Zune HD price leak: $100 less than Apple iPod touch

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited January 2014
A temporary price listing for Microsoft's upcoming Zune HD showed the device at $290 for its 32GB offering, a cost more than $100 cheaper than the comparable iPod touch model from Apple.



The prices, listed at Amazon, also show a 16GB model for $220, or $79 cheaper than the 16GB iPod touch. The 32GB iPod touch retails for $399. The listing was captured by PC World. The devices remain listed at Amazon, but without any prices.



The Amazon Zune HD prices corroborate with alleged internal information from retailer Best Buy, which, according to Gizmodo, also showed price points of $220 and $290.



Microsoft is attempting to position the Zune HD as a direct competitor to the iPod touch, even offering multi-touch capabilities and Web browsing on its 3.3-inch screen. The device will also, via a dock, output 720P high-definition video and includes an internal HD radio. The Amazon page also said the Zune HD will play games.



While the lower price point might seem to position the device as a strong alternative, Apple could change the price of its iPod touch offerings well before Microsoft's touchscreen competitor launches. Apple is expected to launch new iPods, perhaps with cameras, at an anticipated event this September.



Each year since the iPod touch was released, Apple has also doubled the media player's maximum capacity. If that pattern were to continue, the iPod-maker would offer a new 64GB capacity this fall.



The Zune HD prices were temporarily listed at Amazon | Source: PCWorld



The Zune HD also recently received regulatory approval from the Federal Communications Commission, exposing its NVIDIA Tegra chip and Windows CE roots. While the device's price points may now be known, the Redmond, Wash., company has yet to reveal a launch date for the product, only stating it will debut this fall.



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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 152
    morkymorky Posts: 200member
    Until, like, three weeks from now when the new iPod Touches come out.



    Edit: responded to headline without reading AI commentary
  • Reply 2 of 152
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    A temporary price listing for Microsoft's upcoming Zune HD showed the device at $290 for its 32GB offering, a cost more than $100 cheaper than the comparable iPod touch model from Apple.



    Considering that the 32GB iPod Touch is almost a year old, Apple could probably sell it for $100 cheaper now. It doesn't really matter anyways, Apple will either release a 64GB iPod Touch in it's place or drop the price in September.
  • Reply 3 of 152
    chronsterchronster Posts: 1,894member
    This is good news for everyone who wants to hold out for an ipod touch. It MIGHT mean Apple will respond by lowering their prices. I think we might see what we saw with the iphone, where today's ipod touch model will be lowered in price, and the new model will cost what we see right now.



    Either way though, that's a decent price for what seems to be a good competitor to the ipod touch. Is the app store worth 100 bucks? To some it is, to some it isn't. At least now you're not paying the same for less. (We'll see in a few weeks though lol)
  • Reply 4 of 152
    al_bundyal_bundy Posts: 1,525member
    the Tegra GPU in it is supposed to be very nice. Microsoft's one advantage is that the Zune HD is new and doesn't have the installed base of the iPod Touch. they can pay developers to make nice graphically intensive games that look much better than the current ipod games simply because everyone is still coding for 1st gen Apple hardware due to the installed base



    I did see one game optimized for the 3G S, but all the did was add some colored lighting and shadows to the 1st gen graphics. did look kind of nice though
  • Reply 5 of 152
    mark2005mark2005 Posts: 1,158member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    A temporary price listing for Microsoft's upcoming Zune HD showed the device at $290 for its 32GB offering, a cost more than $100 cheaper than the comparable iPod touch model from Apple.



    It's a given, I think, that the next 16GB iPod touch will be at most $229. The open question is will Apple move down to $199 to pressure MS's margins, like they did with iPod vs. Zune. MS may be big but Apple, as the biggest NAND consumer, gets better pricing on NAND flash than MS.



    It's also a given that Apple will introduce the next iPod touch at least by Sept 15, and more likely, by Sept 9. The open question is will Apple have the intro before Labor Day, as some have rumored.



    Finally, why oh why does the Zune HD home screen not fit the words "marketplace" and "more" within it? (I assume "more" is the last item on that list.) I know they want to make the touch area big enough to easily touch, but it just looks ugly.
  • Reply 6 of 152
    al_bundyal_bundy Posts: 1,525member
    Apple buys NAND from Toshiba. Intel is also a big NAND producer along with a few other companies.
  • Reply 7 of 152
    hdasmithhdasmith Posts: 145member
    They also don't have to price in an OLED display. How can MS be making money from this thing at that price?
  • Reply 8 of 152
    revsrevs Posts: 93member
    I have to admit it, MS have done a great job on the Zune HD. I'm impressed! Now Apple - lets see you make something 2x better for us
  • Reply 9 of 152
    virgil-tb2virgil-tb2 Posts: 1,416member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mark2005 View Post


    It's a given, I think, that the next 16GB iPod touch will be at most $229. The open question is will Apple move down to $199 to pressure MS's margins, like they did with iPod vs. Zune. MS may be big but Apple, as the biggest NAND consumer, gets better pricing on NAND flash than MS.



    It's also a given that Apple will introduce the next iPod touch at least by Sept 15, and more likely, by Sept 9. The open question is will Apple have the intro before Labor Day, as some have rumored.



    Finally, why oh why does the Zune HD home screen not fit the words "marketplace" and "more" within it? (I assume "more" is the last item on that list.) I know they want to make the touch area big enough to easily touch, but it just looks ugly.



    Great Points, but I don't think the issue of NAND pricing or availability will have any impact at all in this situation.



    The difference between Apple's NAND pricing and whatever MS gets is not that much and can be easily absorbed by a competitor like them who's hell bent on getting some traction. they are not going to destroy their chances at competition by quibbling over small change like that.



    Availability of NAND in general would have a bigger impact on a true competitor, but MS sells Zunes in such ridiculously low numbers (and only in one country), that the constraints Apple puts on world supply are not going to affect MS much either.
  • Reply 10 of 152
    jetlawjetlaw Posts: 156member
    I think it is too little too late for the Zune. While I would never wanted to be so naive as to say that there could never be another paradigm shift, I don't think it is going to come in the form of a Zune!
  • Reply 11 of 152
    slapppyslapppy Posts: 331member
    Can Apple make a profit selling at those price point? Apple doesn't have a monopoly to fund money losing products. Apple can't afford to sell money losing products like the Zune which was introduced in 2006 and has lost money ever since.
  • Reply 12 of 152
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hdasmith View Post


    They also don't have to price in an OLED display. How can MS be making money from this thing at that price?



    Could be price subsidization on the part of MS. Offset losses in one part of the organization by using the profits from another.
  • Reply 13 of 152
    cmf2cmf2 Posts: 1,427member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by chronster View Post


    This is good news for everyone who wants to hold out for an ipod touch. It MIGHT mean Apple will respond by lowering their prices. I think we might see what we saw with the iphone, where today's ipod touch model will be lowered in price, and the new model will cost what we see right now.



    Either way though, that's a decent price for what seems to be a good competitor to the ipod touch. Is the app store worth 100 bucks? To some it is, to some it isn't. At least now you're not paying the same for less. (We'll see in a few weeks though lol)



    As other people have stated, the iPods are coming up on their yearly refresh. A new 64GB touch will likely be sitting at the current 32GB pricepoint after the refresh, and the 32GB might move down to the 16GB pricepoint, making it cheaper than the Zune. I hope for Microsofts sake, they anticipated such changes, because that is basically what Apple does every year. Either way, we can't compare the new Zune and its anticipated prices against the current iPod touch and its prices as those are not the iPods the Zune will be competing against.



    Edit: Looking at the prices again, moving the 32GB touch down to the 16GB price point (which will likely happen if a 64GB touch comes out) would make it about the same price as the 32 GB Zune, not cheaper
  • Reply 14 of 152
    rnp1rnp1 Posts: 175member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jetlaw View Post


    I think it is too little too late for the Zune.!



    First off..."$100 cheaper than the comparable iPod" is incorrect guys. The Zune from the moon, that is, the 'zoon doobee dizcontinued' doesn't COMPARE to any Apple iPod! Sad choice of words there. Secondly, any cheaper price for any MicroSoft products is a "frustration discount", because you have to connect it to a PC and deal with circular Wizard panels and endless, "are you sure?" boxes!!! LOL. It'll be gone zoon enough! And yes, the newest iPod, after the back-to-school give away, will be twice as great and powerful as the current models. History repeats itself! (the only reasonable explanation that BallMur doesn't have an iPhone is that he is stubborn and fat headed. And, because he is used to using Windows, he doesn't understand speed, ease of use and relaxing while using an electronic device)
  • Reply 15 of 152
    virgil-tb2virgil-tb2 Posts: 1,416member
    I think it's kind of funny how the only two things that Zune has over iPod that could be considered iPod "missing features" (things that Apple's customers would actually like to see), are not being touted at all in the marketing of the Zune HD so far. By this I'm referring to the built in "social" and the OLED screen.



    The secret of good competitive marketing is to either ignore or lie about the things your product is missing and focus on the few things that yours has that the other one doesn't. The OLED screen is massive but I haven't heard it even mentioned in any of the product demos you can find online.



    The fact that Apple products mostly appeal to lonely friendless elitists who don't socialise much is also a massive point against the Apple ecosystem that should be exploited, but no one seems to bother about Zune's "social" anymore either.



    Microsoft may be a "business giant" but they've always been dumb as a puppy and twice as clumsy when it comes to marketing.
  • Reply 16 of 152
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by chronster View Post


    This is good news for everyone who wants to hold out for an ipod touch. It MIGHT mean Apple will respond by lowering their prices. I think we might see what we saw with the iphone, where today's ipod touch model will be lowered in price, and the new model will cost what we see right now.



    Either way though, that's a decent price for what seems to be a good competitor to the ipod touch. Is the app store worth 100 bucks? To some it is, to some it isn't. At least now you're not paying the same for less. (We'll see in a few weeks though lol)



    Apple will most likely double the capacity, but I highly doubt in response to one product. I expect this price disparity last about a month. Apple generally doubles the capacity for the same or lower price every early fall for the past four or so years.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Virgil-TB2 View Post


    I think it's kind of funny how the only two things that Zune has over iPod that could be considered iPod "missing features" (things that Apple's customers would actually like to see), are not being touted at all in the marketing of the Zune HD so far. By this I'm referring to the built in "social" and the OLED screen.



    OLED is interesting, but I don't see how Microsoft's "social" is a selling point. You can get probably dozens of social media apps for the Touch, to services are already using if the buyer is at all interested in that kind of service. Most of those apps would connect to social media services that people actually use rather than being stuck in a small social room comprised only of people that own a certain product.
  • Reply 17 of 152
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by patrickwalker View Post


    Could be price subsidization on the part of MS. Offset losses in one part of the organization by using the profits from another.



    That worked great for XBox!
  • Reply 18 of 152
    A $100.00 price cut for a crappy product doesn't take away from the fact that it's still a crappy product.



    You can put lipstick on a pig...
  • Reply 19 of 152
    brucepbrucep Posts: 2,823member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by revs View Post


    I have to admit it, MS have done a great job on the Zune HD. I'm impressed! Now Apple - lets see you make something 2x better for us



    ZUNE THE IPOD KILLER

    i agree its all over for apple

    the ZUNE and its LARGE accessory warehouses .

    A brave new world of ZUNE SPEAK ..





    i can now see the zune phones

    zune computers

    zune net books

    zune kindles

    zune garmens



    gotta zune > see ya latrer
  • Reply 20 of 152
    slapppyslapppy Posts: 331member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JimDreamworx View Post


    That worked great for XBox!



    Thats right. Lost billions for many years right? Sony can't afford to do that, heck what company can? Doesn't make business sense.
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