Apple To Launch a WiFI iPod ?

[rakeshishere]

The rumor mill about Apple’s intentions has started again as DigiTimes reports that Apple may launch a WiFi iPod later this year. DigiTimes is quoting Taiwan portable music player component makers, who said that USI will produce WiFi modules for iPod and Foxconn wil be the OEM system assembler. Apple’s latest gadget, iPhone, has a built-in WiFi (802.11b/g).
The WiFi enabled MP3 players seems to be the latest trend. The first MP3 player with WiFi capabilities was Zune, the Microsoft’s iPod killer, which was unveiled last year. Still the WiFi capabilities of Zune are intended for different use. Using WiFi Zune’s users may share songs between them. The songs have copy protection functions, preventing the recipient of the song to copy the song more than three times. If the gadget is connected to the PC the software enables the user to find the song on the Zune music portal where it can be bought.

At CES 2007, SanDisk announced the Sansa Connect, a Wi-Fi enabled MP3 player that lets consumers enjoy and recommend music from almost anywhere. The Sansa Connect un-tethers consumers from their PCs allowing them to connect to music and online photos through any open wireless “hot spot” Internet connection. Already available on retail shelves in the United States, the new Sansa Connect also contains community features for recommending music and photos with the simple click of a button and a “live” Wi-Fi connection.

When the Sansa Connect is not connected to a WiFi network, the player behaves like a traditional Flash MP3 player and can be connected to a PC. The 4-gigabyte Sansa Connect features a sleek, attractive profile with large 2.2-inch TFT color screen, a microSD slot for music and photo capacity expansion, and an internal speaker. The suggested retail price of Sansa Connect is $249.99.
Las month, ARCHOS introduced ARCHOS 704-WiFi, the only PMP with full wireless capabilities. The 704-WiFi also supports video downloads from the new online stores of leading retailers. With the new wireless-enabled players, ARCHOS tries to capture the growing trend in consumer portable entertainment: the ability to watch digital media files on the TV.
MP3 players makers are rushing to add new features into their products because of the competition from mobile phones. The analysts predict music-enabled mobiles will outnumber standalone MP3 devices by five to one come 2012.

More than half of the one billion mobile handsets shipped globally are expected to have music-playing capabilities in 2007, analyst house Portio Research predicts. MP3-enabled handset sales are expected to be highest in northern and Western Europe with 95 per cent of mobiles predicted to be MP3-enabled by 2011 in the region, the research reveals.



SOURCE

[iMav]

following MS foot steps .... ab aaya na jobs line pe

[aryayush]

This is a rumour, i.e. "a currently circulating story or report of uncertain or doubtful truth".

[rakeshishere]

Originally Posted by aryayush

This is a rumour, i.e. "a currently circulating story or report of uncertain or doubtful truth".

See the First Line of My post

[gxsaurav]

WiFi based iPod, with full screen touch UI & controls is bound to happen. Apple cannot expect all existing ipod + phone users to leave there stuff & buy an expensive iPhone.

Apple will keep iPhone as well as Wireless iPod along with touch screen UI mush like iRiver clix did long time back.

[iMav]

whats the point of a touch screen fone which has an ipod and a touch screen ipod ...

[shantanu]

I remember the touch screen CRT monitor.. GX was once talking about

[gxsaurav]

Originally Posted by mAV3

whats the point of a touch screen fone which has an ipod and a touch screen ipod ...

Here is the thing. There are many users out there who need a phone for just phone tasks. Why should they pay for Multimedia features in iPhone then? There are so many professional users out there for whome a smart phone is all that matters & not even a camera. I myself recomended a friend of mine today a W950i cos he needs a phone for music & internet mails capability without camera cos camera is banned in his office.

Apple is stupid if they kill iPod Genration 6, it will be like puting an Axe somewhere & long jumping in it .

iPhone is already out now with a TouchUI screen, & although touch UI does sux without stylus, but comon they did need a new novelty to sale, didn't they. In case of iPod Gen 6, it makes sence to use the same touch Screen UI in it, which infact suits a Portable Media player more then it suits a phone. Phones do not need a complete touch screen UI but PMPs do, as this will give them big screen. Just look at how iRiver clix implemented this feature long back.

Again, Zune is out now with WiFi resulting in sharing of Music among 2 Zune users, which is indeed a saling point. If you have non DRM music then share it, whats the problem. Now again, how can apple be behind so they copied this feature too.

I remember the touch screen CRT monitor.. GX was once talking about

Yup, that was really an innovation

[iMav]

but actually practically i find having 2 things really very difficult ... an ipod and a cell fone ... so for me a mix of both wud be really handy

[gxsaurav]

Well, not everyone is same. i know people who use Motorola L7 + Sandisk sansa or SE J200i with a Local mp4 player.

[iMav]

haan woh thik hai but ask em if given an option wud they want 1 device or 2 .... i think ppl wud prefer taking care of 1 costly gadget than 2 .... but yeah its subjective ....

[gxsaurav]

Even I prefer an All in one device, thats why I myself say Multimedia phones are the way to go. But, there are many other concerns too such as battery life & storage size.

A complete, best Phone would have been SE W950i with a 2 MP Camera of W810i

[nepcker]

iPhone's an iPod with WiFi.

here are many users out there who need a phone for just phone tasks. Why should they pay for Multimedia features in iPhone then?

Those users should go for an entry-level cell phone.

iPhone is already out now with a TouchUI screen, & although touch UI does sux without stylus, but comon they did need a new novelty to sale, didn't they.

You love stylus? I think they suck. That's the reason I never bought a smart-phone.

Phones do not need a complete touch screen UI but PMPs do

Phones are much-more complex devices than PMPs. You are right, it will give PMPs a bigger screen, but I disagree that phones don't need a complex UI.

[iMav]

arre yaar ... andy ne band kiya, arya ne kam kiya toh yeh shooru ho gaya .... nepcker u r late for this discussion v have discussed everything there is about the zune, iphone- its features everything .... tell us something new if u have ...

phones and a complex UI - dude do us all fone users a favour dont take up a job with cell fone manufacturer

[ambandla]

Originally Posted by mAV3

arre yaar ... andy ne band kiya, arya ne kam kiya toh yeh shooru ho gaya .... nepcker u r late for this discussion v have discussed everything there is about the zune, iphone- its features everything .... tell us something new if u have ...

phones and a complex UI - dude do us all fone users a favour dont take up a job with cell fone manufacturer

iphone's 8gig memory is not at all enough for existing ipod video users. using only iphone means cuttin down atleast 30gig space to 8gig. For these, 6th gen ipod with a touch screen, wifi to interact with PC/iphone is essential.

Just think of those who have 80gig video ipod. iphone has just 10% of space. For nano users, iphone will be heaven.

[goobimama]

arre yaar ... andy ne band kiya, arya ne kam kiya toh yeh shooru ho gaya

That's a funny line, i must say. Much like in them hindi movies...

[gxsaurav]

Those users should go for an entry-level cell phone.

Lack of Multimedia feature doesn't always means entry lavel phone. Ever seen K510i? 28 MB memory, not a Music phone but a casual phone with nice 1.3 mp camera. But yeah, Nokia 1100 is the most saling phone out there

but I disagree that phones don't need a complex UI.

, wait wait....you saying Phone should have a complex UI?

nepcker u r late for this discussion v have discussed everything there is about the zune, iphone- its features everything .... tell us something new if u have

he he, lolz

iPhone is just for those who are willing to pay a lot of money for a Phone + iPod features.

For those, who are serious Media users, iPod gen 6, iRiver Clix 2, Zune 2, Cowen & Sony Walkman Video players are the way to go in India. We don't even have iTunes or DRM worries here.

Actully I was thinking of this, just started making a Mock UI for a phone based on PS3 Crassbar UI in Flash

[ambandla]

Originally Posted by gx_saurav

Lack of Multimedia feature doesn't always means entry lavel phone. Ever seen K510i? 28 MB memory, not a Music phone but a casual phone with nice 1.3 mp camera. But yeah, Nokia 1100 is the most saling phone out there


, wait wait....you saying Phone should have a complex UI?


he he, lolz

iPhone is just for those who are willing to pay a lot of money for a Phone + iPod features.

For those, who are serious Media users, iPod gen 6, iRiver Clix 2, Zune 2, Cowen & Sony Walkman Video players are the way to go in India. We don't even have iTunes or DRM worries here.

Actully I was thinking of this, just started making a Mock UI for a phone based on PS3 Crassbar UI in Flash

Don't forget to put blue death screen in that UI. Just kidding mate.

I agree that iphone is not for serious music buff's. I prefer iphone like ipod with a 30gig HDD.

Best of luck for the UI design. Hope you post that in public download pages.

[iMav]

yes first gen iphone is not capable of satisfying music junkies but then look at SE even they dont have huge memory space ... the point is the capability .... nokia is has already put a hdd is a fone ... the moment jobs ko patta chalega he will fit 1 in the iphone also and already flash memories of huge capacities have been displayed by samsung and others

and practically speaking i got a 30gig ipod which plays videos for not more than 2 hours after a full charge and also having around 3k+ songs (which i listen unlike ppl who like to create libraries and not listen) with still my ipod more than half empty ....

so unless apple finds a way of playing videos for upto 6 hrs ... means 2-3 movies and a bigger screen theres no point ....

battery backup is what they should actually be working on rather than capacity

[kirangp]

Who cares about iphones or ipods....My creative zen micro rocks

[iMav]

^^ ok

[gxsaurav]

Don't forget to put blue death screen in that UI. Just kidding mate.

It is a UI, not an OS. The days of Windows BSOD are over with Vista & XP SP2 mate.

Just look at W950i, just 4 GB memory but seriously good 15hrs audio playback & about 4 to 5 hrs video playback at that resolution. mav3 is right....u might end up with no battery left when u need to make the call the most , & Remembar, iPhone doesn't provides user replacable battery just like iPod.

a Phone should be a phone primarely. Having 1 GB storage in a phone is enough. This is the reason I like SE\Nokia multimedia phones. Just 128 or 64 MB Memory, which the user can expand as he requires. He is not forced to pay for 8GB of HD space even if he doesn't need it. He gets some memory to start which he can expand as required.

More flash memory of 16 GB results in huge increse in costs, so that is not an option right now. iPhone should have had 2 models. One with 4 GB Memory, one with only 128 MB memory & Memory card expension.

[nepcker]

@gx_saurav:

Lack of Multimedia feature doesn't always means entry level phone. Ever seen K510i? 28 MB memory, not a Music phone but a casual phone with nice 1.3 mp camera. But yeah, Nokia 1100 is the most selling phone out there

I'm not saying that lack of multimedia means a entry-level phone, but you mentioned about people who need cell phones for just phone tasks. Those people should go for entry-level modele -- there's no point in buying an expensive phone.

wait wait....you saying Phone should have a complex UI?

Yes. But I must add that the complex UI is needed for smart-phones only -- phones that can do much more than just make calls.

But I do agree that iPhone won't replace my iPod. I'd prefer a 80GB iPod.

The days of Windows BSOD are over with Vista & XP SP2 mate.

No, Microsoft's now keeping it in the Xbox and other devices. I've read somewhere that the X360 displays a BSOD while playing certain games like Quake IV.

Besides, BSOD isn't gone -- it's just drastically reduced. They'll now show you a BSOD very less often but will still show you.

@mAV3:

yes first gen iphone is not capable of satisfying music junkies but then look at SE even they dont have huge memory space ... the point is the capability

The reason wht\y iPhone is not for music junkies is because of the lack of HDD, the SE, too doesn't have a HDD, so it's not for music junkies too.

From my experience, the only phone that can actually be compared to PMPs are the Sony Walkman phones. iPhone will be the next, as it's capabilities will be like that of the iPod's.

nokia is has already put a hdd is a fone ... the moment jobs ko patta chalega he will fit 1 in the iphone also and already flash memories of huge capacities have been displayed by samsung and others

The reason why Apple hasn't kept HDD in a phone is because it will make the iPhone lose its slim profile. iPhone's the slimmest smart-phone for now, but with the HDD, it will probably be the thickest.

and practically speaking i got a 30gig ipod which plays videos for not more than 2 hours after a full charge and also having around 3k+ songs

I own a Video iPod too -- it gives me around 2.5 hours of video and 14 hours of video -- not great, but reasonable.

battery backup is what they should actually be working on rather than capacity

I think battery life and capacity should be given equal preference. Both of them should keep increasing.

[gxsaurav]

Yes. But I must add that the complex UI is needed for smart-phones only -- phones that can do much more than just make calls.

have to say, the companies of the whole world are trying to simplify the UI & U want them to make it complex , gr8 thought of making a simple device complex

No, Microsoft's now keeping it in the Xbox and other devices. I've read somewhere that the X360 displays a BSOD while playing certain games like Quake IV.

it doesn't even use the Windows kernal, where did u read such stupid news?

I own a Video iPod too -- it gives me around 2.5 hours of video and 14 hours of video -- not great, but reasonable.

kaunsi battery hai bhai

For a phone, the best way is to give less memory to start with & expension in form of memory card. This reduces cost a lot.

[nepcker]

have to say, the companies of the whole world are trying to simplify the UI & U want them to make it complex , gr8 thought of making a simple device complex

Actually, Multi-touch is a complex user-interface that will simplify the user experience. Zooming in and out, for example, feels far more natural using the iPhone (at least that's what the lucky people who got to use an iPhone says).

kaunsi battery hai bhai

Oops... I meant 14 hours of audio.

[iMav]

the thing abt capacity is that u hav external cards which are slim ... so tht takes care of 1 problem and as i said the iphone's music capability is claimed to b as good as the ipod the only difference is the capacity and external mem cards can do tht .... i hav also already stated tht gigs of space on flash mem hav been previously demoonstrated by companies .... so what im concerned with is the battery because no 1 is actually coming out with hours of vdo playback battery

[gxsaurav]

Ya, hours of video playback is something to look for & is quite a saling point. The Portable Music Player market is saturated now. All the players out there do the job easily with nice battery wether it is Sandisk, Apple, Creative or iRiver.

The next big thing is Portable Video players, & actully for them a PVP with 320X240 Resolution, 4 inch screen, 512kbps H.264 codec & mp4 container with 128 kbps mp4 Audio is quite sufficient. Sony just came up with a Nice hardware, there Video walkman players, but there PC counterpart softwares suck.

For a phone, there is no need to provide ultra size HD wether flash or Analog. Just provide some internal memory with expension in form of memory card. Just take the example of W950i, 4 GB internal flash memory without expension. They should relese W960i with 1 GB internal memory & memory card expension. This will reduce the cost & give the user more options & choice.

[nepcker]

Yes, battery life should be given more preference that it is currently being given.

it doesn't even use the Windows kernal, where did u read such stupid news?

http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:...60_bsod_01.jpg
Some links:
www.engadget.com/2005/11/23/users-report-xbox-360-crashing-like-mad/
xbox360diesatwalmart.ytmnd.com

Instead of the familiar Blue Screen Of Death (BSOD) from Microsoft, the Xbox 360 will be given the BSOD treatment in black upon crashing. After all, everything looks good in black, from fashion to the iPod nano.