Apple Should See The iPod Touch As Serious Mobile Device, Maybe Even More So Than the iPhone

I have the iPod touch as you know and from an earlier post regarding its battery, you can probably tell that I use my touch as one of my main mobile device.  It's an valued part of my mobile workflow.  I almost leave home without it. At times, I cannot help but think that Apple is using the iPod touch as a way to introduce people to the iPhone, especially for those who cannot afford a two-year commitment that is required to own an iPhone.  And for kids in school, the touch is a great way to get them ready for the iPhone someday.  

Instead of seeing the iPod touch as a device to help Apple up sell users to the iPhone, I think Cupertino needs to reevaluate this and perhaps give the iPod touch just as much innovative and marketing attention as the iPhone.  

With the introduction of the fourth generation iPod touch with Facetime camera running iOS 4, this touch has has true become a mobile device with a lot of productive power.  Yes, it is missing 3G wireless access but it more than makes up for not having the need for the user to sign up for a two-year contract.  At the same time, it has the clear Retina display the iPhone 4 has and has similar specs on the inside as well.  In a Wi-Fi environment, the touch loses nothing to the iPhone.  

In fact, this is what I think Apple should do.  As with its back-to-school deal that gives each student a free iPod touch with the purchase of a Mac, Apple should expand this to everyone.  Apple should offer this to enterprise customers as well as individuals.  

iPod Touch Battery Life: 75 Min Skype Video Call; Apple Should Find A Way To Make Battery Life Even Better for 2012 Version

I spent all morning talking to an online friend on the other side of the world on Skype since about 7am this morning.  It was a Skype video chat lasted about 75 minutes which forty minutes in got disconnected but I quickly dialed back.  As you know by now, I'm obsessed with battery life.  How power did this call chew up?  40%?  50%?  

At the start of the call, I had read a little bit on iBooks and made a few queries about today's weather and the movie times for Super 8 on Siri.  In all, I had been using the iPod touch for about 30 minutes before making the Skype calls.  

In all, the call took about 33% of battery life.  

Is that good?  Well, it's better than I expected.  At the end of the call, I expected to see the battery indicator closer to midpoint of the icon than the  two-third point by my estimation.  

The reason I am sharing this is because I do have a full day until 5PM PST when Game 6 of the 2011 NBA Finals start.  Until I can safely get home with the iPod touch plugged into a socket, I reckon it should hold me over through the rest of the morning and the afternoon where two hours of time, I'll be watching Super 8. 

My iPod touch is the fourth generation model.  This is by far the fastest and most powerful non-phone mobile device on the market, Apple really has not done much to improve its battery life.  Given its thin form factor, Apple has done a great job even squeezing out the battery life out of the touch.  Impressed as I am, I cannot help but think that had Apple given the touch an extra millimeter or two, adding an extra half ounce to its weight, it might give us an extra fifteen to twenty percent more battery life.  

On Apple website, the iPod touch is rated at 40 hours of music playback and 7 hours of video.  The iPhone 4 has the same 40 hours of music playback and is capable of playing 10 hours of video on one charge.  Apple also states the iPhone 4 can provide up to 10 hours of Internet use on Wi-Fi.  Though no information is provide regarding the touch's battery life under Internet use, we can safely that it is nowhere near 10 hours.  I would say that it is 7 hours at best.

On top of that, I normally do not sit there in silence.  Even now, I am listening to a podcast and before, that, I was streaming Science Friday from NPR.  With such an use combination, it's likely I will would have likely achieve closer to 5 to 6 hours of battery life.  

I consider this decent for a device this small and light.  For a non-phone device, I think nothing comes close to what Apple has achieved with the iPod touch.  However, I hope Apple seriously bump up the battery life on the next touch update.  We are increasingly relying upon our mobile devices and smartphones for our daily computing and social needs.  

Be it Apple, Samsung, or Google, these tech companies need to realize that our mobile habits have changed greatly even from a year ago.  What constitutes heavy versus moderate use has to change.

Note: Even though iPhone's 6 hours of Internet use over 3G is pretty good, I would like to see Apple really bump that up to 10 hours somehow. 

iMessage Versus Everyone Else; Developers Has To Evolve Or Become A Wiki Has-Been

One of the best examples of survival of the fittest, evolutionary pressure, or natural selection can be seen in how the mobile market is evolving. And with the introduction of iMessage in iOS 5, due this fall, we are seeing a lot of changes, or talk of changes in SMS, and how others like RIM's messaging implementation will be affected.

iMessage is already being herald as a winner. In the past couple of weeks, I have tried a few multi-platform messaging apps that served well enough. However, as with anything Apple, they can encroach at any moment into an field or function, that apps served, not previously available in its OS.

Developers of Whatsapp, Kik, KakaoTalk, and probably a couple of dozens others face a difficult choice this fall. Innovate or attempt to survive on other mobile platforms and leave iOS mostly to iMessage.

Like I've mentioned before regarding iCloud's impact on other cloud storage solutions, incumbents like Dropbox can see a silver lining in this. Apple competition does not necessarily mean the end of the world. There are positive examples of how Apple helped competitors.

• Just like the iPhone brought a lot of attention to smartphones.
• iTunes made it okay to download music.
• iOS-based Apple TV has been great business for Roku.
• iPad has developed a whole new mobile computing market that Microsoft previously failed to ignite on fire.  While sales of non-iPad competitors haven't caught on, it is only a matter of time before Android, Web OS, Playbook, and even Windows 8 begin to serve as strong alternatives to Apple's tablet offerings.

I am sure there are a couple of other examples. I reckon iMessage will force many innovate. And innovate goes both ways, doesn't it? Apple has a history of developing a great app only to allow it to languish. Sometimes, they come up with an incredible update such as Final Cut or allow it to due a quiet death (I am beginning to think iWeb and Ping will go down the latter path).

What of Blackberry Messaging, BBM? Word on the blog street is that RIM will release an app for both Android and iOS. And WSJ reports that Google is working on their own multi-platform messaging app or reinventing gTalk to compete.

So, I think messaging platforms will benefit from the attention that iMessage is going to bring. Instant messaging could also get a second wind as a result.

Everyone wins right? Wrong. iMessage, BBM, Google's offering, and the other messaging apps as a whole will put a big dent into the SMS growth - a cash cow for the wireless cartels across the world.

I don't have to tell you just what a rip-off SMS is. And I am safely in the majority as far as this opinion goes. While analysts do not see a sudden torrential shift in the messaging market, I think they are wrong. Dead wrong.

I predict a huge drop in the next 12-18 months as the revenue from texting takes a big hit. Just like the app developers threatened by iMessage, the wireless industry across the world will need to change. Somehow, I don't see that happening. Maybe a few can move and innovate quickly enough but most will wake up one day and wonder just where their steady and reliable billions in SMS profit went.

iMessage is both good for the wireless industry and great for mobile warriors regardless of whatever mobile platform your smartphone runs on.

Lion's $29.99 Price Reduces Owning A Macbook By $190 Compared To A Windows Laptop

Google offers Android for free (for now since an Oracle win against Google could mean billions in damage and Google may have to start charging for Android) is an incredible strategy that hardly anyone else can duplicate.  It puts Microsoft in a bind with respect to Windows Phone 7.  And with Google offering Chrome OS for free, it could one day rival and put a dent into Microsoft's Windows revenue.  

However, that is years if not decades away and from the looks of things for Chrome OS, that just isn't going to happen at all.  But Apple may have taken a page of the Android strategy and offer OS X Lion for dirt cheap at $29.99 against Microsoft's $80 to $220 price range with a new copy of the Pro version at $200.

Could Apple have offered Lion for free?  The answer is yes but it doesn't have to.  It's about making a statement against Microsoft's dominance in the PC market and debunking the myth that Mac costs more than a PC. It sends a signal to buyers if future versions of Mac OS will be cheaper to upgrade than Windows.  

And this is the most important point of all. By reduce Lion's price to just $30, Apple has reduced the cost of owning a Mac $190 compared to a Windows PC.  

Apple can do this because its core business is both software and hardware and it makes most of its money through selling hardware.  Apple's Mac sale growth has outpaced the PC market growth every quarter for the last 5 years.  With this $30 Lion move, Apple has made sure that its win streak will continue for years to come.

Don't look surprised if the OS X upgrade after Lion comes in at $20 or the one after that at $10.

Note: Apparently, Forbes has a similar idea.

Interesting Read On Twitter Integration with iOS - What It Also Means For Social Networking

Here's an interesting read on iOS integration with Twitter that was unveiled at the WWDC keynote on Monday. What was surprising was the deep level of integration that no one had expected Apple to do.  In one post I read, the blogger said Apple essentially gave Twitter  immortality Take the meaning as you will, this is a relationship that benefits both firms.

Also, I was listening to a podcast, 5 By 5, where John Gruber guessed that the relationship between Apple and Twitter is different from say Apple and Facebook, which is on the rocks, hence, its exclusion from iTunes, resulting in Ping's failure.

This came back to when Apple and Google broke their marriage.  Apple has learned from it.  Gruber said just as much and in the deal, there probably was a clause in which Apple would have the rights to veto any takeover of Twitter by another company or that Apple will have the first chance to purchase Twitter should the need arise.  Such a clause would provide Apple the confidence it needs to know that Twitter has no plans to become a competitor or be used by a competitor like Facebook, Google or Microsoft. 

Regardless, I can see some amazing things for iOS and the Mac from this.  Right now, the company with the most to worry about here is probably Facebook.  But relationship between Apple and Facebook can't be all that bad if is including fields in Contacts for Facebook (as well as a few other social networks).

Could Apple develop an app that serves as an umbrella platform for social networks the way Trillion, Meebo, or Adium does for the various instant messaging services?  Could that be what iMessage will one day evolve into?  Also, it would rock if we can tweet directly from iMessage as well.

iOS 5 is still in the first beta and I'm sure we'll see more about Twitter integration in the coming months.  The final version of iOS 5 will ship this fall, presumably with this year's new iPhone and iPod touch.

Source:  TUAW, Crunchgear

iOS 5, 1080p, And Apple TV As a Gaming Console

The following couple of points are what I've found most interesting from today's host of topics:

• The iOS can display up to 1080p and even record at that resolution
• And Apple TV is like to display video at 1080p should it get updated to using the latest custom chip used in the iPad 2.  Also, while we don't see evidence of this yet, it looks like Apple TV should gain some more apps and even access to the app store.

Knowing all this, I find it perplexing that this post from T3 automatically equate 1080p with 8MP.  By being able to record at 1080p, they assumed that this means the next iPhone will get 8MP.  While I sincerely hope that they are right, 8MP is still pretty new in the smartphone market.  Apple certainly does have an interest in making sure the next iPhone can go toe-to-toe with Samsung's Galaxy S II and giving the iPhone an 8MP camera would help for customers who only looks at specs to help them make puchasing decisions.

As for Apple displaying video at 1080p, it stands to reason that if the iPhone and iPad have the ability to put out 1080p, it isn't not a big leap to make that Apple will have the ability to do the same.  After all, Apple TV gains the ability to mirror what's on the iPad.  So at least with mirrowing, Apple TV allows users to watch video or play games on the big screen.  

However, this isn't my idea of gaming on Apple TV.  Consider what Nintendo is doing this week with Wii U and it's tablet like controller.  Now, add Apple's special magical touch to it.  That's Apple TV gaming for me.

More at T3, Cult of Mac.

Note:  Wii U has been given a vague 2012 release date.  Apple should have the second generation of iOS Apple TV out this fall.  If Nintendo's newest Wii console could be facing the Apple TV 2 if it's released between the first quarter and third quarter of 2012.  If it arrives in the fourth quarter, it'll likely be a Japan-only launch and it'll have to contend with Apple TV 3.

Speculation: Later Than Usual iPhone Launch Could Be A Back To School Thing

As expected, though disappointing nonetheless, there was no new iPhone announced on Monday at Apple's WWDC Keynote.  Steve Jobs did not reach into his pocket and pull out the next best shiny mobile device.  Perhaps, it pertains to something that Apple wants to do.  In past summers, Apple has a back-to-school deal that gives a student who bought a Mac credit for a free iPod or iPod touch.  Perhaps, Apple is trying to drum up sales for the iPhone 4, which despite being a year old, is still one of the best mobile computing device on the market.

If Apple does include the iPhone as a part of the deal, the iPhone 4 can continue to propel sales figures for Apple despite the lack of hardware refresh.  And this would give Apple a huge advantage over its competitors.   A back-to-school mobile deal is not something that easily be duplicated by its competitors.  Microsoft has given away an Xbox in the past but it is geared towards a subset of a PC market.  However, if Apple offered credit for an iPhone 4 with the purchase of a Mac, it means it'll be locking up a student for its traditional computing and mobile ecosystem.

How can Apple potentially implement this?  Apple provides the same credit it offered last summer for a free iPod touch, say $200, and have it apply to an iPhone 4.  So, essentially, Apple will give every student who bought a Mac a free iPhone if they sign up for a two-year commitment.  And since most students will go to college these days with a mobile device anyway, we are talking about millions of additional iPhone sales each summer without Apple lifting a finger.

iPod touch sales could be hurt but I think as far as profit margin goes, iPhone likely makes more money for Apple. There has also been suggestions that Apple should offered a $200 credit for the iPad 2 for students who bought a Mac.  Talk about killing off the tablet competition.  

If what I am speculating comes true and is successful, expect fall iPhone launches to be the norm.