Apple ’s iPod rail line has gone months without an update . It ’s been nearly a class since the portable music instrumentalist added new capabilities , such as the ability to play video , or look in a new signifier factor , like the slimmed - down nano . In the rapid - flak world of technology toy , that ’s usually the sign of a merchandise line that ’s get long in the tooth .
And yet , iPod continue to fell off the shelves just as tight as Apple can make them .
The intellect for this schematic wisdom - defying turning of case ? Analysts and slew watchers accredit the iPod for finding a market that is n’t as focused on recent product updates as much as it is have one ware that “ just work . ”
“ The reason people are buy [ iPods ] is to dally music , and it does that very well , ” say Josh Rubin , editor in chief in chief ofCool Hunting , which tracks consumer trends . “ The Macworld [ Expo ] keynote - watching , web log - reading , Apple possessed someone will determine for the refresh . But the all-embracing consumer foot is just concerned in having a euphony player that ’s easy to apply . ”
No updates , no problem
Aside from the update U2 iPod , whichadded video - playback capabilities in June , all of the other iPods loose since last October have been refreshes to existing lines . The iPod nano got a February update when Apple released a1 GB variant . The iPod has been stick on its fifth - multiplication incarnation since the fall;30 GB and 60 GB modelscontinue to betray at the same $ 299 and $ 399 prices they were introduced at . likewise , theiPod shufflehas never seen a refresh since its launch in January of 2005 , though Apple has cut the Mary Leontyne Price on its flash - based histrion .
However , the lack of activity has n’t seemed to sham sales . originally this calendar month , Apple reported it had ship 8.1 million iPods during its financial third quarter . That ’s a 32 percent increment over its year - ago quarter , when the troupe ship 6.1 million iPod .
The third fourth part also see Apple ’s third best quartern ever in term of iPod sales — top only by the first quarter of this year when Apple sold 14 million iPods , and the 2nd poop of 2006 when it sell 8.5 million .
Brand identity
One key fruit to this might be that the iPod has transcend the traditional market that Apple and other technology products typically hand . With nearly 60 million social unit ship , the gimmick has crossbreed over from the technology market into the realm of a worldwide consumer product , analyst say .
“ Digital euphony players are becoming mainstream , ” Cool Hunting ’s Rubin said . “ It ’s no longer on the outer edge of the longsighted tail . ”
Another key fruit to the continued outgrowth could be the shorter fourth dimension consumers are hold off to upgrade their music actor . A May 2006 report from Robert Semple of Credit Suisse First Boston observe that the lifecycle of an iPod has dropped from two geezerhood to 1.5 years . This arrive at Apple less dependent on finding raw consumers to go out and buy iPods , according to Semple .
“ The fundamental takeout food is that if any party can accelerate its product substitution cycle , it becomes less strung-out on new user penetration for ontogeny , ” Semple pen .
Mike McGuire , research vice president at market - enquiry firm Gartner offers another account : Many consumer are still get the shift to digital from physical media . And that ’s help fuel strong iPod sales even in the absence seizure of updated models .
“ Over the last several versions [ Apple ] hit some sweet smear in the market place , but it ’s still a new marketplace , ” McGuire say . “ I cogitate a big ball of this is that the online music industry and digital online medium is still comparatively immature in the minds and experience of a lot of consumers I think a lot of hoi polloi may have had portable CD histrion , and withstand the first three to four years of the iPod onslaught . ”
Meanwhile , analyst say the iPod stigma has become so synonymous with the digital music player that when median consumer decide to make the transition to digital music , they attend for an iPod rather than consider the iPod product Hz or other MP3 players .
“ It ’s similar to Band - Aids and Kleenex and Rollerblades , where the brand has become synonymous with digital medicine player in consumers eyes , ” Rubin say .
The iPod may be synonymous with portable digital music player in most shoppers ’ minds , says Jupiter Research analyst Michael Gartenberg , there ’s still an important eminence to be made . “ Kleenex is a generic brand for all tissues . You go to Walgreens and any box of tissues is ‘ Kleenex . ’ ‘ Tivo ’ is a generic full term for DVR , any DVR is a ‘ Tivo , ’ ” Gartenberg say . “ ‘ iPod ’ is not generic for an MP3 role player . Woe unto the consumer who bought something else as a giving thinking they were buy an iPod . It has not become a generic product ; it ’s a very specific product , from a very specific company , with white headphones , and heaven forbid the consumer err and get that wrong . ”
Despite the iPod ’ inviolable continued sales event , however , many analyst expect to see an update to the intersection line this fall in time for vacation shopping . That Cartesian product , whatever it may be , could well be a ended replacement for one or more products in the iPod line , Gartner ’ McGuire said .
“ As they did with the miniskirt to nano , [ Apple ] reset the normal , at the stature of a product ’s popularity , ” McGuire supply . “ And they did that for one very important grounds : If the competition gets stuffy , and if you have something to displume out of your air hole that ’s as good or better , then you defeat it . And you do what a lot of companies have n’t done or ca n’t do , or are afraid to do , and consume your own young . If you really need to stay ahead and keep your competition one step behind you all the time , then when they start aiming for that noted product , you take it out and replace it with something as good or good . ”
