Sound of Savings: Apple Lowers iPod Touch Price
Hey, remember the iPod? You know, the stylish music player from Apple that launched the consumer tech products boom that we’re still enjoying today? Well, despite the fact that most people’s phones have supplanted the iPod in terms of being the go-to music player, Apple has kept the device alive, and just today lowered the prices of the iPod Touch across the board.
Apple has slashed the prices of the highest-end model of the iPod Touch by a hundred bucks, dropping the 64 GB version from $399 to $299. The discounts for the 32 GB and 16 GB models aren’t quite as deep, going from $299 to $249 and $229 to $199, respectively. From there, Apple also increased the overall value of the 16-gig version, having added a rear-facing camera to the device to match its higher capacity brethren.
The move is interesting considering that the iPhone 6 is expected this coming fall, along with the long-rumored iWatch. The prevalence of smartphones providing high-capacity media playing has resulted in lowered overall sales for iPods. But there are still folks out there who want all the benefits of a smartphone, but don’t want to get locked into a contract for a smartphone. The addition of the camera to the 16 GB iPod Touch shows that Apple is sensitive to those consumers, and has provided a lower cost option for them.
This is also the latest in a series of price cuts to come from Apple. Last week, the company cut the price of its entry-level iMac, and the Macbook Air also saw an upgrade as well as a price cut back in April. Apple has a reputation for producing products that carry a premium price tag. Are these cuts signs that it’ll start charging less for its devices overall?
Price disparity has often been one of the best selling points for Windows machines over those from Apple. If Tim Cook has decided to bring the prices of Apple’s products closer in line with that of the competition, that particular talking point could be gone.
The other possibility, of course, is that Apple is getting ready to bring out a whole new lineup of devices with even better specs and higher prices. Let’s hope it’s the former, rather than the latter.