Kasper JadeApple has teamed with Seagate to deliver a revision to its trendy iPod mini digital music player early next year.
The production, which is now taking place in Asia, has reportedly been underway for at least a week. The company's objective is to produce an ample supply of the players before making an official announcement of the new models in early 2005.
Inside the new iPod mini will be a 5GB hard disk capable of storing up to 1250 music tracks, a 25% increase over the the current iPod minis which hold 1000 songs on a 4GB drive.
In order to begin producing the new players prior to the new year, sources say Apple has enlisted Seagate Technologies, a worldwide leader in hard disk design and manufacturing, as its supplier of 1-inch 5GB microdrives.
Apple is reportedly hoarding as many of Seagate's 5GB ST1 drives as possible, in an effort to build a stockpile of the new minis that will adequately cater to initial product demand.
Seagate joins two other hard drive manufacturers that currently supply Apple with drives for its digital music players. Toshiba manufactures the drives for Apple's iPod and iPod photo, while Hitachi provides the company with 4GB hard disks for its current iPod mini offerings.
Apple introduced the iPod mini in January of 2004 to much fan-fare, but was unable to meet demand for the players until the second half of the year, due to poor planning and inadequate supplies of the 4GB microdrives from component supplier Hitachi.
Around the same time that Apple introduces the revised iPod mini, the company is also is expected to launch a flash-based iPod that will sell for below (US)$200. Sources say this player is currently being produced in droves in the industrial district of Taiwan.
Both Apple and Seagate declined to comment on plans for an iPod mini revision.
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28 Comments
really really hope they improve the battery and include an fm tuner
Since the most recent iPod update included a better battery, you can almost be certain a new mini would have one as well.
But FM tuner? That would make the mini bigger. Very doubtful imo.
Since the most recent iPod update included a better battery, you can almost be certain a new mini would have one as well.
But FM tuner? That would make the mini bigger. Very doubtful imo.
but then the creative zen micro which is about the same size has a built-in fm tuner and voice recorder. so i think Apple can also throw in an fm tuner. btw, the zen micro has 12 hrs of battery and it comes with 2 batteries which makes that 24 hours. Apple should do something about this.
well it depends on the contract. if the contract has (or is about to) expire(d), Hitachi should not be offended. If they can't deliver what Apple asks for, then, Apple takes the ball and goes elsewhere.
But you got a good point there tonton.
Hmm... it seems like there will be more to this update than a simple hard drive upgrade if Apple needs to "hoard" 5GB drives to prepare for demand, especially since after the holidays, a great number of people who wanted a Mini would have one. The new Mini would have to be compelling enough to attract current Mini users to upgrade, and 25% ain't gonna do it.
Wrong.
The iPod phenomenon has nothing to do with current users upgrading and nothing to do with market fatigue from the Holidays. The iPod is a runaway train immune to normal buying trends. Apple is hoarding HDs simply to avoid a repeat of last year's iPod mini crunch.