Apple Announces Special Event : “Let’s Rock” Sept. 9th
Apple today announced a September 9th special event, which considering the invitation and name of the event, will likely hold announcements for updates to the company’s iPod line. With rumors of CEO Steve Jobs’ ill-health, and problems concerning the release of iPhone 3g, and MobileMe, this will be a perfect opportunity to get the press talking positively about Apple once again.
One can expect updates to most of the iPod line, especially a rumored total redesign of the best-selling iPod nano. Rumors and concept art have held that this new nano will be taller and thinner than the one it replaces, and will house a 16×9 ratio widescreen that will make viewing movies on the device more pleasant.
(an artists conception of what the new iPod nano may look like)
Also look for price cuts across the board as Apple plans to get as many of it’s iPod Touch devices into homes for the holiday season. I would expect to see a $179 – $199 8 or 16 gig iPod touch which will compare favorably to the price of Apple’s iPhone 3g. Since these two devices are similar in capability, and both share the ability to get applications from Apple’s App Store, look for this to be a way to seriously solidify Apple’s Multi-Touch platform in the minds of consumers.
Will there be a “One More Thing?”
Rumors have been swirling that Apple will begin to offer a subscription style music service in the vein of Zune Marketplace, Napster, and Rhapsody. It’s still unclear whether or not something like this is coming, but if it were to be announced here is the place. Diggnation’s Kevin Rose told listeners of TWiT that these new iPods would also come requiring iTunes 8. For a company like Apple that generally doesn’t jump a version number without major new features, a subscription service could be the surprise of the day, and require the new version of iTunes.
One thing is for sure, I’ll be here September 9th covering the event as it happens. So remember to check in for the best speculation and punditry on the web, and I’ll try not to dissapoint.