Apple to release Wi-Fi iPod in Q3 2007 – report

[GreeKNastY]

http://www.tgdaily.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31609


There were no further details on the player available, besides the fact that Universal Scientific Industrial (USI) will provide the Wi-Fi modules and Foxconn will assemble the player. According to DigiTimes, USI will be shipping the Wi-Fi component this month, while Foxconn may be able to ship the Wi-Fi iPod in the third quarter of this year.

Following Microsoft with the integration of a Wi-Fi may not be so much of a technology challenge but will require a well thought out business strategy how to take advantage of wireless connectivity: Microsoft was first to offer this feature but enabled only limited sharing of music between different Zune devices. Copyright issues crippled the Zune’s Wi-Fi functionality and largely reduced this feature to a marketing phrase.

On a technology side, the integration of a Wi-Fi module will require Apple to either increase the battery capacity of the iPod – or reduce overall power consumption in order to maintain the battery life iPod users have become used to. Apple has been rumored for some time to transition its video iPods to flash memory and we wouldn’t be too surprised if the company dropped the 1.8” hard drive models in favor of 32 GB and 64 GB flash iPods when introducing the Wi-Fi feature.

The big question will be how Apple will be taking advantage of a Wi-Fi feature. At this time, a simple wireless data transfer appears to be much more likely than music sharing, especially if Apple is offering DRM-free music through its iTunes music store.

DigiTimes said that Microsoft and Apple will not be the only companies to offer Wi-Fi music players. Sandisk already showcased a Wi-Fi enabled device at the most recent CES, while sources indicated that Samsung and Sony are currently preparing the launch of wireless MP3 players.

[LukeA]

That's doubtful, IMO. Apple's engineers are so busy with the iPhone that there aren't enough to finish Leopard until fall. Any iPod developments can only begin (or proceed) in the fall.

[Surf Monkey]

I disagree. It sounds completely plausible. Apple's not stupid. iPod is their flagship product. They won't neglect it in favor of iPhone or anything else. It's over due for an update. Adding Wi-Fi to an iPod that was essentially the same configuration as the iPod With Video would be a logical next step for Apple.

[ferari860]

You people don't understand do yeah? They have a special team for the i phone, the i pod and there computer software not one huge herd of people screaming and planning. It sounds to me this will happen, why you ask? Well investers are going to loose intrest as it will drop in quote so too keep people from selling stock after this i phone and lepord problem they will mantain these people by hyping or giving us a new i pod. If they don't which apple knows well of already then there stocks will fall.

[Derek McNelly]

Leopard > iPhone.

Damn them.

[IpOdChIcK]

You people don't understand do yeah? They have a special team for the i phone, the i pod and there computer software not one huge herd of people screaming and planning.

HAHAHA this is sooo true.

[LukeA]

Say Leopard and the iPhone teams each consume two thirds of Apple's engineering resources. Then Leopard gets one third of the resources until the iPhone is finished, at which point Leopard gets the majority of Apple's engineers. These two products are more important to Apple than a new iPod, because the current iPods are still selling, no matter what you may think.

[XVI]

I disagree. It sounds completely plausible. Apple's not stupid. iPod is their flagship product. They won't neglect it in favor of iPhone or anything else. It's over due for an update. Adding Wi-Fi to an iPod that was essentially the same configuration as the iPod With Video would be a logical next step for Apple.

Surf Monkey, a few monthes ago there was a thread about a wifi ipod and you seemed to beilve that the ipod will have wifi capibities when pigs fly, what gives?

[Razor70]

Personally I don't see this happening this year, maybe next year. The thing is Apple saw what happened to Microsoft with the Zune's Wi-Fi capabilites and without getting some form of agreement with record companies to be able to use Wi-Fi to the full extent I don't see Apple using the resources to go through with this. Until I hear it offically from Apple I don't believe rumors from other websites.

[mdibella]

I can't see them switching to lower capacity flash memory. iTunes makes a lot of money for Apple, why on earth would they want to reduce the iPod's storage capacity???

My own 80 gig ipod is pretty much full, and a lot of that space is taken by video content I bought from iTunes.

[Surf Monkey]

Surf Monkey, a few monthes ago there was a thread about a wifi ipod and you seemed to beilve that the ipod will have wifi capibities when pigs fly, what gives?


I never said that. Show me the quote. I've always thought that Wi-Fi was in iPod's future.

[Dr.Gonzo]

I wouldn't mind something like this as long as it could be used the right way, downloading podcasts on the fly would be a nice start, as well as purchasing/download from the iTunes Store from your iPod.

[black helicopters]Maybe that's what that 'Transfer Purchases from your iPod' business is all about[/black helicopters].

[bobbit]

The iPhone engineers stopped being busy on the iPhone the day it went in for FCC approval. Yeah, they'll still be plodding away at the software on it but not to a huge degree -- especially now.

But as has been said, Apple will have a group for Leopard, a group for the iPod and a group for the iPhone... so an iPhone engineer would be more likely to either be working on the next iPhone or switching to working on the next iPod rather than switching to something completely different (read: Leopard).

[kyussmondo]

Apple is probably putting a lot of resources into the iPhone. This is huge for Apple and they have to get it right so they are going to have a lot of people working on it.

If done right, the iPhone could out sell the iPod many times over. The mobile phone market is huge. Apple knows this and they see it as the way the market is heading. While investing heavily may look great in the short-term, Apple needs to think about the long-term, because the iPod is not always going to be as successful as it is, all good things come to an end.

I am by no means saying they should discontinue the iPod. However, I believe it needs some radical changes soon, because the iPod hasn't changed much since release in 2001.

[bobbit]

If done right, the iPhone could out sell the iPod many times over. The mobile phone market is huge. Apple knows this and they see it as the way the market is heading. While investing heavily may look great in the short-term, Apple needs to think about the long-term, because the iPod is not always going to be as successful as it is, all good things come to an end.

I'd agree with that if the iPod wasn't so expensive to start with, wasn't only available on a contract and if it wasn't aimed mostly at geeks with lots of money/businesses. Apple said they are only aiming for a tiny % of the mobile market with the iPhone, and with the prices and contracts not many people are going to go for it when they can choose things hundreds of dollars cheaper that do similar things on pre-pay/contract.

I am by no means saying they should discontinue the iPod. However, I believe it needs some radical changes soon, because the iPod hasn't changed much since release in 2001.

I agree. Apple's set an almost expectation now that something radical will come from the iPod because of the iPhone. We all know what Apple can and will do now so it's just a matter of waiting and seeing -- but you can guarantee if it stays the same the sales of the iPod will plummet.

[Yippies]

I agreed that Apple is spending too much effort on it's iPhone too. Wondering if there will be a new player from them soon? Think it may follow Zune to introduce a player with wfi as well

[Surf Monkey]

How do you know that iPhone development is taking time away from iPod development? Because Steve Jobs said so? Don't believe it. Apple has vast amounts of engineering resources. These people are divided into dedicated teams that work on specific products. Sure, Jobs may have said that iPhone dev has caused OS 10.5 to be delayed and that could be true... or it could just as easily be an easy excuse for delays that happened due to other reasons. The timing of the next iPod release is going to have more to do with its impact on iPhone sales than it is on Apple's ability to get it out the door at any specific time.

[ddsd]

Apple needs to make some changes with the next iPod. As stated, it's overall design has stayed the same since it was created. Apple essentially needs to expound upon the devices look and features, while still keeping the same elements(if possible) of the player that made it sell in the first place.

[bobbit]

Well said.

[ddsd]

Well said.

Thanks :) .

[XVI]

I never said that. Show me the quote. I've always thought that Wi-Fi was in iPod's future.

I beilve it was in my thread about my epic ipod, and some otehr stuff you said in a thread about the way ipods are changing, you were saying that things like cameras, wi-fi, etc are not going to be on the ipod. Let's make sure we're on the same page what do you mean by "wi-fi?"

Here's one of the quotes...

"iPod is a music player, people. It's going to continue to be a music player. Adding all that stuff to it is an interesting idea but it's not going to happen. Larger capacity, bigger screen, different physical UI... those things are realistic but adding cameras, HD video and so forth, well, I seriously doubt it."

Even though you don't spefically state that wi-fi will not be on the next ipod you essentially said that all the iPod is is a music player and nothing. And that it won't change drastically, which isn't true. What do 10 Things I Hate About You, Tetris, and 24 have to do with music?

[Surf Monkey]

Yep. Like I said. I never claimed that Wi-Fi wasn't coming to the iPod. And I stand by my statement in that post too. I seriously doubt that iPod will ever get HD video and I can damn near guarantee that it won't get a camera.

[Stevenjuke]

Well I hope not, I have a 80 gig ipod and only have around 60 megs left of it, so if the next gen ipod only has 64 gbs of flash memory then, I'll just pass on it:shake:

http://www.tgdaily.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31609



On a technology side, the integration of a Wi-Fi module will require Apple to either increase the battery capacity of the iPod – or reduce overall power consumption in order to maintain the battery life iPod users have become used to. Apple has been rumored for some time to transition its video iPods to flash memory and we wouldn’t be too surprised if the company dropped the 1.8” hard drive models in favor of 32 GB and 64 GB flash iPods when introducing the Wi-Fi feature.

.

[kylo4]

Yep. Like I said. I never claimed that Wi-Fi wasn't coming to the iPod. And I stand by my statement in that post too. I seriously doubt that iPod will ever get HD video and I can damn near guarantee that it won't get a camera.

Some of my videos are so damn close to HD on my iPod you'd swear the iPod can do that. The Anderson Cooper Podcast for example.

[jhollington]

There is no real reason for the iPod to support HD video per se, since the screen will never be large enough to justify those kind of resolutions, and TV output is less of an issue.

However, the iPod either has to support the HD video formats, or Apple is going to have to start releasing their iTunes Store content in a dual-format model similar to the iTunes Plus model. Right now, videos encoded for Apple TV (which can easily be full 720p) will not play on an iPod. Personally, I suspect that the next-generation iPod will be able to handle these higher-resolution formats and just downscale them as necessary (rather than outputting full 720p). The only other alternative is for the iTunes Store to start offering their content in two formats, which will potentially create a whole new set of issues.

Further, converting-on-the-fly is not presently an option since the time involved in that would probably take as much time as it would to simply download another copy.