I will admit to loving this product. If I hadn’t just renewed my contract with Verizon I would be waiting impatiently for it. We are looking hard at the price, yes it’s high, but look at what you get, and compare it to the original iPod and how it’s price has fallen, and you will see that by the time these are ready for mass consumption, it will be a sure thing.
The original iPod debuted in 2001 at $399 for 5GB and $499 for 10GB. Fast forward to the first flash player, (correction: The iPod mini has ultra-thin Compact Flash Microdrive hard drives made by Hitachi) the mini, and you will see it made it’s debut in 2004 at $249. Today, in 2007 $249 gets you a top rate 30GB iPod Video and flagship product rings in at $349 for a whopping 80GB of storage.
So in 6 years, the top of the line iPod has increased in capacity 8 fold, added color, photo and video capability and dropped in price $50. Let’s say that Apple has a 2 year agreement with Cingular and this product reaches the average consumer in 2009. By the rate of the iPod, the product would have dropped at least $100 putting it in the $399 range with contract.
If I go to Verizon online right now to buy a new phone, at contract prices, that puts it in line with the Samsung SCH-a990 and I think we will all agree the iPhone blows the doors off of that phone.
I think we all know this is going to be big. I just hope people will look at this as the price of innovation and not the long term price. This is not an overpriced PS3, this is going to turn the mobile phone industry on it’s head.
JB
Pricing info from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPod
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Mini = hd player
nano = flash player (retailed for $200 for 2gb)
Oh wait, shuffle was first flash player and retailed for $100 for 512MB
Sorry