It Might Be Time To Kiss The iPod Goodbye
Apple's latest event is happening next week, and we're all fairly certain what we're getting. New iPads are likely on the horizon, and we're expecting something in the way of Mac and iMac to come as well. Though we're not expecting apple to unleash that massive iPad Pro we've been hearing about just yet, there's good reason to think another of their products is falling by the wayside yet again. If we're being totally honest, there might be good reason for it to slip quietly away, too.
The iPod is a device Apple has put little effort behind lately, and has even gone so far as to quietly drop the "master copy" from their store altogether. The iPod Touch has been unaffected by Apple's recent surge in device upgrades, save for putting standard features in their 16GB model.
The processor is now three generations behind, and the iSight camera is two iterations old. Save for being a simple point-and-shoot camera for the kids, it's got little value.
Another indication Apple is less than interested in keeping the iPod around is the iPhone lineup. Typically, Apple retires the oldest model, and slides the recently replaced version into the bargain bin. They didn't do that this year. Instead, you can find all the iPhone models from the 5C and newer.
We've also heard nothing in the way of rumors about an iPod refresh. Though we don't quickly rely on rumors, we've at least seen stuff about new iPads. For the iPod — bupkis. Apple is also introducing a new product category in the Apple Watch soon, which may actually kill the iPod off anyway.
Sales of the iPod aren't terrible — they sold 2.9 million last quarter, and 2.7 million the previous quarter — but they don't hold sway with Apple's other offerings. Those numbers were also reflective of a different product lineup without all the iPhones sticking around.
The only way the iPod Touch makes a lot of sense is for Apple to package it with an Apple TV refresh as the smartest remote ever. Even at that, the iPod would still need a hardware upgrade to be useful for things like gaming.
If Apple doesn't remove the iPod from our lives on October 16, it's entirely possible they've got something up their sleeve (like way up there, around the elbow) and will refresh the lineup next year sometime, but the iPod is still losing steam. That in-store real estate would likely be better served by the iPhone 5C and 5S, too.
Some will say there is a market for the iPod Touch, and they're right. The problem now is that market is slowly dying. It's not clear how Apple feels about the dwindling interest in the iPod Touch, and whether they're interested in supporting that minority.
What do you think? Should the iPod stay, or is it time for Apple to let go? Tell us in the comments section below.