News
Analyst suggests GPS, Wi-Fi may be in iPod’s near future
Prudential Securities research analyst Jesse Tortora believes the next iPod could “include a wider touch-screen, Wi-Fi and GPS.” He made these comments Monday in relation to a research note he released to clients and reported on by the International Business Times. Tortora speculates this overhauled iPod—especially as relates to the built-in GPS—will “position the iPod as the central hub for all digital content (music, movies, GPS) in automobiles.” Apple may also look to veer away from hard drive-based iPods, the research analyst speculated, by instead choosing “NAND flash as soon as late ‘07.”
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1
Then again, they may not.
Posted by Carnac on February 6, 2007 at 12:07 PM (PDT)
2
GPS in an iPod?
Maybe in an iPhone or in the form of an accessory, but definitely not as part of an iPod.
The iPod is a music player, What GPS has to do with Playing Music is beyond me.
What are you going to do - Have another field in iTunes “Location most recently played”?
Posted by Dan Woods on February 6, 2007 at 12:24 PM (PDT)
3
Yeah, a GPS makes no sense. Fortunately Apple doesn’t tend to throw junk into gadgets on a whim (coughmicrosoftcough), so if GPS were in an actual iPod, it would probably have some interesting use.
Then again, that’s a big ‘if’. As I said, GPS in an iPod doesn’t make sense, so I’d say the touchscreen and flash memory are more likely. In that case this is just another instace of an analyst ‘predicting’ no-duh features and tossing some weird thing in to justify their job. I need to be an analyst.
Posted by Multimoog on February 6, 2007 at 12:37 PM (PDT)
4
“Apple may also look to veer away from hard drive-based iPods, the research analyst speculated, by instead choosing “NAND flash as soon as late ‘07.”
No hardrive players? I really don’t want a 8 gig ipod, I have a 80 gig ipod now and want the new ipod to have at least a 100 gig hardrive.
Posted by stevenjuke on February 6, 2007 at 1:56 PM (PDT)
5
i’m with stevenjuke—i keep having to backup & dump stuff off my 80 GB pod, it makes no sense to upgrade to anything w/< or = storage. if NAND flash can go 100+ GB w/i the next year or so, they can put an espresso maker on it for all i care—i’m there!
Posted by aztlanblues on February 6, 2007 at 3:47 PM (PDT)
6
I think a GPS would make tons of sense…just another reason to always have your iPod with you, in the car for trips, going on hikes, etc…and you won’t be held down by having to choose between electronic devices. I currently use my non phone PDA for my GPS, and don’t like carrying the bulk of two devices. I’d love if they were combined.
With that said, the GPS seems much more likely as part of an iPhone versus iPod….as cell phones have GPS built into them to begin with.
Posted by bluecow on February 6, 2007 at 5:24 PM (PDT)
7
I want a job as an analyst. The man knows literally nothing that anyone who has not spent ten minutes on Apple.com does and yet he gets paid for spewing BS.
My first five preditions for the iPhone now that I’m an analyst.
- Will eventually work in space so the astronauts will be able to use it.
- the iPhone will be made of kevlar in the future, to increase durability.
- the next generation of iPod will include a stylus made of wood, not for manipulating the screen but for killing vampires.
- iPod will totally be popular and sell lots, especially amoung carbon based lifeforms.
- some iPhone users will use their phones to Google the word “porn”.
Posted by Jeffery Simpson on February 6, 2007 at 5:53 PM (PDT)
8
well said Jeffery!
Mr. Tortora needs to be a bit more savvy and current than that. C’mon
“Apple may also look to veer away from hard drive-based iPods”
_its already in progress Mr. Tortora!!
Is it me or does it seem as though our research analyst missed this past Macworld??
Posted by Lemonzinger on February 6, 2007 at 11:15 PM (PDT)
9
I love my handheld. Thing is, I’m getting tired of having several electronic devices I have to cart around with me - I swear, I’m probably the only NYC girl who hates using a pocketbook, but since I got my cell phone, then pda, then ipod it got to the point where I needed to carry a bag with me. I want to reduce all the junk I carry around, so this is a good move as far as I’m concerned.
GPS can be used to show where restrooms are, re-route you when you are lost, using it for geocaching…gosh I love it!
Posted by gps girl on February 7, 2007 at 8:12 AM (PDT)
10
Doubt it. Now with the iPhone iPods will return to their original status being of simple products focused on playing media. iPhone will take care of GPS and WiFi, theses features are just not needed on an iPod. Touch screen? Probably. Its just a nice futuristic vision that I can see happening, just not this year.
Posted by Eddie '92 on February 7, 2007 at 10:52 AM (PDT)
11
i think a lot of people can make predictions but there is weight to what an analyst says. they dont just guess, but they follow apple very closely. but of course apple is tight lipped - so they do other things, like check apple’s supply lines, partners, make contacts on the inside etc. the reason they do it is because of money. the report will say something like “we feel apple will do this or that and because of that the revenue should go this or that way so i recommend investing billions or not”... so its very precise. its not full proof, but a guess of an analyst is closer than anyone else.
Posted by wall$treet on February 9, 2007 at 8:08 PM (PDT)