14 DAY TRIAL // Rumors spoke of a new high-end iPod that was essentially an iPhone sans phone and everyone assumed that Apple would simply replace the video iPod with this new model. Surprisingly enough, Apple has decided to keep the classic model of the iPod around, aptly naming it 'iPod Classic.'
The new iPod Classic is built on the previous full sized iPod models and offers storage capacities of 80GB and 160GB. While the storage size has increased, the physical size of the models has gone down, with the 80GB model being thinner than the old 30GB version and the 160GB model being thinner than the old 80GB version. Both of the new models now have the improved iPod interface, with a split screen system that allows for seeing album art and other content on one side while scrolling through menus on another. Cover Flow has now also become part of the design and lets users browse music and videos by album covers or video previews, viewing track details after selecting the album. The 80GB model will be priced at $250, the 160GB model at $350. Battery life is stated at 40 hours of audio playback and 7 hours of video playback. The new models are available immediately and will soon be available for purchase from the Apple Store.
Although many expected the new Touch iPod to simply replace the previous video iPod such a move would have created problems for Apple. The iPod Classic offers a great deal more storage space than any other iPod and without it, users who are less keen on features but want to be able to carry all of their content would have been left out. Apple can experiment with new models and features, but the iPod classic has remained a stable and staple part of the iPod lineup and will likely continue to do so until NAND flash prices drop enough to make phasing it out feasible.