iPod line inventory low as Apple September event approaches

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited January 2014
Unsurprisingly, supplies of existing iPod models across the entire lineup are low as Apple's anticipated media event on Sept. 9 quickly approaches, with likely product upgrades.



Speaking with Apple Authorized Resellers, Ars Technica has found that the current stock of iPod models is no longer being shipped, and all of the current SKUs are being discontinued. The news is expected, as Apple refreshes its iPod lineup every September.



"According to insiders speaking to Ars, stock of current iPod models is running dry and new ones aren't coming in anytime soon," the report states. "This all but confirms that an iPod refresh is on the way, but we already knew that."



Sources have confirmed to AppleInsider that Apple will unveil its new iPod lineup on Sept. 9. The event and location have not yet been announced, but one could assume it would be held at San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center, where it has been in previous years.



At the event, Apple is expected to announce new versions of the iPod nano and iPod touch, both equipped with cameras. Though those models have likely been confirmed with numerous photos of third party cases, less clear is a more recent rumor on the iPod classic also receiving a possible camera upgrade.



Weeks of rumors have also suggested Apple could announce iTunes 9, which could have support for Blu-ray and social media.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 57
    sajsaj Posts: 19member
    Well its great to enhancement to iPod, its really recommended.
  • Reply 2 of 57
    mactelmactel Posts: 1,275member
    Would be nice if the following were true.



    1) iPod Touch updated with camera, flash, LED, and 5Mp (16Mb, 32Mb and 64Mb models).

    2) iPod Touch Nano with same camera features above and LED screen. Comes in multi-colors

    3) Retirement of the Classic

    4) iPod Touch Pad: a larger form factor with iPhone OS that's made for competing against the Kindle for reading books and watching movies.
  • Reply 3 of 57
    That much is obvious, but what will be changed and how?



    iPod Shuffle: I?m wagering on it staying exactly the same, not even a price drop, but I?m hoping for a whole mess of colors to be added.



    iPod Nano: I think that a camera is very likely here. I think the colors will stay the same.



    iPod Classic: Discontinued? This all depends on the sales numbers that we aren?t privy to, but if I were to wager I?d say that there is a certain market for them. Are there single platter 1/8" drives larger than 120GB? For some reason I think that this device won?t be getting a camera. The HDD may be too slow and I think it?s best to keep this model simple.



    iPod Touch: Camera is coming for sure. I also expect some features that will be here first and then brought to the iPhone next summer as they did with the headphone controls last year with the iPods. I am not sure about 64GB version unless it costs $50-$100 more than the current 32GB Touch.



    AppleTV: Take 3! Different case with new internals. Ion?
  • Reply 4 of 57
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Logisticaldron View Post


    That much is obvious, but what will be changed and how?



    iPod Shuffle: I?m wagering on it staying exactly the same, not even a price drop, but I?m hoping for a whole mess of colors to be added.



    iPod Nano: I think that a camera is very likely here. I think the colors will stay the same.



    iPod Classic: Discontinued? This all depends on the sales numbers that we aren?t privy to, but if I were to wager I?d say that there is a certain market for them. Are there single platter 1/8" drives larger than 120GB? For some reason I think that this device won?t be getting a camera. The HDD may be too slow and I think it?s best to keep this model simple.



    iPod Touch: Camera is coming for sure. I also expect some features that will be here first and then brought to the iPhone next summer as they did with the headphone controls last year with the iPods. I am not sure about 64GB version unless it costs $50-$100 more than the current 32GB Touch.



    AppleTV: Take 3! Different case with new internals. Ion?



    You should have written this article! Good predictions!
  • Reply 5 of 57
    I hope they keep the classic around. Some people like to keep lossless music in their pod and want the storage capacity. Also some like the physical buttons of a click wheel.



    I am all for choice. Be it glossy or matte, firewire or USB, AT&T or Verizon, etc etc.
  • Reply 6 of 57
    gazoobeegazoobee Posts: 3,754member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Jerseymac View Post


    I hope they keep the classic around. Some people like to keep lossless music in their pod and want the storage capacity. Also some like the physical buttons of a click wheel.



    I am all for choice. Be it glossy or matte, firewire or USB, AT&T or Verizon, etc etc.



    I'm thinking it must be a very small group that still believe lossless music sounds better, or can't handle a touch screen.



    As someone says above, I think it all depends on the sales numbers which we don't really know. IMO the classic only appeals to an older crowd at this point, but on the other hand seniors are the fastest growing segment of society right now and they have more money.



    I would have bet (before I heard about the sku's), that the Classic had another year at least since flash memory is still too expensive, but the fact that they *discontinued* the sku means either re-design or oblivion.



    So I guess the sales numbers have to be there to support not only keeping the product, but making it worthwhile to re-design it.
  • Reply 7 of 57
    eriamjheriamjh Posts: 1,631member
    Keep the classic! It's internal RAM is fast enough to take pictures with a camera. I'd like to see 240GB, but I doubt it.



    There will be no flash (as in flash bulb, not flash memory) for the camera on any model.
  • Reply 8 of 57
    rune66rune66 Posts: 45member
    and same form factor - That would be a killer Touch ...
  • Reply 9 of 57
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by rune66 View Post


    and same form factor - That would be a killer Touch ...



    Compass seems like a given, GPS might happen depending on some factors within Apple that we can?t know, but 3G is not going to happen.
  • Reply 10 of 57
    mactrippermactripper Posts: 1,328member
    *sniff*



    Goodbye, large capacity, hard drive based iPod Classic...



    I'll miss your decent price and large storage capacity..





    HELLO SOUNDCHECK CAPABLE, NO REPEAT RANDOMIZED PLAYLISTS, NEW iPOD TOUCH!!!





    To explain:



    iPod Classic doesn't do Soundcheck, and I don't know if the others can or cannot, as the Classic is my iPod of choice for it's huge capacity to hold all my music AND a copy of my iTunes folder for backup.



    So, when playing my iPod, despite my hours long iVolumed Library (which uses Soundcheck), all the songs change volume, which sucks.



    It works fine from my MacBook Pro hooked to my stereo, but not when using the iPod.







    Second, randomize is not fixed. Songs still play in some sort of row and some songs never get played at all. I had to create a smart date playlist to hear all my 8000 songs play in a random fashion using iTunes and my Mac hooked to my stereo, this can't be transferred to a iPod as it's static and has to be hooked up to the computer to make changes. (perhaps the iPod touch? but low capacity!)



    What we need is a smart randomize, that plays all songs in a playlist equally and not the same song twice in a row or before all the others have played first. Then when the playlist is played out, to start over with a another song with a different randomize.





    So Apple needs to fix these two things in the next iPod, as well as bump up the capacity.
  • Reply 11 of 57
    elrothelroth Posts: 1,201member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MacTel View Post


    Would be nice if the following were true.



    1) iPod Touch updated with camera, flash, LED, and 5Mp (16Mb, 32Mb and 64Mb models).

    2) iPod Touch Nano with same camera features above and LED screen. Comes in multi-colors

    3) Retirement of the Classic

    4) iPod Touch Pad: a larger form factor with iPhone OS that's made for competing against the Kindle for reading books and watching movies.



    Who are you to call for the "retirement" of the iPod Classic? What's it to you?



    If you don't want one, fine, but stay away from mine. I'd like a 240 GB Classic, with NO CAMERA. That would be great.
  • Reply 12 of 57
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MacTripper View Post


    So Apple needs to fix these two things in the next iPod, as well as bump up the capacity.



    Can they bump the capacity? Last year they bumped the single-platter 80GB Classic to single-platter 120GB and dropped the double-platter 160GB Classic. This shows that the sales weren?t high enough for Apple to want to keep both models. Do you know of any higher-capacity single-platter 1.8? HDDs that have come out?
  • Reply 13 of 57
    If the inventory is drying up and the announcement comes on Sept. 9, when do forsee the new iPod lineup to be in stores?
  • Reply 14 of 57
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by updeau22 View Post


    If the inventory is drying up and the announcement comes on Sept. 9, when do forsee the new iPod lineup to be in stores?



    Almost always, the new lineup will be in stores and on the website for overnight delivery immediately after the presentation.
  • Reply 15 of 57
    mactelmactel Posts: 1,275member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by elroth View Post


    Who are you to call for the "retirement" of the iPod Classic? What's it to you?



    If you don't want one, fine, but stay away from mine. I'd like a 240 GB Classic, with NO CAMERA. That would be great.



    It just isn't where Apple is going. Apple is going solid state and iPhone OS to connect to their app store and make more $$$ off of its install base.



    The Classic is a separate OS, old look, and disconnected. If Apple updates the Classic then good for you, but the writing is on the wall that the Classic is not the direction they're going in.
  • Reply 16 of 57
    mr. hmr. h Posts: 4,870member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MacTripper View Post


    iPod Classic doesn't do Soundcheck



    Yes it does. You can turn it on in the settings menu.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MacTripper View Post


    Second, randomize is not fixed.



    Shuffle (or "randomize" as you call it) is not "fixed" because it's not broken. With shuffle on, every single track that has not been played in the current session has equal probability of being the next track. This inevitably leads to tracks from the same album/artist sometimes being played consecutively, or if you start a new session, tracks you heard last time being played before other ones. The larger your library, the more likely it is that some songs will seem never to be played.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MacTripper View Post


    this can't be transferred to a iPod as it's static



    How old is your iPod? iPod Classics have supported smart playlists since at least the third generation (the one that was all touch-sensitive with a row of four buttons above the scroll wheel).



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MacTripper View Post


    What we need is a smart randomize, that plays all songs in a playlist equally and not the same song twice in a row or before all the others have played first. Then when the playlist is played out, to start over with a another song with a different randomize.



    No, that's not necessary, because as you said, you can build a smart playlist to do it yourself.



    One odd thing is that Apple took away "smart shuffle" in iTunes 8. If desired, this could be set to interfere with the true randomness of shuffle, ensuring that tracks from the same album/artist would not be played consecutively.
  • Reply 17 of 57
    mr. hmr. h Posts: 4,870member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Logisticaldron View Post


    iPod Shuffle: I’m wagering on it staying exactly the same, not even a price drop, but I’m hoping for a whole mess of colors to be added.



    Probably.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Logisticaldron View Post


    iPod Nano: I think that a camera is very likely here. I think the colors will stay the same.



    It's probably going to get a widescreen display too. Currently it's just a 4:3 screen on its side.





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Logisticaldron View Post


    iPod Classic: Discontinued? This all depends on the sales numbers that we aren’t privy to, but if I were to wager I’d say that there is a certain market for them. Are there single platter 1/8" drives larger than 120GB? For some reason I think that this device won’t be getting a camera. The HDD may be too slow and I think it’s best to keep this model simple.



    The HDD is not too slow to support a still camera. Given that it's a year since the 120 GB single-platter HDD came out, there is probably a higher capacity model available to OEMs now. I wouldn't be surprised to see the classic go one more round.





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Logisticaldron View Post


    iPod Touch: I am not sure about 64GB version unless it costs $50-$100 more than the current 32GB Touch.



    What's more likely to happen is: the lowest capacity disappears, the current models shuffle down to take its place, and a new higher capacity device comes in at the top. So instead of 8, 16 and 32 GB capacities, we get 16, 32 and 64 GB capacities at the same price points.





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Logisticaldron View Post


    AppleTV: Take 3! Different case with new internals. Ion?



    Hopefully.
  • Reply 18 of 57
    Boring lazy Saturday afternoon, so here is my .02¢ ...



    iPod Classic = slight updates (doubtful camera), discontinued next year. if they add a camera it would suggest they are keeping the Classic around a few more years, otherwise why waste the development money/time to only cancel the line next year?



    Shuffle = maybe more colors, but no major changes - they ruined it with last years updates (my opinion, it should be discontinued)



    iPod Nano = different colors, maybe a slight design change and digital cam 3.2mp (if smart they would add a video cam, but don't see it happening)



    iPod touch = 16 - 32 - 64 gigabytes, 3.2 or 5mp digital cam (smart to put 5mp), video cam - with 5mp and video cam it can better compete with the Cisco Flip HD, maybe offer one other color in addition to black.



    Apple TV = i never used one, but they desperately need to give it an update with possible new hardware. i'd think about buying one, but needs to offer more than it does now.



    Misc. = officially announce (from Apple) the China Unicom deal, go over Snow Leopard again, new iTunes (doubt it will have blu-ray options) - don't understand the rumored social networking options but guess younger people will like it, new iTunes music offerings, possible just possible blu-ray option for laptops and iMac, that's it.



    :later.
  • Reply 19 of 57
    gazoobeegazoobee Posts: 3,754member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Eriamjh View Post


    Keep the classic! It's internal RAM is fast enough to take pictures with a camera. I'd like to see 240GB, but I doubt it. ...



    I don't think the Classic makes sense as a camera given that it's already both bigger and heavier than most of today's "point and shoot" cameras.



    The classic buyers fancy themselves as "audiophiles" anyway so if they wanted to take pictures, they probably wouldn't be happy with a tiny webcam stuck on the back, they'd want an SLR that used "real film."
  • Reply 20 of 57
    quinneyquinney Posts: 2,528member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gazoobee View Post




    The classic buyers fancy themselves as "audiophiles" anyway so ...



    They are so foolish. Don't they know music is just that noise you hear in the supermarket

    or on the elevator?
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