14 DAY TRIAL // This fall, over a year will have passed since Apple's last refresh of the iPod line. There are rumors that Tim Cook will not only unveil the iPhone 5, but also a scaled-down iPad during an event this October.
In other words, Apple may refresh its entire range of iProducts in a single showcase, culminating with the iPhone 5 as a one-more thing.
With every reported quarter, Apple has registered declining iPod sales. Only the iPod touch has been selling a tad stronger than its smaller siblings. Although the ubiquitous players are directly responsible for Apple’s triumphant rising around the year 2000, it appears the iPod line has finally started to lose its Steam.
That’s not to say the music players aren’t still popular. The figures only suggest people have grown increasingly fond of big screens, which makes the iTouch the first candidate for an upgrade this year. Admittedly, there have been few leaks regarding a potential refresh.
There’s talk about a 7-8-inch iPad that retains most of the current features in a smaller form factor. In fact, there’s so much talk about this lately that it’s starting to get credible. Apple is said to have diabolical plans to leave absolutely no space for competition, even despite its initial reluctance towards displays below the 10-inch spec. The product is said to be scheduled for debut this fall.
If all this pans out, the most anticipated announcement of the year - the iPhone 5 - is likely to come last, as a one-more-thing to Tim Cook’s keynote presentation at the rumored October event.
According to most sources quoting Apple insiders, the smartphone will look quite different from the current-generation iPhones (though Apple is reportedly still deciding on the final design), and it will feature a slightly-bigger display, as well as a smaller dock connector.
All in all, it has become increasingly apparent that we’re in for an incendiary fall event from Apple Inc. Perhaps not coincidentally, this is the same thing Tim Cook promised while closing his last keynote address.