Does Apple need to revise the iPod price list?

[Convert]

Don't get me wrong I think the iPod family is great. I think the prices however, are not. I don't mean that the iPods are expensive necessarily, but the prices are most likely causing problem for customers.
This is in UK GBP

iPod mini
£179

iPod 20GB
£219

iPod U2
£249

iPod 40GB
£299

iPod 40GB Photo
£359

The 60GB model is fine IMO.

I just think customers have to go through a long "should I should I not" process. Look at the iPod U2, would anyone REALLY miss out on just paying £50 more for twice the storage? Even if you'll never use 40GB, twice the storage for £50 more (well, £80 from the original iPod) is very good. The iPod mini is horrible in price, IMO. For £40 you can get a 20GB iPod.

I think the pricing isn't amazing.

[mw84]

I totally agree. When your my age and earn what I earn at work, £220 is a LOT, over a quarter of my total monthly wage infact. If you can afford it then it's great and probably as already mentioned, reasonably priced for what you get. I'm just happy the new Ipod shuffle is so cheap the 1GB which would store most of the music I have anyway is only £99.

[Convert]

Yeah, I have a fair bit of music (2000 songs) and my photography work is kicking off again. So the iPod shuffle would be nice. I am only 16, earning £5.70 an hour. If I worked a week full, I could earn £240.

For the iPod photo, I have about £200 so far. I will have enough soon.

[fryke]

If you're looking at how well they SELL, though, I think they do _not_ have to revise their pricing scheme. People have been buying the iPod minis like crazy. But generally, they've been basically buying every iPod off the shelves - besides the iPod photo. I guess the 5G iPods will all have the beautiful colour screen, leaving only the iPod mini with a greyscale screen. So with a neater price, Apple could basically _make_ people buy the iPod photos then. (Although they'd probably better just come back calling them iPods again...)

But looking at the market out there, considering your question: No. Not really.

[mindbend]

With all due respect, your position on analyzing pricing shows me you're thinking about the product line with a very narrow "logic" entirely based on GB per dollar.

The iPod line is so NOT about that.

The U2 iPod is for people who just think U2 is cool and could care less about another 20 GB.

The minis are for fashion-conscious folks (women mostly) who don't have any need for the extra space, even if it is only a few extra bucks. They want something is sleek, hip and fashionable. Oh, and if it plays all my songs for the day, bonus.

If I had a nickel for every time I heard, "Why would anyone pass up a 40 GB for only another $50?" I'd have a handful of nickels.

This is "Emotion Marketing" 101. (search Amazon for Emotion Marketing)
The premise is basically that ALL purchasing decisions include an emotional factor (e.g. color, style, how it makes you feel, fashion, etc.). In some products that emotion factor is much higher than others (like iPod minis over a loaf of bread, or more to the point, iPod minis over a regular iPod).

But all marketing analysis aside, some people just don't need the extra space! (Here's another nugget for y'all. Guess who makes up the majority of the consumer electronics buying population. Women.)

In short, Apple's pricing is dead on.

[andychrist]

Yeah everybody complained when the mini came out that it was over-priced but it sold out right away. Savvy consumers understood that less is more. The same has already happened with the Shuffle and will happen with the miniMac.

On a brighter note, Mo, according to ThinkSecret new 'pods are on the way so chances are we'll be seeing even better value ahead.

[fryke]

If you read TS carefully, you'll notice that they mentioned Summer as the earliest. We shouldn't let people think Apple will update the iPods much sooner... Although, of course, TS could be wrong about this. (Then again, Toshiba said the 80 GB drives don't come earlier.)