Apple CEO Steve Jobs made a series of industry-altering announcements on Wednesday at the technology giant’s annual music-themed media event in San Francisco. During the press briefing, Jobs noted that the company’s entire line of iPod devices has been completely revamped, marking “the biggest change in the iPod lineup ever.” Beginning next week, Apple stores will start selling faster, smaller and more intuitive versions of all three of their digital music players.
In an effort to make the iPod Nano even more compact, Apple decided to eliminate the click wheel and equip the device with multi-touch capability, similar to the iPhone. The move allowed the company to design a product that is 46 percent smaller and 42 percent lighter than the previous model. The new version of the Nano also comes with a rotatable screen, 24-hour battery life and a number of original features, including FM radio, Nike Plus and voice memos. It comes in 29 different languages and is priced at $149 for the 8 GB model and $179 for the 16 GB edition.
Apple’s eclectic CEO also unveiled the updated version of the iPod touch, which is the technology provider’s best-selling music device and the world’s most popular portable gaming medium. The latest product comes with Apple’s new iOS.41 operating system and the “best retina display in the world,” according to Jobs. iPod touch owners can utilize the device’s front- and rear- recording cameras to video-chat in real-time through a W-iFi connection. Users can also edit videos and entertain themselves with Apple’s new Game Center and High Dynamic Range Photo apps, which are incorporated into the new operating system that Jobs announced earlier in the event. The 8 GB costs $229, the 32 GB $299 and the 64 GB is priced at $399.
Finally, Jobs rolled out a restructured iPod Shuffle, which now boasts voiceover capabilities, genius mixes, playlists and more functional buttons. The shuffle is smaller and lighter than the previous version, can hold 15 hours of music and is available in five new colors. Consumers can acquire Apple’s most miniature iPod for $49.
All three of the modernized iPod’s will go on sale at local Apple stores on Monday, and can be pre-ordered today.
Beecher Tuttle is a Web Editor for TechZone360. He has extensive experience writing and editing for print publications and online news websites. He has specialized in a variety of industries, including health care technology, politics and education. He received his bachelor's degree in English from the University of Colorado.
Edited by Beecher Tuttle
