As with every major iPod introduction, iLounge has polled leading iPod accessory manufacturers and services for their opinions on the Enhanced iPod 5th-Generation, new iPod nano 2nd-Generation and new iPod shuffle 2nd-Generation.
Answers:
Val Kolton, V-Moda, President & CEO
Added capacities, same size and upgraded software make it a great evolutionary iPod product.
Kas Alves, VP Sales & Marketing, Scosche Industries
We are not surprised with the new features but feel the big announcement is yet to come on the iPod with Video. We are very excited they didn’t change the bottom doc location or dimensions of this iPod.
Wm. Marc Salsberry, Creative/Marketing Director, mStation Audio
We have been anticipating much of the announcements made by Steve Jobs and Apple and are pleased with the direction that they are taking. We have had a new product under development for months now that will take advantage of several of the new features that the iPod video will offer and we plan to announce it by the end of the week. We believe that the iPod community as well as the CE community in general will be very excited with our new offerings.
Derrick Stembridge, Marketing Director, Griffin Technology
Apple has managed to improve upon an already amazing design. The new features are a testament to the attention to detail Apple puts into its products.
While the most revolutionary feature is of course its ability to play full-length movies from the iTunes Store, one major feature that shouldn’t be overlooked is the new iPod’s gaming feature. iPod has the potential to be an outstanding gaming platform – even more so than mobile phones Since developers only have to write for a single platform, not for dozens of different handsets. And, of course, the distribution of games through the iTunes Store is simply unbeatable.
The new search feature is another fantastic feature that has the opportunity to really enhance your day-to-day music listening. I have a 60GB iPod now, and am forever scrolling up and down finding stuff. Being able to directly choose the first letter of the song or artist I’m looking for is great.
Keiko Mase Napier, Vice President, Power Support USA
The new generation offers more in the same housing size and can replace the portable DVD player and all of the DVD’s I was having a hard time getting rid of.
Guy Monson, Director, Proporta
These changes are relatively small but nonetheless important. I think the extra memory underlines Apple’s commitment to the move towards video in addition to audio.
Pamela Roccabruna, Senior Marketing Manager, Altec Lansing
We are excited about the enhancements that will improve the movie-watching and game-playing experience. We have great products to compliment this.
Jacqueline Romulo, Belkin
Expanding into full length video is a big step toward people looking at the iPod as the one storage device for all their entertainment content.
Laurent Bui, Marketing Manager, Pacific Rim Technologies
If it ain’t broke, dont fix it! The 5G’s form factor stayed intact and we’re happy to say that our line of 5G products such as our leather cases, aluminum cases and cradles are still compatible with the Enhanced 5th Generation iPods!
Daniel P. Sullivan, President, i2 Electronics
As discussed above the 2nd generation iLOCKr is already in the prototype phase. We recently learned that the new 30gb video and 80gb video are of the same spec and size of the current 30gb video and 60 gb video respectively. In addition all the ports, docks and power switches have been maintained. Unbelievable! This means our iLOCKr for the 30gb video and our iLOCKr for the 60 gb video will secure like a glove the new 30gb and 80gb iPods. Our iLOCKr security case is one of the few accessories that will be fully functioanl with the new 30gb and 80gb full faced iPods. In designing the original proto type iLOCKr we wanted to make sure that we always allowed the face of the iPod to be unobstructed and visible, and thanks to our chief engineer we were able to do that. With the addition of our new product the iWRAPr(a thin protective skin) to our iLOCKr packaging (3 iWRAPr skins included with every iLOCKr,) we now have the ultimate in scratch proof protection for your iPod as well as the ultimate in security protection for your iPod. Needless to say Dennis the new iPods could not have worked out better for our company and the iLOCKr.
Julius Ayala, Axio
I like the added search feature and a brighter screen but was really looking forward to the rumored widescreen touchscreen video iPod.
Lars Felber, Elgato Systems
Longer battery life, brighter displays and more storage are what EyeTV users
were asking for. The new iPod enables them to store more recordings, watch
longer and enjoy an even better picture. Higher resolutions allow for better
quality when using the TV Out.
Jack & Anna Featherly, Owners, Operators, AB Sutton
It’s a nice update. The prices are spot on, especially with the improvements. It’s our new ride at AB Sutton.
Lee Goldring, Director of Product Services, Marware
Marware believes that the increase in battery life is probably the most significant change. Watching TV shows is one thing, but losing power 80% of the way into a full-length movie, with another 3 hours to go on a long airplane ride, would really stink. The introduction of the 80GB model, with its increased capacity, seems to go hand in hand with the introduction of full-length movies on iTunes as well.
Edgar Matias, President, Matias
Looks great! Gapless playback is a long-overdue feature.
Ron DeCamp, Product Manager – Digital Entertainment, Targus
Improved screen brightness and battery life are good. Gaming is a nice change of pace.
Adam Steinberg, Director – Product Line Management, Elgato Systems
It’s great to see the iPod be able to handle larger video resolutions and
offer higher storage capacity. That means we’ll be able to put more TV on
your iPod!
Brian Thomas, Director of Sales & Marketing, Otter Products
Bigger is better, isn’t it?
Kevin Muoio, Chief iPodification Officer, iPopMyPhoto.com and iPopMyBaby.com
In our eternal quest for more gigabytes, 80 GB should suffice for now. Obviously, movies and TV take up tons of space and 80GB ensures the ability to put a whole season of the Office or Little Britain alongside all of my music. With Games, Movies, TV Shows and of course Music all on this player together this is a full media player, it’s no longer just a music player in my opinion. No wifi or bluetooth? Surprising. Was hoping for iPhone this time around.
Susan Pan, Administrator, Sumajin
I feel that the iPod video 5G Enhanced is a great idea! Now that more & more people are getting used to the 5G video iPod, the greater capacity allows unrestrictive downloads & videos on the move! With more videos and TV shows at iTune, it’s become a reality for people to be able to watch their favorite show anytime, and anywhere!
Mark P. McJunkin, President, TuneBuckle
Awesome that Apple is selling movies now. I cant wait to never navigate the crappy channel remote interface of my TV again.
Roy Smith, VP Marketing, Broadclip
It’s an evolutionary change. From our perspective, it is going to increase the installed base of video capable iPods even more. I expect it to be a huge seller this xmas season.
Dan Millet, Owner, iPod Fix It
Good improvement but only minimal
Craig Schlossberg, President, PumpOne
Great! Although I was expected 100GB or more.
Don Ang, Boomwave Products
It’s cool to have Game enhanced and download from iTune.
Shannon Jea, President, TechRestore
While a bit underwhelming (waiting for that widescreen to show up!), the new battery life and brighter screen are a nice addition. The price point adjustment should be well received.
Ben Kaufman, Illuminator, Mophie
Software update looks great, we love the fact that search have been integrated into the software update. This will help while scouring through your 80GB library. Apple did a good job giving us just enough to stay happy while not dishing it all out.
Answers:
Val Kolton, V-Moda, President & CEO
Apple’s bringing sexy back with the new colors and metallic body of the iPod Nano 2G. The added capacities and blacked out design on the 8GB model add form and function, while the blacked out click wheel on the black model is minimalism at its best.
The new silver Nano is a great match for our V-MODA Remix M-Class and Bass Freq Bling Bling Black Chrome modaphones. The green, pink, blue and black V-MODA colors were all designed to complement the color palate of the iPod Nanos and Minis.
Kas Alves, VP Sales & Marketing, Scosche Industries
It was a necessary move to better the flaws in the first generation nano.
Wm. Marc Salsberry, Creative/Marketing Director, mStation Audio
We love it here at mStation. We have been in the process of making some color changes that will take advantage of the new line up.
We believe that our new color offerings will enhance the new ‘nano’ line quite nicely.
Derrick Stembridge, Marketing Director, Griffin Technology
It’s the best of the iPod mini and the original iPod nano rolled into one package. Apart from the much-discussed industrial design changes, the iPod nano’s new features are modest but welcome enhancements (bigger capacities, longer battery life, thinner design). We’re particularly excited about the nano’s newfound ability to function as a voice recorder. This will make it an excellent, pint-sized addition to our new iTalk Pro CD-quality recorder for iPod.
Its tougher, metallic exterior should quiet critics of the original nano’s somewhat scratch-prone surface, and its new features (bigger capacities, longer battery life, thinner design) are welcome additions to the iPod nano family.
Keiko Mase Napier, Vice President, Power Support USA
Looks great, the durability of the aluminum housing will be a definite plus for all users.
Guy Monson, Director, Proporta
Again, relatively small changes to the devices which are however sure to boost the demand for iPod. I think the colour options will prove popular – we launched a choice of different coloured headphones recently and they’re proving to be extremely popular.
Pamela Roccabruna, Senior Marketing Manager, Altec Lansing
We like the improvement to the brightness of the screen and increase in battery life.
Jacqueline Romulo, Belkin
New colors and design look great. I think the best part is that the nano can now record CD quality stereo audio. It is already compatable with Belkin’s TuneTalk Stereo.
Laurent Bui, Marketing Manager, Pacific Rim Technologies
Very excited about the great form factor. Pacific Rim Technologies is dedicated to be one of the first companies out of the gate to offer protection to our clients’ 2G nano. We should be shipping a revised line of 2G nano Gel Shields before the end of the month of September followed by our popular Aluminum Shields. We’re also excited to announce the re-tooling of our hot selling iCradle for nano with remote. Come visit our booth at Digital Life in New York City on October 12th to 15th to view our complete line of products!
Daniel P. Sullivan, President, i2 Electronics
We are doing back flips over the design of the hew nano. We are already working on a proto type iLOCKr for this new iPod. The beveled sides and the sleekness of the new nano will really allow the 2nd generation iLOCKr to fit and countor right as if they came from the same mold. It is going to be spectacular. Also look out for the introduction of some new colors. Currently the iLOCKr is available in black, white, electric lime, pink, camouflage and desert camouflage.
Julius Ayala, Axio
This is what the 1st generation nano should have been. Love the nano mini look! As everyone knows the 1st gen nano scratched easily. The aluminum finish is where it is at. Brighter screen a plus. Gapless play is nice. Longer battery life is great. Not a mind blowing design but I like what I see.
Jack & Anna Featherly, Owners, Operators, AB Sutton
It’s interesting that Apple has been able to get rid of the soft plastic issue and get a de facto style update for all those who still use the Mini. I mean, suddenly your Mini doesn’t look like an old VW! The 8 gig is the most important addition though, they filled the biggest gap in their product line. Aesthetically speaking, although we have yet to hold a 2G Nano in our hands, we still prefer the look of the first generation Nano.
Lee Goldring, Director of Product Services, Marware
We think that the new models look great with colors, as they did on the iPod mini. The first generation nano “surface scratching” issue dogged Apple and its iPod case vendors as well. The aluminum casing should solve that problem entirely. A perfect blend of the eye-pleasing colors and rounded corners of the mini, with the sleek design and performance of the first generation nano. The new packaging is awesome!
André Klein, President / Head of Development, SendStation Systems
Both iPod nano and iPod shuffle are impressive designs because of the highly demanding engineering and assembling requirements.
Edgar Matias, President, Matias
I always had a softspot in my heart for the Mini, so it’s nice to see the 2G nano re-incarnate it. I was amazed at how much thicker the old Mini
looks compared to the 2G nano.
It’s also interesting that the 8GB nano is the same price as the 30GB iPod. When the mini was introduced, many people said Apple was crazy
pricing it so close to the full iPod. History proved them right, and it seems they haven’t forgotten that lesson. Many users are willing to
trade-off the extra storage space for a smaller form-factor. In iPod math, smaller and sleeker = 22GB, and vice versa.
Ron DeCamp, Product Manager – Digital Entertainment, Targus
Multi-colored anodized aluminum enclosures were a good move. This will help the iPod appeal to more people and allow for a more personalized feel.
Adam Steinberg, Director – Product Line Management, Elgato Systems
Shiny! Colorful!
Brian Thomas, Director of Sales & Marketing, Otter Products
Minor changes, which is good for us. I think they must have had some let over brushed metal to use up from the iPod mini days.
Kevin Muoio, Chief iPodification Officer, iPopMyPhoto.com and iPopMyBaby.com
Glad to see the Mini colors back in action. 8GB is a great option and in my opinion, is plenty of space for consumers only using the iPod for music. Great enhancement here, nothing revolutionary, an already incredible product gets even better.
Susan Pan, Administrator, Sumajin
As for the iPod nano 2G, my first impression when i saw the iPod nano 2G is that it is an extension of the existing nano. More options given to user though, from normal capacity user to a heavy capacity user. It adds color to those who like colors. From the design-point-of-view, it is cleaner than the existing nano.
Mark P. McJunkin, President, TuneBuckle
I think it is a good move by Apple – The extruded aluminum case of the new nano will be much tougher than the original enclosure. Great that people will be able to get custom colors again! Great value as well.
Roy Smith, VP Marketing, Broadclip
Most of the changes are “fluff”, the big missing item is still video playback capability.
Dan Millet, Owner, iPod Fix It
Nice move, should draw a lot of attention with the colors.
Craig Schlossberg, President, PumpOne
LOVE the battery life. Brighter screen is perfect.
Don Ang, Boomwave Products
Why still can’t view video? Personally, I will prefer the Old nano design.
Shannon Jea, President, TechRestore
Very nice. Should be more durable than the 1G nano. Only problem I see is battery replacements will no doubt be much tougher due to the single-piece molded enclosure. Reminiscent of the original iPod mini, only smaller. Based on the unit we took apart today, end users are going to have a tough time with self-service battery replacements.
Ben Kaufman, Illuminator, Mophie
We’ve always loved the mini here at Mophie and bringing back the look really hit the mark. I think this will be a big hit for apple as we near the holiday season.
Answers:
Val Kolton, V-Moda, President & CEO
It is a good form factor, yet we have no plans to make a special V-MODA product for the Shuffle.
Kas Alves, VP Sales & Marketing, Scosche Industries
They did a good job changing the exterior design, adding more memory and at a great price!
Wm. Marc Salsberry, Creative/Marketing Director, mStation Audio
We would love to get one in our hands to see how the music is transfered. It doesn’t seem obvious from the photos. There seems to be a ‘dock connector’ type extrusion alongside the mini jack on the shuffle dock, but nothing like a receptacle on the shuffle. Is the data transfer part of the mini jack? If so, how does that work? Very interesting though.
Derrick Stembridge, Marketing Director, Griffin Technology
It’s great to see the shuffle reworked to meet the demands of consumers. The original shuffle had a lukewarm response for a lot of reasons, and it seems Apple has addressed the issues. I think the design of the new 2G shuffle is fantastic, its is very sleek, simplified and TINY. It is light enough to clip anywhere.
Keiko Mase Napier, Vice President, Power Support USA
I will definitely use the shuffle daily, it is such a smart product.
Guy Monson, Director, Proporta
I think the Apple advert showing this device clipped to a pair of jeans says it all – the device is tiny, you really can ‘wear’ your music. One threat to this device will come from mobile phones with music capabilities though, I have a couple of gig of memory in my phone and use it to listen to MP3s when I don’t have my player with me. The advantage of a phone is that you will be carrying it already. That said, Apple fans are sure to prefer the look of the new shuffle.
Pamela Roccabruna, Senior Marketing Manager, Altec Lansing
A great design that is taking flexibility and portability to the next level.
Jacqueline Romulo, Belkin
The Apple designers packed a lot of function into a very tiny space.
Julius Ayala, Axio
This is great! Love the portability and the added clip! Most people like the fact that the old shuffle had built in USB. Some sacrifices had to be made to get it to this size but I love the form factor. This is the only product I was really blown away with. I might have to buy this.
Jack & Anna Featherly, Owners, Operators, AB Sutton
We love the look of this and see it as a big improvement. We no longer produce cases for the original Shuffle and will look at this one once it gets in the shop, but it really seems quite perfect on its own.
Lee Goldring, Director of Product Services, Marware
Very small form factor is great for folks who work out with their iPod, especially with the integrated clip. As a case manufacturer, based on its diminutive size, it’ll be a good challenge to come up with new shuffle products that have real practicality, as opposed to plain old novelty. Overall, the shuffle continues to be a perfect entry point for new iPod users.
André Klein, President / Head of Development, SendStation Systems
Both iPod nano and iPod shuffle are impressive designs because of the highly demanding engineering and assembling requirements.
Edgar Matias, President, Matias
Mixed feelings about this…
I think the new design is brilliant, much more compelling than the
original Shuffle, but I miss the convenience of the standard USB plug.
Pity they chose to leave this out. Size and style won out over
convenience (unfortunately).
Ron DeCamp, Product Manager – Digital Entertainment, Targus
Great industrial design. Ultra-compact and light-weight allows for easy handling.
Adam Steinberg, Director – Product Line Management, Elgato Systems
Neat.
Brian Thomas, Director of Sales & Marketing, Otter Products
Just too small to justify making accessories for.
Kevin Muoio, Chief iPodification Officer, iPopMyPhoto.com and iPopMyBaby.com
Watching Steve Jobs hold the new shuffle between his thumb and forefinger was like watching a reenactment of the Saturday Night Live skit, as the shuffle resembles the micro / puqueno / invisa. The MP3 player becomes completely wearable, practically invisible. The only downside I see is that I sometimes stuggle to locate my full size iPod, the tiny shuffle size means it’ll be that much easier to lose.
Susan Pan, Administrator, Sumajin
Last but not least, for the iPod shuffle 2G, I want to own one! For people on the move and joggers, it is the perfect companion, light-weight and small. Less visible but I hope the delivery is with a bang!
Mark P. McJunkin, President, TuneBuckle
Wonderful looking design – I love the thought about usability with the integrated clip. I feel that the small size will lend itself well to being lost. Great Value again!
Roy Smith, VP Marketing, Broadclip
They needed something at this price point – I’m glad they brought this item out, it will continue their domination of the mp3 player market.
Dan Millet, Owner, iPod Fix It
Still not a real iPod 🙂
Craig Schlossberg, President, PumpOne
Its now at the right size.
Don Ang, Boomwave Products
Overall, it’s a cool design but I don’t see a need for iPod shuffle. They should just discontinue with this product line.
Shannon Jea, President, TechRestore
Great size reduction and nice implementation of the belt clip. To early to tell about take-apart and battery life.
Ben Kaufman, Illuminator, Mophie
WOW. This thing rocks. Shuffle has been an unsung hero of the iPod line for so long but this new one is just phenomenal… so perfect. Definitely the biggest highlight of the day.
When can customers expect updated cases/products?
Answers:
Val Kolton, V-Moda, President & CEO
All of our products are already fully compatible and complement the current color schemes of the new iPods. However, we will continue to monitor the colors of new accessories, such as armbands, to tweak our color hues if necessary for future products.
Kas Alves, VP Sales & Marketing, Scosche Industries
The good thing about Scosche Bluetooth BlueLife system is that it utilizes the head phone jack input with it’s transmitters so these iPod changes will not effect us. Scosche also foresaw the design challenge to get our RF receiver bottom docs small enough to be used on the 1G nano and all iPods. We have confirmation that our new RF remotes are compatible with 1G nano and 2G nano and all 4G iPods and later.
iPod SoundKases will be developed and redesigned for the new nano. They should be shipping this December.
Wm. Marc Salsberry, Creative/Marketing Director, mStation Audio
We had heard rumors from our Retail Partners about the coming changes which had us anxious considering our ‘New’ product offering and our planned color changes. Many of our Retail Partners were predicting a new ‘dock connection’ that they believed would invalidate or make obsolete much of what was already in the marketplace. We were extremely pleased with the announcements as they were ‘in line’ with much of our planned ‘New’ offerings.
As far as the iPod ‘nano’ line and its new color offerings, we have been planning new color additions to our mStation 2.1 Stereo Orb line and it was exciting to see that our timing was ‘spot on.’ We plan to announce our new colors by weeks end, with Pre-Orders available immediately by Retailers and availability to consumers in time for this Holiday season.
Derrick Stembridge, Marketing Director, Griffin Technology
The vast majority of our iPod accessory lineup is not affected by the redesigned iPods at all. The few products that are incompatible with the new iPods (specifically, those products designed exclusively for the original iPod nano) are of course being revised to take advantage of the new iPod nano’s design.
The new iPods open up new opportunities for Griffin. While we’ve had a good idea of what was coming based on Apple’s attention to consumer feedback, they always manage to throw a curveball or two.