their customer base. Want proof? Just six months ago, Apple released the new Shuffle. They sold a zillion over Christmas, then January came, and hey! look! colors! Just in time for Valentine's Day! What--you think Apple just *forgot* how to anodize aluminum? They could have introduced Shuffles in 50 different colors on day 1, but they didn't. Same thing here. Yes, touchscreen iPods *would* eat into iPhone sales. I guarantee** that you will NOT see them until January 2008 at the earliest, and probably more like Spring.
** not a guarantee.
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clinicaltechmaster said 7:25PM on 5-24-2007
I plan on buying atleast one or two of both the iPod and the iPhone. The iPhones travel... the iPods stay at the office and house.
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YodaMac said 7:42PM on 5-24-2007
As cool as my girlfriend's Video iPod is, I just don't see myself needing one with all that storage. The iPhone has enough to hold my mobile music needs, but I just don't "watch" my iPod while I'm driving, working, etc. I definately listen to it constantly though.
Plus, I need the phone and internet connection anyways, so the iPhone for sure...
...and maybe a new iPod for her if she asks nice. :)
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ToupsUndergarments said 7:56PM on 5-24-2007
A 6G Ipod is inevitable. Though I agree with most of the commenters they won't undercut the iPhone market. Maybe the 6g could be be people who don't want an iPhone, like me.
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Paul said 8:00PM on 5-24-2007
Who on earth would pay $400 for 6GB?
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Phil said 8:13PM on 5-24-2007
Absolutely zero interest in having an iPhone (though if Cingular...err AT&T were to expand the network up here to the boonies ask me again) but I have said many times I'd buy the iPhone sans phone and a much larger drive yesterday for $399 no problem.
Cel phones have never really interested me, for that matter phones have never really interested me.
That said, in two years when my current contract is up, if I can get an iPhone in my area I'd get one because I'm a sucker for Apple products. But really all I want is one of them without the phone part.
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andrew harrison said 8:13PM on 5-24-2007
@Paul:
6G != 6GB
6G = 6th Generation
in other news, I will be buying a 6G iPod the day they are released. Seeing as how the iPhone isn't going to be released in Australia any time soon, I won't be buying one [that and I signed a new 2 year contract in September so I have a relatively new phone, and that also gives me an excuse to wait for a 2nd Gen iPhone]
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Ed said 8:50PM on 5-24-2007
Apple are not going to wait till January for a new iPod. That'd then be over a year since the last iPod update (excluding the shuffle) which would be suicide for the 'holiday' season... I agree, we'll see a new iPod sometime in September, but I think the 11th they would really really avoid. Apple rely on good press coverage, they aren't going to get that on September 11th. And, if another attack happened on the 11th (unlikely, but I bet its statistically the most likely day), the iPod would probably get no PR at all.
So, lets say either the 4th or the 18th of September.
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Rich said 9:45PM on 5-24-2007
I'd buy an iPhone if it had more storage... but I already have a cell phone, so if a 6G iPod is available, I'll take that instead.
I have a 1G nano now that my wife won at a convention, and I've been wanting a full-size iPod for video podcasts. I was on the verge of buying one when they announced the iPhone. I'd much rather have the larger screen. So I'm being patient. :)
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lookmark said 10:49PM on 5-24-2007
A 6G widescreen iPod before this xmas is pretty much a shoo-in (probably a high-end model supplementing the current 5.5 iPods starting at $399 -- though I could also see a pricey $499 to protect iPhone sales).
The more interesting question is how Apple will tweak current 5.5G models and nanos... and whether the 6G model will have some wireless capabilities like the iPhone.
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