In a bizarre display of senseless word-slinging, CNET author Donald Bell suggests that Apple should “dump” the iPod touch for being an “underachiever,” and for being too similar to the iPhone. Unfortunately, none of the points that Bell makes are really all that compelling.
The Argument
Bell argues that the iPod touch doesn’t have much to offer in comparison to the iPod nano and the iPod shuffle, and refers to the iPod touch as “essentially a neutered iPhone.” He then goes on to claim that the iPod line is “basically a charity case,” and likens iPods to “silly souvenirs” for tourists. Mr. Bell then continues to argue that the very term “iPod” has lost its meaning, and points to the fact that the iPod only accounts for 5% of Apple’s revenue.
So what does Bell propose that Apple should do about their “dying” iPod? Release another more expensive device that does practically the same thing. Of course.
Make it a 7-inch tablet with a relatively high resolution and a $299 price, and you have a distinct third option for iOS. Sure, it’s $100 more than today’s entry-level iPod Touch, but it’s still much less expensive than an iPad.
He even entertains the notion of a 5″ tablet, which I cannot even begin to understand as magically somehow being better than the 3.5″ iPod touch for, well, anything.
The Response (A.K.A.: Fighting the Stupid)
Besides not being a very compelling argument (and misstating the device’s name as “iPod Touch” rather than “iPod touch”), Bell’s claims are flawed in a number of respects.
First, the iPod is hardly trivial. Apple announced that they sold 15.4 million iPods in the final quarter of last year, over half of which were the iPod touch. That’s well over a billion dollars in iPod touch sales alone. It would hardly make sense for Apple to throw away more than a billion dollars, especially when it’s easy money.
Second, the iPod touch is still very relevant. It’s not a “less capable” version of the iPhone. Rather, the iPhone is a more capable (and far more expensive) version of the iPod touch. Customers can purchase a brand new iPod touch without any obligation for $200. This, compared to the $649 it would take to purchase an iPhone outright.
Further, people purchase a device like the iPod touch for many different reasons. Perhaps they already have a smartphone, but want a great music and movie playing device. Perhaps they want a cheaper device to use at the gym, rather than sweating all over their much more expensive iPhone. Perhaps they want a media player that they can keep in the glove box of their car. Spending $200 for an iPod touch makes a hell of a lot more sense in all of these cases than spending $649 for an iPhone.
Besides the fact that the iPod touch is much cheaper than an iPhone, the fact that the iPod touch is still selling and making money for Apple, and the fact that there are still plenty of great reasons to buy an iPod touch rather than an iPhone or iPad, Bell’s suggestion of replacing the iPod touch with a 5″ tablet or a 7″ tablet just doesn’t make any sense.
Charging more money for something that is less portable than the iPod touch, and can’t really do much of anything better than the iPod touch would be a stupid, foolish mistake (besides the fact that it would undermine sales of the existing iPad).
The iPod touch doesn’t need to make customers “excited,” as Bell suggests. It just has to serve a distinct purpose: An affordable iOS device that can be used in addition to, or even in place of, an iPhone.
Should Apple give up on the iPod touch? I see no reason why they should, and not only has Bell failed to persuade me (and many others) in any significant way – he’s probably turned a number of people against his argument in the process.
