Ondrej Holzman Wednesday quiet the introduction of the new iPods was a big surprise for many. In recent months, there has been no talk of anything other than the fact that the era of the legendary music player is coming to an inevitable end. In the end, Apple decided not to let its trio of iPods die for good, but at the same time it also showed that I was quite stolen from it. And for most users, they probably should be too.
The new iPod touch clearly offers the most interesting things, but even with it, on the other hand, Apple has not gone so far in its transformation as to be able to impress the masses with it again. It's almost a shame to talk about the other two smaller iPods, nano and shuffle, because their new versions can't possibly be taken too seriously even by Apple.
The new nano and shuffle cannot impress anyone
There was a time when the small iPod nano and the even smaller iPod shuffle were popular players and sold like crazy. But as the era of iPhones and other smart phones arrived, the space for dedicated music players kept shrinking. The iPhone already has (almost) everything that these iPods ever did, so there is only a small group of people interested in a device that can practically only play music.
Now, if Apple wanted to show for the last time that the bells and whistles of miniature players have not yet been fully realized, it failed. But he probably didn't even want to do it. How else to explain that the only thing that has changed in the iPod nano and shuffle is the trio of new color designs.
In 2015, the Shuffle remains at a mere 2GB capacity, completely unchanged since 2010, and some may be attracted by the price tag of 1 crowns, which could certainly be a little smaller. Even so, the iPod shuffle remains the most affordable Apple player and, for example, is ideal for jogging or other sports thanks to its clip.
Not even the iPod nano had a more positive update. It has been the same for three years and the 16GB capacity is really insufficient today for 5 crowns. When we imagine that the much more inflated iPod touch costs just 190 crowns more, perhaps no one can have a reason to buy the current iPod nano. In addition, it only offers an FM radio, which today is more of a relic, and it's not the best for running, despite Nike+ support and a pedometer. Competing solutions offer more.
It will offer an iPod nano display against the Shuffle, but it is perhaps the most demonstrated how indifferent Apple was to its new version. The user interface remains in the original graphics, i.e. in the style of iOS 6, which is really sad. According to some information after the developers moved to the Watch, there was no one left to redo the UI, but why release a new version at all?
The definitive point why the new iPod nano and shuffle are practically not interesting at all can be found in Apple Music. After introducing a new music streaming service, we they wrote, that if even this big thing in the apple music world didn't resurrect them, it's definitely over with them. And it seems that Apple is only artificially delaying it now, because do not count on Apple Music on nana or shuffle in any form.
Touch points to the future of other devices rather than itself
The new iPod touch of the sixth generation can definitely be viewed much more positively than the two models mentioned above. On the contrary, in certain respects, even Apple surpassed itself, because it inserted guts into the guts of the multimedia device, which, at least on paper, compared it with six-figure iPhones, which was definitely not the norm.
On the other hand, the iPod touch also remains in a two-year-old chassis, and in the final reckoning, Apple hasn't made it particularly attractive, at least not at first glance for the average customer. The iPod touch still only has a four-inch display, although the latest iPhones have clearly shown that larger screens work. In addition, if we take into account that the iPod touch is primarily a multimedia device for consuming all kinds of content - a larger screen would be suitable for that.
The performance increase is certainly good. Against the existing A5 chip, the newly installed A8 runs only about 15 percent slower than on the iPhone 6. The slower performance in the iPod is probably mainly due to the smaller battery, which cannot be as large due to the smaller and narrower body. Nevertheless, it will definitely run the latest iOS 8.4 absolutely smoothly and should handle the vast majority of the most demanding games. This is also thanks to the same 1GB operating memory that both new iPhones have.
The iPod touch has also seen a significant improvement in the camera, with 8 megapixels you can already take very nice pictures, but everyone these days also has a smartphone in their pocket, which will probably have a camera at least as good. As a primary photo device, the iPod touch is also hard to impress. It remains probably the most interesting as the cheapest entry device into the world of iOS (and by extension the entire Apple ecosystem) or now a suitable test device for developers.
Better Bluetooth and a third iPhone
But what's more interesting is looking at the sixth generation of the biggest iPod in terms of what it can tell us about Apple's future devices. In one thing, the new iPod touch is already unique: it is the first Apple device to adopt Bluetooth 4.1, a new standard that we can probably look forward to in iPhones, iPads and Macs soon.
The advantages of Bluetooth 4.1 are twofold. On the one hand, it offers improvements in coexistence with other networks such as LTE (while the Touch does not use it, iPhones do), better pairing of devices (improved reconnection, etc.) and also more efficient data transfer. The second advantage is even more important for the Apple ecosystem: with Bluetooth 4.1, one device can function both as a peripheral and as a hub. For example, a smart watch can both be a hub for collecting data from a meter and at the same time serve as a smartphone peripheral displaying notifications.
Such use is literally offered for the Internet of Things and, in the case of Apple, specifically for the HomeKit platform. The first device to support HomeKit are just starting to appear in stores, but the first reactions have so far been rather mixed, mainly due to the not completely 4.1% reliability when connecting and controlling. All this could be improved by Bluetooth XNUMX thanks to the aforementioned.
However, there is one more matter that the new iPod touch could be hinting at. About the fact that it could be a harbinger of the new four-inch "iPhone 6C", already he speculated Jason Snell and mostly agreeing he added also John Gruber. We mentioned above that if the iPod touch offered a larger display, it could be much more interesting to customers. On the other hand, it may point to the fact that Apple has not yet given up on four-inch screens.
Last year, he introduced two brand new iPhones only with larger displays, on the other hand, he left the iPhone 5S and 5C in the menu, and in the fall we could expect three new phones from him. While a year ago, at least the 5S was sufficient in terms of the presence of Touch ID and Apple Watch support, this year it would already need a refresh.
This can be indicated in various ways by the new iPod touch, especially by the fact that Apple is not afraid to put its best components in such a machine at the moment. If the potential iPhone 6C were also equipped in this way, the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus (if Apple will call them that, according to the current custom) introduced in the autumn with it would continue to remain exhibition cases, because they would receive newer processors, but for those interested in four inches, there would be the Californian company had a more than decent option.
The iPhone 6C would probably also differ from other iPhones in its body, there is talk of a plastic back, as was the case with the 5C, but the important thing is that it would have the best components in it. It may be a blind tip in the end, but despite the great interest in large iPhones, it is certain that there is still a market for phones with a smaller display. In addition, it would be cheaper, i.e. more accessible, for example, to developing markets, and Apple would have a complete range of smartphones.
For example, with the pink iPod Touch, Apple is testing customers' interest in this color. Some time ago, it was speculated that Apple is considering making a pink iPhone. Apple has now proven that it can produce a device with this color as well and is not afraid to go to market with such a color....
Well, I already have a pink phone from Apple...
Personally, I still think that the combination of a 4 inch phone, tablet, desktop (laptop) or the new 4 inch phone, MacBook is ideal. I do a lot of sports and pulling 5 or more inch plates is not comfortable.
so iPod shuffle with no support for Apple Music so I just went and removed Apple Music on all devices. It doesn't make sense for people who don't want to pull those pancakes but want to run, exercise, etc... Please, don't you know how to turn off the 3-month trial? When I log in to the iTunes Store, Apple Music turns on again.
Above all, let them stop bothering us with that peasant's little iPad :-/
What do you mean by "peasant"? Can you please write in Czech on the Czech discussion? I just don't understand you.
are you kidding me? he means embarrassing. don't you have the word peasant in Czech???
In Czech, we have the term "vidlák" for this turn. It's close, but not as close as it might seem. Therefore, your post was not comprehensible. And definitely write in Slovak! :D
But I know what the word "peasant" is. It is peasant. I understand this word, for example, in connection with yogurt. But I don't understand what is peasant about the iPad mini. Like if someone is comfortable with 8 inches, is he a peasant or a peasant? Anton is just a moron. Most of his posts contain insults from people who, according to him, do not have Apple products and are either socks or peasants. It's just that as soon as it's cheap or cheaper, it's below par for Anton. He's a moron and an asshole. I don't like them and he just confirms my feeling..
You just showed that you are the moron yourself.
Almost all of you here are wretches. Defending someone as moronic as Anton is really "peasant". I'm not even surprised anymore that when I meet someone with a "non-peasant" iPhone, it's a hot "designed" metro or homosexual. Howgh.
Personally, I don't really understand the point of prolonging the agony of death like this. If they wanted to resurrect the iPod, they should have done it properly, but this interest is clearly not with Apple. If they have any interest at all...
The Shuffle is nice, but nowadays - and with its price tag - it's a completely pointless purchase when there are devices on the market like the Sony Walkman NWZ, etc., which completely beat it in terms of parameters. The same nano, where the price is completely absurd imho. Get away with it, or kick it up a notch with waterproofing and waterproof headphones, pedometer support, and make it a truly sporty music player, even with GPS.
I never really saw the point of Touche, but it is the only one that pleased me. I am not a fan of more than 4″ displays and I think that matching the performance to the iP6 level is quite enough. Touchy would probably have been most helped by 256GB of storage, which would suddenly turn it into something completely different, more user-attractive. I certainly hoped so, and I'd honestly love to replace my Classic with something like this. But again, the will is clearly lacking.
I feel like with Apple lately, it's a bit like the left hand doesn't really know what the right hand is doing. They do have a lot of projects underway, Watch, Music, TV soon, new iOS and OSX every year, but somehow it seems that they are starting to get a little bogged down in them. This pseudo-release is just another proof of that. It's like 'we don't know what to do with it, so I won't do anything and it will be absorbed'. Without the clear message that Apple used to broadcast with every new product: “This is our best iPhone/iPod/Mac/iPad!! We don't care what the competition thinks or does, this is our way. Take it or leave it"
What's the use of the Sony Walkman NWZ if it doesn't communicate with iTunes? I have an 8-year-old Shuffle and I'm happy with the integration with iTunes and the other Apple products I own. Ideal MP3 for sports.
I had a Shuffle for years before it died out of the blue one morning. Considering the domestic ecosystem, I almost played it safe and chose a new one right away. However, a friend kept pushing me and finally convinced me to buy the NWZ. I thought it would be stupid, but on the other hand, I was attracted to it.
Since then, I have to laugh every time I hear someone say they're looking for sports headphones. Something like wires + sports just don't go together for me anymore. The comfort of the NWZ is completely different.
Not being able to sync with iTunes bothered me the most in the beginning, but now it's actually good for me. Dragging an album or playlist to the NWZ folder is as fast as clicking on sync. and in addition, it doesn't destroy statistics like "25 most played", where I used to have a problem that songs from my running playlist dominated. I wouldn't go back to Shuffle.
You can't imagine the Sony product on skis (it's too big under a cap/helmet).
A friend on a motorcycle uses a Shuffle with controls on the box under the headset. It would be very inconvenient to have a Sony player with a motorcycle helmet.
Well, we all have different requirements and it depends on what kind of sport we do. I also use the Shuffle in the car, which would again be a pain in the ass with Sony, that is if it is possible at all.
You are definitely right. I like to ski, but for safety without music in my ears. I only use NWZ for running, to the pool and to the gym. I don't even wear them on my bike. And I have a Classic for the city and the car. What's your preference ;-)
Music has a minimal effect on the safety of skiing, because during skiing the brain concentrates on the ride, so the perception of the music is a peripheral matter until the brain begins to concentrate on the music, which in turn has the consequence that the skier does not concentrate on the ride. A beautiful example of this is the fact that without music, a skier passing by the cable car cannot perceive the calls of friends from the lift, which is most noticeable in children, and only a significantly raised voice (squealing) will help.
Most people on the slopes do not know the rules of behavior, so the problem of safety is completely, but completely, somewhere else.
I'm not really sure you know what you're talking about. 1) iPod is a so-called "entry level" device in the Apple product ecosystem; mainly for people who for some reason don't want or can't have an iPhone 2) In the basics of economics and marketing, they will teach you that you have to update your product at least once a year, also for psychological reasons 3) This is a small product update, nothing more; who has plans for the iPod; on the contrary, it is a sign / signal that they have not forgotten about it
Well, I would rather call it 'Entery level to Apple in 2010'.
The fact that iPods cannot use music from Apple Music and the Nano has a skeuomorphic OS only proves that they don't really know how and what to do with them, other than to forget about them. It will not bring the user into the Ecosystem one bit, because apart from the necessity of iTunes, it has completely lost ties to it.
Unfortunately, it is exactly as you write. The product 'must' be updated once a year and there is little consideration of the point. It's just an empty phrase, in my opinion. I personally had 3 different iPods, of which only the 160GB Classic has survived to this day, and I am someone who would be happy for the reincarnation of iPods in any form, but with the advent of the Watch and Apple Music, even I see little point in it. It seems to me that Apple thinks the same thing, they just don't know how to present it and whether it could be improved a little.
You have to imagine a rock of properties under that ecosystem. The connection with iTunes is one thing, but what about the quality of the processing? What about reliability? And as soon as the shuffle is broken/lost, users run for new ones, but it can be Touch, etc.