iPhone vs. Future iPod? What's the difference?

The iPhone is running OS X so it is more of a genuine 'platform' for handheld computing. The iPod will simply get better at what it does - media playback; and hopefully better recording. The calendar and notes additions always had the whiff of reluctant 'featureitis' about them. Apparently nobody uses them any way.

I could see a new top-of-the-line wi/fi enabled ipod do most everything the iphone does, minus the phone part and have 80 gigs of memory for around $500.

I could see the ipod mini brought back with a larger 'wide'screen, slight size increase, and more memory to replace the current full-size ipod's size and functionality for around $300.

The Nano could get a larger 'wide'screen as well and a memory bump, but it keep its same dimensions for around $200

just my 2-cents.....

I believe some major changes are coming for the iPod. The iPhone will remain the king of the multimedia and communications portables; no other handheld will provide cellular capabilities, and I sort of doubt wireless connectivity as well.

HOWEVER, I think there will be a transition over to anodized aluminum for the full-sized iPod, as this material has proven the most scratch resistant. It will be hard-drive based, but the click wheel will be gone, and much like the iPhone, there will be a new method of browsing that utilizes a front row style navigation and coverflow on a optical-quality glass screen that covers the face of the unit. This will be a multimedia machine, not a web browser; a feature like that would cannibalize the iPhone. It may, however, have bluetooth technology.

The nano will also get a makeover- just as thin, but a bit less skinny to get the aspect ratio correct for a full-face, glass touchscreen. It is also possible that they will make a iPhone nano at some point, but who knows how they'll pull that off... web browsing probably won't work on a screen smaller than 3.5 inches.

The iPhone has paved the way for a new generation of iPods; the clickwheel is dead weight.

Oh, and they'll run OSX... it'll be a bit more trim because it won't have to deal with software for web browsing or anything like that, but it'll be much better than the current iPod OS, and well worth the extra space.

This will happen within the next two years, and the price points will become increasingly more affordable as R&D continues for this type of product.