Seeing that old trends and popular items sometimes come back, do you think that standalone MP3 players have a chance of revival? I remember just before the smartphone emerged, many said they would not like having their phone be their music player. Most of these fell in line later on though. But to this day, a few still hold out and continue to use dedicated players.
If I were Apple, I would bring back the 2nd or 4th gen Shuffle, give it a bunch of cool colors and sell it for $29. I think that having a small dedicated player with a fashionable look would be a decent seller, and if marketed well it could be successful.
No, unfortunately not, except for dedicated audiophiles who will always want a dedicated music player (and I count myself among their number).
However, this is a most interesting and thought-provoking post, and I suspect that you could well have a point re iPod shuffles; indeed, even if they were priced at $50, or &70, I could still see them sell well.
I don't think so
Everyone is using streaming services in way-more-multifunctional smartphones... There is also a small market of hi-res audio specialized players for audiophiles, but iPod doesn't belong there either. Apple killed mp3-players when it introduced iPhone...
Not everyone.
Perhaps almost everyone, but not everyone.
I was surprised to see how many shared that sentiment as I've looked back through the iPod forum. Even up to 2009/10 people were holding onto that.
These are the main reasons to have a standalone device:
Saves battery on phone for other things
Saves storage on phone for other things
Lighter and smaller than all modern smartphones
More durable
Easier to use than a touch screen when not looking at it
Not connected to Internet, can be nice to have a device that is not connected sometimes
I can definitely see why you'd want to have everything in one device, the same argument applies to digital cameras. I personally love having multiple devices, partially because I collect them but also because I find they perform their individual tasks better, even if it is more stuff to carry.
Actually, I agree with you.
I think that individually specialised devices can handle different tasks a bit better (sometimes, a good bit better) than a device designed to do everything.
And, no, even though I (finally) switched to a smart phone only last year (and with considerable reluctance), I will never use a smart phone to store my music. Actually (a whispered heresy, I don't really like iPhones, not even my iPhone SE).
I am one of those who has always had a dedicated device with which to play music, and I still mourn the passing of the iPod classic, which I loved.
As much as I love the iPod (including the new iPod touch), I don't think Apple will ever be back in production by Apple. I do think audio players will continue to have a niche market filled by companies like FiiO who focus on lossless playback.
Heck, even being a music enthusiast, I realize that buying an iPod touch for music was pure luxury and excess. So the 99% of all other users will be completely happy with their phones. In truth, an iPhone + DND would work, but I just get personal satisfaction from having a separate audio player.
Well said.
As do I.
No, not like they used to be.
Dedicated DAP's are still around and very nice, but can also be expensive. Usually, the audiophile types are the ones to still buy and use DAP's these days. I have a decent Pioneer XDP-300R that I like to use, but it was almost $500. That's dirt cheap compared to some models by Astell & Kern, though.
@Scepticalscribe may have some thoughts on this topic, too.
I do have some thoughts on the topic, and thanks for tagging me.
I came to - arrived at - Apple - in common with many others at that time - through what the marketing people describe as "the halo effect" of the iPod; in other words, I bought an iPod - and was still using Windows computers (a Toshiba and a Sony in those days); iTunes was a revelation - even on a Windows machine, and the iPod classic was especially wonderful if you worked abroad for months at a time (as I did).
Moreover, at that time, Apple's customer service and consumer care was superb; over time, the HDD failed on two of those iPod classics, and were immediately replaced without a murmur or seeking refuge in contractual small print, as both were still under warranty when they died.
All of this impressed me, and contributed to my decision to "switch" to the Apple universe, and I bought a MBP in 2008.
The subsequent appearance of the MBA - I cannot be the only person who was completely bowled over when the late Steve Jobs removed the original MBA from an A4 envelope - was merely the icing on the cake of my conversion to the world of Apple.
However things change, and my own needs are no longer being met by Apple to the same extent.
Personally, I profoundly regret the fact that the iPod classic has been discontinued; I loved the idea of a dedicated music device, and the iPod Touch is not the same as the classic (for example, I don't want or need, internet connectivity on an mp3 player).
Moreover, I dislike Apple's rentier model, and the emphasis on the iCloud.
In fact, in recent years, iTunes - from having worked flawlessly, easily and seamlessly - has become a real pain to use.
Thus, in 2014, accepting (with reluctance) that Apple was serious about discontinuing the iPod classic, and the whole idea of even including a dedicated music player in its line-up - and, to my mind, this isn't just about technology, it is also about a new and utterly transformational rentier model for the consumption (and creation) of music, one which I dislike intensely - I embarked upon some research for what mp3 players exist in the wake of Apple's departure from this (perhaps shrinking, but still discerning) segment of the music consumption market, as I am one of those who still wants a dedicated music player.
A high end audio store recommended A&K, (Astell & Kern) and very kindly offered to give me the personal model of the manager (the old A&K 120) - with his full approval - to take home and try out for a week or so to see whether I liked it. They even went to the trouble of putting on some of the music that I liked from my computer onto the A&K 120, so that I could actually enjoy it, rather than the heavy rock which was the manager's own personal preference.
Yes, the transfer of music was not quite as seamless as the old (and much lamented, and deeply regretted ) iTunes - have I mentioned how awful the modern iTunes is by way of comparison? - but the device itself was superb.
Several generations later, last year, I treated myself to the just displaced (or superseded, superseded this autumn, 2019) flagship device the A&K SP1000 Ultima, which is a superb, beautifully constructed device.
So, for mp3 players, I have already moved away - migrated - from Apple.
This trend will continue - as, when funds permit, I intend to purchase a Ruark radio or two; I never liked Apple's EarPods, and always used something better - for preference, these days, (and for almost a decade), I have used B&W (Bowers and Wilkins) headphones.
I have been very seriously considering getting an MP3 player to leave connected in my car.
Owning my own music and listening to it offline > streaming services
Agree completely about the importance of "owning" one's own music; I don't stream (or download) music for that very reason - rather, I still buy CDs, in vast quantities.
