Apple will do something. Anything. Even an iPhone.
As the internet reverberates to the sound of Apple iPhone rumours, it’s clear to me that they have no choice but to get off the boat and make something happen. Their ipod player market is being eaten alive by the mobile phone companies. Apple have been positively neolithic in terms of dealing with this.
The consumer is loyal to the Apple coolness until such time as it begins to impact your daily life and become, as we say here in London, ‘a bit of an arse’.
It’s a bit of an arse having to carry your mobile phone and your ipod — just because you want to listen to a bit of music on the tube.
Apple definitely wins when you’re walking about with a 5 year old Nokia. But when Vodafone or 3 put a Sony Ericsson containing 500 meg of mp3 space in your hand….. the ipod becomes a bit of an arse for that tube journey and you leave it at home. Your thoughtful mobile phone operator has also seen to it that you can easily download tracks to your mobile. The mobile manufacturer has included good quality, wickedly nice headphones that also double as a hands free headset.
Uh oh.
Before you know it, Apple is totally nailed.
I think they are. Right now, they are, to all intents and purposes, nailed — quickly being relegated by a whole range of competing services and devices to a bit player.
I’m looking forward to seeing what they do.
An iPhone would be interesting but fraught with quite a few challenges. However, it’s clear they have no choice. The mobile industry — and perhaps, more alarmingly, the consumers themselves, are marching away ahead of Apple.
They cannot do nothing. They cannot bring out another iPod containing a few more gigs of ram. They aren’t leading the pack any longer — there is simply no alternative for the Apple ipod/itunes strategy but for them to *do something*. Could be a phone. Could be a wi-fi enabled VOIP + music device. Who knows. But they’ve gotta do something…
Hi! Some of this needs qualification, unless we’re to just take it as opinion:
Posted by Nigel Tufnel on August 2nd, 2006 at 6:17 pm.“Their ipod player market is being eaten alive by the mobile phone companies..Apple have been positively neolithic in terms of dealing with this”…I’m not all sure that great numbers of people are rushing to buy phones with music capabilities (INSTEAD of getting an iPod). And remember that Apple was definitely not first to market with their mp3 player. They just came out with something that was regarded as superior to what was available, and then supported that with some great marketing. Their financial guy (I forget his name at the moment) hinted that they’re working on something to make sure they’re a part of whatever phone/media player convergence may be happening. Having rambled away at all that, I am definitely with the author here regarding too many gadgets, and I am in fact waiting to replace my (1st gen!) iPod with an ‘iPhone’. Oh..could they please make it a hybrid that will sense wifi and let you hop on that to listen to internet radio or whatever (and/or use your VOIP account), and also, please include GPS and traffic reports and the like. Thanks so much Apple!
Yeah and I seem to remember that now that so many phones have cams in them that digital cameras will be a thing of the past. Nobody in their right mind would replace a iPod totally with a mp3 phone - just check out the cost of downloads. MP3 playing phones will be like camera phones - a nice gimick to sell or upgrade phones and handy to use in a pinch but not as a replacement.
Posted by Jay C on August 3rd, 2006 at 1:26 am.Well i don’t necessarily agree. I recently bought a Nokia E61 that has UMTS and WiFi capabilities. When i’m home i download a bunch of music to my phone (2GB memory) using WiFi. No download cost whatsoever.
Posted by Jeroen on August 3rd, 2006 at 2:49 pm.On the road plug in my headset, listen to music or podcasts. Haven’t touched my iPod since i’ve got the phone