Jobs: No plan for satellite radio in iPods future

***AppleInsider*** · 02-09-2005, 02:10 PM

Apple chief executive, Steve Jobs, has reportedly turned down requests from Sirius Satellite Radio to add satellite radio capabilities to iPods.

Mel Karmazin, CEO of Sirius Satellite Radio, has had discussions with Apple about incorporating satellite radio into iPods, but Apple at this time is not interested in adding such a feature, reports the Financial Times.

Karmazin reportedly told a conference in New York that Steve Jobs currently did not believe iPod users needed anything other than the ability to download thousands of songs. Still, he acknowledged that Apple might change its mind in the future, especially if satellite radio provided more interesting content.

"Whether you put satellite radio in a cell phone, video game or MP3 player this could be an enhancement," Karmazin said.

According to a J.P. Morgan's survey of more than 1,600 people, taken in December 2004, 35 percent said they had interest in subscribing to satellite radio. However, this figure is down from the 43 percent who expressed such an interest in a May 2004 poll, suggesting that Satellite Radio may have already reached its peak.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

TednDi · 02-09-2005, 02:24 PM

How much would it cost for apple to launch its own satellite or license the bandwidth on another satellite. If apple wanted to do this it could. Apple gets very little from the deal and the sat radio guys get the ipod base.

ipodandimac · 02-09-2005, 02:44 PM

i think this is good. i mean the whole point of an ipod is to be your own DJ. If anything, the whole podacasting thing, while it could move to live broadcast over satellilte radio, is very good PR for apple, and a lot of people do it. anyways, i'm toally against radio in general because i dont like other people making my music choices and all the talk shows suck a lot. for people obsessed with radio, they can jsut get one of those MyFi things or whatever Elton John carries around looking like a big tool.

tak1108 · 02-09-2005, 03:15 PM

It would be far better for apple to go the other way. License iPod & iTunesMS compatiblity into Sirius and XM handhelds. That way they don't spend a bunch of money trying to sell iPods with Sirius radio, or spliting the model up even more.

Apple doesn't make the Moto phone, Moto makes the phone and licenses with Apple to allow the ITMS to run on there.

1984 · 02-09-2005, 03:36 PM

All the portable satellite radios I have seen are significantly bigger than the iPod and they are just radios. Imagine how big the iPod would have to be to incorporate both. There are also significant reception and power issues to be overcome. It may be something worth pursuing in a couple years but right now it would be ridiculous to try and cram all that into an iPod. No one wants to carry around an iBrick. If they should decide to include a radio I say stick with AM/FM along with HD compatibility for North America and DAB for Europe. There are plenty of MP3 players out there with AM/FM tuners built-in but how many support digital broadcasts? This would be far easier and cheaper to implement and give them yet another advantage over the competition.

RolandG · 02-09-2005, 03:54 PM

I think Jobs made the right decision not to include Sirius (or any) digital radio. It would just add weight, size and cost (the cheapest portable device they offer is stil $99) to the iPod.

I could not find a coverage map on their site or any description of where the service is available. The iPod is sold internationally. Why should all non-US residents/Canadians pay for a feature they could never utilize.

Oh, and did I mention that Sirius charges pretty hefty fees? Maybe Apple should introduce a iTMS subscrition model à la Napster-to-go after all?

Maybe Sirius could hop onto the add-on train. But thinking about it, there would be no added benefit compared to a plain Sirius handset. I don't know what file format they are using but I bet they don't let you record and keep any of their programming.

verucabong · 02-10-2005, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by RolandG
I think Jobs made the right decision not to include Sirius (or any) digital radio. It would just add weight, size and cost (the cheapest portable device they offer is stil $99) to the iPod.

I could not find a coverage map on their site or any description of where the service is available. The iPod is sold internationally. Why should all non-US residents/Canadians pay for a feature they could never utilize.

Oh, and did I mention that Sirius charges pretty hefty fees? Maybe Apple should introduce a iTMS subscrition model à la Napster-to-go after all?

Maybe Sirius could hop onto the add-on train. But thinking about it, there would be no added benefit compared to a plain Sirius handset. I don't know what file format they are using but I bet they don't let you record and keep any of their programming.

Of the two satellite companies to go with, Sirius is hemorrhaging money at an astonishing rate. Their stock is hovering around 6 bucks today, XM around $32. Plus, Sirius has WAY more outstanding shares than XM, which makes their stock more diluted. Many analyists have said Sirius is over-valued where it is ($5). It's flirted with de-listing a few times if I recall correctly.

If Steve was going to go with one of the companies, I would think XM would be it - they have triple the subscribers of Sirius and are much better financially suited to license something from Apple. Sirius is going to be hoarding their subscription income for the next year in order to pay for Howard (who is way past his prime if you ask me) and they'll have nothing left to spend. Not only that, but their units stink when you compare them to XM's... The MyFi actually isn't all that much bigger than an original iPod - a pretty cool feat (I think) when you consider it's grabbing stuff from a satellite. It'll store like 5 hours of audio too which is kinda cool.

Ok, I'm done plugging... (can you tell what satellite service I have???)

oh yeah.... MONSTER RAIN! (you'll get it at first sight if you're gonna get it.)

TednDi · 02-10-2005, 05:37 PM

The only reason Steve might be talking to sirius is that Apple might want to buy the company. Not for the use of satellite on ipod, that is too narrow a view. The reason is if Sirius has any satellites in orbit then they have huge bamdwidth and THAT is the most usefull thing as a workaround to the cable monopolies and an itms Movie Store.

Misdirection people. Steve is a master at it. Get you all to look at his right hand while the left does all of the work!

Cisco_Kid · 02-10-2005, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TednDi
The only reason Steve might be talking to sirius is that Apple might want to buy the company. Not for the use of satellite on ipod, that is too narrow a view. The reason is if Sirius has any satellites in orbit then they have huge bamdwidth and THAT is the most usefull thing as a workaround to the cable monopolies and an itms Movie Store.

Misdirection people. Steve is a master at it. Get you all to look at his right hand while the left does all of the work!

TednDi I think you hit the nail right on the head.8)

ajmas · 02-10-2005, 10:20 PM

How about AM/FM radio?

Europe and elsewhere in the world there are still plenty of people who listen to analogue radio. There are still plenty of people who use the radio to listen to the football (soccer in the USA) matches. Sure there is a very slow move to digital radio, but terrestial radio is still here.

Aquatic · 02-10-2005, 10:24 PM

Yes that is an egregious oversight. iPods need:

1. Radio. FM at least. Perhaps AM. For all of the, even shuffle. It wouldn't take up any size or cost any money nearly, right?

2. MIC/LINE-IN !! I wanna record my lectures damnit!! Add this and I'll buy it! WIth my luck they will, once I'm out of college. Well, maybe they'll make it in time for grad school...

TednDi · 02-11-2005, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Cisco_Kid
TednDi I think you hit the nail right on the head.8)

Thanks, I try to aim for the nail but often I just hit my thumb!

Krassy · 02-12-2005, 01:01 PM

what bandwidth could be transfered with this satellite radio-stuff? enough for HD video/audio ?

02-09-2005, 02:10 PM	#1
*AppleInsider* Kasper's Automated Slave Join Date: Nov 1997 Posts: 6,171	Jobs: No plan for satellite radio in iPod's future Apple chief executive, Steve Jobs, has reportedly turned down requests from Sirius Satellite Radio to add satellite radio capabilities to iPods. Mel Karmazin, CEO of Sirius Satellite Radio, has had discussions with Apple about incorporating satellite radio into iPods, but Apple at this time is not interested in adding such a feature, reports the Financial Times. Karmazin reportedly told a conference in New York that Steve Jobs currently did not believe iPod users needed anything other than the ability to download thousands of songs. Still, he acknowledged that Apple might change its mind in the future, especially if satellite radio provided more interesting content. "Whether you put satellite radio in a cell phone, video game or MP3 player this could be an enhancement," Karmazin said. According to a J.P. Morgan's survey of more than 1,600 people, taken in December 2004, 35 percent said they had interest in subscribing to satellite radio. However, this figure is down from the 43 percent who expressed such an interest in a May 2004 poll, suggesting that Satellite Radio may have already reached its peak. [ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

02-09-2005, 02:44 PM	#3
ipodandimac New Idea Award Winner Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Purdue University Posts: 3,255	i think this is good. i mean the whole point of an ipod is to be your own DJ. If anything, the whole podacasting thing, while it could move to live broadcast over satellilte radio, is very good PR for apple, and a lot of people do it. anyways, i'm toally against radio in general because i dont like other people making my music choices and all the talk shows suck a lot. for people obsessed with radio, they can jsut get one of those MyFi things or whatever Elton John carries around looking like a big tool. Tsunami Steve Program Feed

02-09-2005, 03:36 PM	#5
1984 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: 1 Infinite Fluke, CA Hates: Integrated graphics Posts: 822	All the portable satellite radios I have seen are significantly bigger than the iPod and they are just radios. Imagine how big the iPod would have to be to incorporate both. There are also significant reception and power issues to be overcome. It may be something worth pursuing in a couple years but right now it would be ridiculous to try and cram all that into an iPod. No one wants to carry around an iBrick. If they should decide to include a radio I say stick with AM/FM along with HD compatibility for North America and DAB for Europe. There are plenty of MP3 players out there with AM/FM tuners built-in but how many support digital broadcasts? This would be far easier and cheaper to implement and give them yet another advantage over the competition. 198419841984 Where were you when the hammer flew? 13" MacBook Pro, 2.53 GHz, 4 GB RAM, 128GB SSD ::: iPhone 3GS 32GB

02-10-2005, 10:24 PM	#11
Aquatic Registered User Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: New England Posts: 5,022	Yes that is an egregious oversight. iPods need: 1. Radio. FM at least. Perhaps AM. For all of the, even shuffle. It wouldn't take up any size or cost any money nearly, right? 2. MIC/LINE-IN !! I wanna record my lectures damnit!! Add this and I'll buy it! WIth my luck they will, once I'm out of college. Well, maybe they'll make it in time for grad school... "Overpopulation and climate change are serious shit." Gilsch "It's all bullshit as far as I'm concerned, until I actually see the thing working faster." -Ireland on 10.6

02-12-2005, 01:01 PM	#13
Krassy Registered User Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 561	what bandwidth could be transfered with this satellite radio-stuff? enough for HD video/audio ? go AAPL, go to $70 !!! © 2004

02-09-2005, 02:24 PM	#2
TednDi Registered User Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Earth Posts: 1,729	How much would it cost for apple to launch its own satellite or license the bandwidth on another satellite. If apple wanted to do this it could. Apple gets very little from the deal and the sat radio guys get the ipod base.

02-09-2005, 03:15 PM	#4
tak1108 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Newark, CA Posts: 185	It would be far better for apple to go the other way. License iPod & iTunesMS compatiblity into Sirius and XM handhelds. That way they don't spend a bunch of money trying to sell iPods with Sirius radio, or spliting the model up even more. Apple doesn't make the Moto phone, Moto makes the phone and licenses with Apple to allow the ITMS to run on there.

02-09-2005, 03:54 PM	#6
RolandG Registered User Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Cologne, Germany Posts: 557	I think Jobs made the right decision not to include Sirius (or any) digital radio. It would just add weight, size and cost (the cheapest portable device they offer is stil $99) to the iPod. I could not find a coverage map on their site or any description of where the service is available. The iPod is sold internationally. Why should all non-US residents/Canadians pay for a feature they could never utilize. Oh, and did I mention that Sirius charges pretty hefty fees? Maybe Apple should introduce a iTMS subscrition model à la Napster-to-go after all? Maybe Sirius could hop onto the add-on train. But thinking about it, there would be no added benefit compared to a plain Sirius handset. I don't know what file format they are using but I bet they don't let you record and keep any of their programming.

02-10-2005, 05:37 PM	#8
TednDi Registered User Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Earth Posts: 1,729	The only reason Steve might be talking to sirius is that Apple might want to buy the company. Not for the use of satellite on ipod, that is too narrow a view. The reason is if Sirius has any satellites in orbit then they have huge bamdwidth and THAT is the most usefull thing as a workaround to the cable monopolies and an itms Movie Store. Misdirection people. Steve is a master at it. Get you all to look at his right hand while the left does all of the work!

02-10-2005, 10:20 PM	#10
ajmas Registered User Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 364	How about AM/FM radio? Europe and elsewhere in the world there are still plenty of people who listen to analogue radio. There are still plenty of people who use the radio to listen to the football (soccer in the USA) matches. Sure there is a very slow move to digital radio, but terrestial radio is still here.

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