What I'm getting at as far as the initial ideas I had about Apple releasing 3Gs "too soon" were based on these factors: - Most consumers were overall happy with their original iPhones albeit with a quite a few criticisms. - The install base was actually increasing month to month. - The introduction of the iPod touch increased the install base for the platform as a whole. - The introduction of the App Store increased demand for the devices. - The 3.0 software update cleared up a lot of the criticisms that consumers had. - Manufacturing costs for the devices were falling as time went on which meant higher profit margins. Now, I understand that as a tech company Apple feels the need to implement yearly refreshes/revisions on current products to entice more buyers. I get it. But I don't understand the need to increase costs by implementing new hardware on a bi-yearly basis as they do. With the install base increasing, with manufacturing costs falling, etc....wouldn't Apple have made more profit selling the older models only and holding off on releasing a brand new true next gen model for about a year or so? And after a year or so, the manufacturing costs for that true next gen model would be lower, meaning higher margins of profit. People point to competitors...but, c'mon...let's be honest here: The reason to buy Apple products isn't about hardware, but about the integrated relationship between software and hardware. In that regard they are very much like a company in a wholly different market, Nintendo. But what does Nintendo do? Do they release refreshes/redesigns of their DS portable game system? Sure. But they sure as hell don't vastly upgrade everything inside of it (meaning CPU, etc.) on a yearly to bi yearly basis. They don't come out with DS2 only 2 or so years after releasing the original DS (meaning they don't come out with a true next gen successor). Here's what they do: They keep MSRP as is, maybe drop price in a small amount, all the while getting more profit because manufacturing costs have fallen substantially over time. That's what that longer lifecycle is all about. And does it matter if a new system is released by a competitor? No. Why? Nintendo has the bigger name recognition, and the software is what sells the hardware. They may release a new model/revision of existent DS, and then, maybe, after a while release a true next gen upgrade...but not until they are sure it will not cannibalize sales of the older hardware. Why? Because they make more profit on the older hardware due to lower costs. And they won't launch something until they make profit on hardware while still falling in line with the expected price point attractive to the largest base of early adopters. Apple is pretty much in the same sort of situation in regards to the mobile platform market. No, they don't have the majority of the market...but they do have the single largest individual share of the market. Say "MP3 player" and someone will answer "iPod". iPhone is simply an extension of the iPod line. iPod is synonymous with portable media and mobile markets because it's the most recognizable brand. And what sells iPods? iTunes. What sells iPhones? iPod + phone functions which = iTunes + the App Store (or, really, music and apps). The hardware sells software, the software in turn sells more hardware. That's the ecosystem for the product line that Apple has set up, so I question the need to introduce a true next gen product, with larger manufacturing costs overall, so soon. That said, the minute iTouch 3rd "gen" comes out, I'm in line to buy it.
Yeah I kind of agree with the thinking that the iPods have a much vaster audience than the iPhone right now but that all could change. $99 3G and 80 countries (not all carriers bleed consumers like AT&T plans do). I can't see why they would up the hardware again though from what the 3Gs offers other than more storage capacity. Compass (remember this will be vital to some app store games in the future) and Voice Control (for the iPod) are also probably a given for the next gen touch.
i have a question...so if the announcement date is supposed to be in september, when are they going to be available for purchase? Same day?
I hope the new one will have -a sound recorder -A video recorder -a memory card port of some kind -And faster processor with more RAM for iGaming That all together would make me get it right away.
Release of 3rd gen ipod touch is imminent. September 9th is the day. I have a strong feeling it will be available the same day it is announced. Hopefully so. I haven't had an ipod in 2 weeks now because I sold mine in preparation for the 3rd gen. Start the hype engine now!
