Will the mobile phone kill the iPod?

Quicksilver

Quicksilver

Find a golden apple.
Within the next few years expect major convergences in technology. Including music, telivision & communication related handheld products.

I've been carfully monitoring this subject for a few years now and I believe this is the future of many handheld devices, now that networking & capacity technology is creeping up, PDA/Phones are really starting to mature.

This is just about where the Newton should have and/or PDA's will begin to hit the main streams in the masses. its very close, only a matter of a short time.

See the full story here --->

And this too --->


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Until we have a box that supports mind control, the best gadget/tool for the job is still the best tool/gadget for the job...for the next 5 to 10 years the phone is still going to have to many buttons whistles and all that jazz, plus health issues.
 
convergence of the PDA, phone, and mass media player has been very slow, and looks like it really won't happen, imho. I mean, I'd hate to have a hard drive in my phone as much as I drop that thing.
 
I think this will happen, albeit slowly. With flash cards and the like getting larger capacities and cheaper I think it is inevitable.

Whilst the iPod is undeniable cool, at the end of the day it's just a music player. If your phone could do it why would you want two devices in your pockets when one would do? The software/interface of the iPod isn't something that couldn't be done on a (smart)phone. Would also allow for cool stuff like auto pause when your phone rings.

At the moment the technology is such that the specialist devices win out. There is no reason for this to stay the same forever IMHO.
 
Yes, of course it will kill the iPod.

Just as the TV killed the movie industry, and mobile phones killed the landline phones, and TV and movies killed the books, and the VCRs killled the cinema...
 
I take your point Giaguara but there is a difference.

The iPod is but one device within an area of technology. It's not the whole of mobile music playing - just one part. Therefore it can get replaced without taking the whole area with it.

If stuff didn't die out/evolve we would all still live in caves!
 
And you could ask yourself if the iPod could kill the mobile phone?

The only portable device I see as threatened right now is the pda, both by smart phones and iPods and similar devices with multiple functions.
 
Mobile phones that can play music: Fine. Why not. I'll keep my iPod. Why? Because unless the phone's made by Apple, the integration with the Mac won't be as great.
 
Yes, of course it will kill the iPod.

Just as the TV killed the movie industry, and mobile phones killed the landline phones, and TV and movies killed the books, and the VCRs killled the cinema...
Click to expand...

And as Video Killed the Radio Star
Like Randman said, the mobile is not the only one advancing. The iPod could well take over some of the mobile arena. fryke also makes a good point that no phone will integrate with our macs as well as the iPod.

I feel the mobile could very well get into the portable music area, hoewever, even if it did, it would take a very long time to take off. Someone who's just bought an iPod is not going to go and ditch it for a phone.
 
I have a smartphone, Ericsson P800, and it already plays mp3-files. There are now two reasons why I don't chuck my iPod:

1: Memory sticks are very expensive. If I could get a 5 GB memory stick for a reasonable price, I'd never even consider an iPod. I don't need to carry around more music than that.

2: Synchronizing with the computer is too slow for large file transfers. Put a FireWire in my phone and give it a large (5-10 GB) storeage capacity and the iPod is history.

New smartphones also have built in FM-radio, and it'll only be a matter of time before they get WiFi as well (if someone hasn't got it already).

So, storage capacity and connection speed to the computer is all that needs to get fixed, and maybe WLAN. How long do you really think that'll take, given todays development speed?
 
So, future smart phones need...

1. Bigger storage capacity.
2. Better communication speed with computers.
3. Much longer battery life to support all the tasks they will be able to do.
4. Nice elegant interfaces (to keep us Mac users happy!)

Agree?
 
TV did not kill the movie industry -- it changed it. As we all very well know, the movie industry is making more money than ever, and producing movies with cutting edge effects. I say that TV most definitely did NOT kill the movies. Also, I don't think that TV and movies killed books, either -- Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com are bigger than ever, and the majority of their sales are still books. I still read books.

Mobile phones did not kill landline phones, either -- it changed them. Most people I know still keep both around, and 100% of the businesses I work/worked for have landline phones, for obvious reasons.

There will not be an "iPod killer", in my opinion. There may be gadgets that come along that manipulate or force the iPod into some sort of change, but nothing that will come along and completely kill it.

Remember, back in the day, when they thought that our whole houses would be computer controlled by the year 2000? My refrigerator does just fine by itself. I don't want a computer controlling it. Nor do I need or want my TV to turn on when I enter the room. I want my art static and not dynamic like it is at ol' Billy's house.

I don't think it's correct to envision a future where a certain new device comes along and completely removes the need for an older device. It usually doesn't happen like that (example?). What does usually happen, though, is that new technology is invented that allows those older devices to grow and change and adapt to changing lifestyles.
 
Well, see now? That's what I get for posting 3 minutes after waking up... :p Brain doesn't start working until at least 30 minutes after...
 
That's why I _always_ do the following things when I get up in the morning: 1) Sit down in front of the computer and answer new threads on macosx.com. (Very Loud Warning Signal.) ;-)

Back on topic: I still hope Apple will one day come out with _the_ iPhone. This would be a (very) smart phone integrating iPod's best features (and hey, yes, this device _would_ have an integrated microphone, anyway!) and synching with your Mac through FireWire, doubling as a Bluetooth/VoIP phone (using your Mac as gateway) and iChat interface. Probably not going to happen, though. ;-)
 
One would hope something named iPhone had an integrated microphone. :p

Heck, why not have it act as a microphone when synced with the Mac, then you could just use it with iChat (which everyone will use by then. ;))
 
In general I hate all-in-one devices. Especially junk like printers/scanners/faxes. But, technologically, the iPod may be doomed. Storage space, size and features are all easily attainable on other devices.

However, as hinted at before, it may boil down to integration. Especially for us Mac people. PC people may be more willing to put up with horrible interfaces or a hacked attempt at working with Windows, but we Mac people want our toys to play nice. As we should since we're paying a premium for them.

If one day a phone, PDA, iPod, camera all merge are very easy to use, are top quality, and (most importantly) integrate perfectly into my digital hub (e.g. Mac), then I guess I can't make much of an argument for the iPod sticking around as we know it.

For now (and for at least a few more years), I'm sticking with my iPod. I rarely use my cell phone since I live two blocks from work and don't travel much. I rarely need to take a"quick and dirty" digital photo. And I have no use for a PDA, therefore my iPod serves me perfectly.
 
Erhm...

Darkshadow said:
One would hope something named iPhone had an integrated microphone. :p
Click to expand...

That's what I said, wasn't it.

Darkshadow said:
Heck, why not have it act as a microphone when synced with the Mac, then you could just use it with iChat (which everyone will use by then. ;))
Click to expand...

That's what I said, wasn't it.

Don't answer threads first thing in the morning? ;-)
 
Short Answer: No.

Not really the long answer:
The iPod will evolve as all technology does. I would not be surprised to see the iPod add a couple more features, but what it will ultimately do is still present that sense of style that makes it very popular now, and that Louis Vitton and Gucci and other brands make accessories for the iPod.
 
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