Apple’s Rock and Roll event in San Francisco heralded what was possibly the biggest news in recent Apple memory, Steve Jobs’ return to the throne as the public face of Apple. Second to that, and possibly less exciting, Apple announced updates across its entire iPod line and to iTunes.
iPod Nano.
Apple is adding a video camera to its iPod Nanos, allowing users to take still pictures or film clips for easy uploading to YouTube later, all at the same price pont as a 4 GB Kickflip.‚ Apple is also “" and finally, in our opinion “" adding an FM radio. While we haven’t listened to a radio since 2003, its always seemed a cheap component that everyone else has always offered. But in typical Apple fashion, they’ve bettered it: users will be able to live-pause the music, and tag songs to later find them in iTunes. Pricing for the Nano is $149 for 8GB, and $179 for 16GB, all of which come in Apple’s standard candy colored offerings.
iPod Touch.
Apple’s iPod Touch line also saw battery and memory upgrades and price drops. The 8GB iPod touch is now only $199. However, users can also purchase the 32 and 64 GB models for $299 and $399 respectively which include new Open GL firmware for better video and game performance, a necessary upgrade to maintain Apple’s relevance in the mobile gaming marketplace.
iPod Shuffle
Apple’s iPod shuffle is also getting five new colors and price drops. The 2 GB model is only $59 dollars, while the 4 GB model is $79. There still aren’t any controls on the player itself, meaning you’re still limited to headphones with the built-in controls. Apple did announce that many manufacturers are adding support for the controls on board, or through adapters.
All of these are solid upgrades, and while there’s still no tablet, this should definitely take Apple successfully into the upcoming holiday season.
Leave a Reply