iPhone 5 release date for October – 82%. iPhone 4S – 50%. Sprint – 67%

by Bill Palmer

Apple is six days away from taking the lid off what the public hopes is an iPhone 5 complete with a 2011 release date, what could be an iPhone 4S under a pair of very different circumstances, and what will certainly be the new iOS 5 operating system. In addition to existing Verizon and AT&T iPhone iterations, Sprint could join the club as well. Other new product categories, from the iPod touch 5 to the iPad 3, are on the table for the October Apple Event to varying degrees. Lacking a crystal ball but having observed Apple’s actions and motivations, here’s a rundown of our odds of various products and concepts coming to fruition at Apple’s October 4th event.

iPhone 5: 82%. The widespread assumption is that Apple’s “Let’s talk iPhone” tease is in reference to the iPhone 5, and that’s probably a correct one. However, it’s no guarantee. The “talk” part of the invite is in reference to Apple’s unannounced new Assistant feature of iOS 5, which allows you to control your iPhone in a human manner simply by speaking to it. Apple’s choice to focus on an iPhone software feature rather than new hardware aspects in its tease leaves the door open to the scenario in which Apple never was able to get past the component and/or manufacturing issues which dogged the iPhone 5 all summer, and are now instead coming to market with an iPhone 4S. That would push the iPhone 5 release date well into 2012, and would result in some unhappy customers. About that iPhone 4S…

iPhone 4S: 50%. There are two ways in which the 4S can play into Apple’s 2011 puzzle, one of them exciting and the other not so much. The first is the doomsday scenario in which the iPhone 5 isn’t ready and the 4S is a substitute. Put that at 18%, to counter our 82% odds of an iPhone 5. The other 32% comes from the scenario in which the iPhone 5 arrives with the iPhone 4S as a sidekick. The reasons are multiple: the current iPhone 4 won’t power Assistant, or so we hear, so the 4S will have the same A5 processor as the iPhone 5 and iPad 2. A single 4S unit would eliminate the separate Verizon and AT&T units, while adding Sprint compatibility.

Sprint iPhone: 67%. There’s at least twice as much evidence in favor of a Sprint iPhone 5 (and/or 4S) as there is against it. Sprint execs have teased it publicly without quite confirming it. Sprint employees have installed signal boosters around Apple Stores. Come to think of it, there’s really no concrete evidence to suggest it won’t happen.

T-Mobile iPhone: 0% T-Mobile itself has confirmed it won’t get the iPhone 5 this year. It didn’t say why, but the eight hundred pound elephant in the room is the ongoing merger talks with AT&T, which would seem to preclude T-Mobile from doing its own deal with Apple in the mean time…

iOS 5: 100%. The only sure bet is the iOS 5 operating system itself. Apple previewed many of its major features this summer, and will reveal the remainder of them next week. It’ll run on whatever new iPhone(s) Apple introduces, plus the iPhone 4 and 3GS (in limited capacity), and all iPads.

iPad 3: 2% If this were to be a co-headlining event in which the iPhone 5 and iPad 3 debuted together, the invitation would have reflected as much. If the iPad 3 were to get its own separate event, it would have happened before this one, not after; the holidays are too close at this point to have another event in November for a new iPad. If there is to be a new iPad this year, it’ll be something quieter like an iPad 2S.

iPod touch 5: 50% We give it equal odds as to whether Apple upgrades the iPod touch 5 with 3G or 4G networking and makes it a powerful device, or merely kills it off in recognition of the iPhone 5 working on most carriers. Would a contract-free iPhone surface to take the place of the iPod touch? That may be the more interesting question.

iPod nano, shuffle: does anyone care? Somewhere in the rundown will be the debut of the new traditional iPod lineup. Those models still sell well, but they’re inexpensive and considered commodities. We’ve lost count as to what generation the nano and shuffle are even on, let alone what new features they might gain in their next revision.

Here’s more on the iPhone 5.

Updated 10:50pm PST with additional information regarding T-Mobile and Apple

New 6th gen iPod nano gains touchscreen, new iPod shuffle regains buttons

Apple has introduced a new touchscreen iPod nano with multi-touch technology, which means the end of the click-wheel era for the nano. “It’s really small, it’s very tiny,” says Jobs of the new square-ish iPod nano, which is indeed small enough that it comes with a built-in clip. Jobs says it’s 46% smaller than the previous nano, and also nearly half as light. The new nano includes hard volume buttons, but is otherwise a touchscreen device, with its screen taking up essentially the entire front face.

Apple has also introduced the new iPod shuffle, and it looks a lot like the second generation iPod shuffle that Apple abandoned a year ago. Apple CEO Steve Jobs says that users have “missed the buttons” to they’ve been added back. The fourth generation iPod shuffle is smaller than the second generation, but still resembles it with a more square shape. This marks the end of the button-less iPod shuffle era, which lasted only a year to mixed reviews. The new iPod shuffle has fifteen hours of battery life and sells for forty-nine bucks.

iPod touch and iPod nano could become iPad mini and iPad nano

With Apple just a few days away from introducing new iPods, here’s a thought: could the iPod be done for instead? The “iPod” brand name, while wildly successful in its time, is nine years old – and no one thinks of the iPod as being a hot or trendy product anymore, as Apple’s own iPhone and iPad have sucked all the excitement out of a product that five years ago was about as cutting edge as you could get. So how is it that the “iPod” might suddenly go away? Take a look at the current iPod lineup for clues.

The awkwardly named “iPod touch” isn’t even really an iPod in the traditional sense. Depending on ones viewpoint, it’s either an iPhone without any phone or mobile networking abilities, or it’s a three inch iPad. So why does it even bear the iPod brand name, when it bears almost nothing in common with the classic iPod beyond the fact that it plays music? So let’s say the “new iPod touch” ends up instead carrying a name like iPad mini.

The latest rumors from CBS have the iPod nano as we know it being replaced by something that looks like a half-size iPod touch, touch screen and all. There’s still a plenty of life left in the “iPod nano” brand name, but if you’re going to rebrand things, might as well go all the way. So would a “touchscreen iPod nano” instead become an iPad micro?

An then there’s the iPod classic, which still more or less sports the same click-wheel interface which surfaced back in 2004 and is an embarrassingly outdated product by Apple’s standards. Many (including us) expect the sole remaining hard drive-based Apple mobile product to go away entirely once the flash-based iPod touch (ahem, iPad mini?) finally reaches similar capacity levels – which could happen this week.

The iPod shuffle? Here’s the one iPod model that seems unlikely to be either canceled or rebranded. For one thing, it’s Apple’s only sub-$100 music player, and it would only likely go away if the iPod nano were about to drop to the $99 price point itself – which seems doubtful if the nano is indeed about to go touchscreen. And it would be difficult to find a way to rope the iPod shuffle into the iPad lineup (iPad invisa?) without really stretching for it.

But you never know. Apple intentionally took the iPod’s buzz factor away when it launched the iPhone in 2007, and the iPod has become even more of an afterthought in a year in which the iPad feels like the future while the iPod sounds like something you’d buy for your kid. Maybe now is too soon to pull the trigger. And perhaps throwing away altogether the cache still remaining in the iPod brand name would be foolish anyway. But it is interesting that the most exciting talk about this week’s possible new “iPod” products generally involves them becoming less like the iPod we once knew, and more like Apple’s other, hipper product lines whose brand name still sounds current.

New iPod touch, nano, shuffle, and classic: what to expect Wednesday

Next week’s Apple event likely means updates to some of all of the current iPod lineup. Here’s a common-sense look at what’s likely to change, and what’s likely to stay the same…

iPod touch: there will be a new iPod touch, the question is just how new it’s going to be. It’s well past time they get a camera into the thing, if for no reason other than the fact that there are so many photography apps that Apple is losing potential revenue on, because touch users can’t buy those apps. I’ve thought since 2007 that the iPod touch would only really make sense as a mobile communications device if it came with an optional cellular data plan, because what is the point of owning a pocket device that can do email and internet and Twitter and Facebook and Weather and Maps and all this other cool stuff, but only when you’re at home and you have your computer there anyway, or only at starbucks, a place you’re at just long enough to get the wifi code, type it in, fix the typo you just made, finally get onto the wifi, and by then you’re done with your coffee. And now the iPad has exactly that, an optional 3G chip with a nice little $15 a month data plan, I can’t help but wonder when Apple is going to get around to doing the same with the iPod touch.

iPod nano: is there anything the nano can’t do? But then again, Apple could sell the iPod touch at a loss and still make a big profit through app store sales. But the nano is a different beast. People buy music for it, but the lack of App Store sales for the nano makes me wonder at what point Apple gets tired of the nano not much money after the fact a blows the nano in favor of some kind of iPod touch mini. But then again, of all the apps your iPod touch, how many of them would you want to use at half size on a tiny nano touchscreen?

iPod shuffle: it’s just gonna keep getting smaller. The funny thing about the shuffle is it now has, what, eight times the capacity of the original shuffle, this time maybe it goes to sixteen times the capacity, and yet it still has that same interface motif of hearing one random song after another. But then again, if they put a screen and a click-wheel on it, then it becomes an iPod nano.

iPod classic: the iPod classic used to be 160 GB, and now it tops out at 120 GB, gee, I wonder why? The minute the iPod touch goes to 128 GB, the classic is gone, and for two reasons. One is that it’s still sporting an interface from 2004, which is to a company like Apple is embarrassing. And other other reason is that sales of the classic contribute nothing to App Store sales.

More top accessories for iPhone and iPod: Beatweek 75

Thirteen more top accessories for iPhone, iPod, and iPad that don’t fit into any of the official categories:

Dexim mHub • iPhone+iPod dock • $66: Most iPhone and iPod docks do nothing more than allow your device to sit upright while connected to your computer, but this is a dock on steroids, with three built-in USB ports for connecting additional devices to your computer along with an SD card slot for syncing your photos to your computer as well. And oh by the way, you can sync your iPhone or iPod to your computer too.

Griffin PowerDock 4 • multi device dock• $69: We’ve seen any number of twin chargers come to market for iPhone and iPod, but this one remains king of the hill by charging four devices at a time thanks to its front-seat, back-seat design. We wish it were able to somehow allow the devices to connect to a computer, but we’ll take it as is. Also available in a standard twin-charger option for less-connected families.

RadTech Bezel Blaster • restoration product • $8: The only part of the iPhone 3G/3GS that’s easily scratched is the mirrored chrome bezel running around the screen. Until now we’ve just had to live with those scratches. But if you’re willing to put eight bucks and a little elbow grease into it, those scratches can be gone (yes, it actually works!) – good news for users who’ve decided to hang onto their iPhone 3G for another year.

Marware Game Grip • iPhone 3G+3GS gaming product • $39: What initially looks like an absurd child’s toy actually turns out to be a great low-tech way to make your iPhone (or iPod touch) less of a cellphone and something closer to an actual handheld gaming device. This won’t come close to fitting into your pocket, but comes in handy at home – and it offers a hidden way of running a charging cable to your device while in use.

Griffin Navigate • Dexim mHub • $66: This radio remote runs circles around other radio remotes, as its LED screen gives you artist and track information whether you’re listening to FM radio or the music on your iPhone or iPod. It’s as close as you can come to never having to take your device out of your pocket during the course of your music listening experience. Might even be worth it if you don’t care about radio.

Just Mobile Lounge • iPhone stand • $59: This is a whole new take on the concept of metal iPhone stands. While such stands up to this point have generally consisted of a metal pedestal that grabs the iPhone by its corners, this design simply grabs it by its sides. It rotates just as easily as previous pedestal-style stands, and even holds your iPhone while it’s in its case – all with a lower profile and arguably svelter design.

H2O Audio Interval • waterproof iPod shuffle case• $99: If you’ve always wanted to strap your iPod shuffle to the back of your goggles and go swimming with it, H2O Audio’s Interval executes the idea perfectly. The waterproof housing has built in waterproof earbuds, and the external controls are easily reachable. Obviously aimed more at the adept swimmer than the shallow end wader.

Scosche showTIME • video connector • $39: Playing your iPhone or iPod’s video content on your television should be a simple matter, but often gets massively overcomplicated by products that only a geek could love. In contrast, this cable simply connects to your iPhone or iPod on one end and to your television’s RCA (red, white and yellow) ports on the other. Just make sure your TV actually has those ports.

Blue Microphones Mikey • high end audio recorder • $79: Snap-on iPod microphones are nothing new, but it took until this year for an actual microphone company to get in the game and produce something that sound pristine. A little larger and more expensive than the $50 standard fare we’d gotten used to, but this product is worth it on both counts. Fair warning: the new Mikey 2 is coming later this year, and it’s even better.

Incipio Lloyd • budget audio recorder • $18: At the other end of the spectrum is a snap-on mic so tiny it barely adds any bulk to the fourth-gen iPod nano at all. And while the audio quality isn’t such that you’d want to use it to bootleg a concert (see the product at left for that), it’s an inexpensive and unobtrusive way to record voice conversations with surprisingly decent audio quality.

GelaSkins • iPhone+iPod skins: Too substantial and durable to be dismissed as mere stickers, these stick-on skins for iPhone, iPod touch, iPod nano and iPod classic are easy to attach and easy to become addicted to, as they come in a nearly limitless number of custom patterns and designs from various artists. Also available for Mac and PC laptops, netbooks, and even gaming devices.

Audioengine W2 • wireless adapter • $169: You’ll pay a hefty price for the privilege, but if you’ve got a stereo system on the other side of the room (or in another room) and you want your iPod’s music coming out of that system while your iPod remains in your hand, this is the best way we’ve found yet. Only worth it if said stereo system is high-end enough to warrant further investment, but you can’t beat the flexibility.

Elgato Turbo.264 HD • iPhone/iPod video converter • $149: Trying to get any video onto your iPhone or iPod that you haven’t downloaded directly from iTunes can be a pain, as you first have to use your computer to convert it to the correct format – which can take hours. This USB stick significantly accelerates the conversion process. It’s not cheap, but if you’ve got an massive DVD collection you want to get onto your iPhone, it’ll pay for itself.

View all seventy-five winning accessories for iPad, iPhone, and iPod (including cases, earbuds, car products, stereos, batteries and more) in Beatweek Magazine’s 75th issue which you can read digitally for free right here.

review: RunWallet

review: H2O’s waterproof lineup

Review: Scosche tapSTICK

New in iProng Labs: a hands-on review of the new tapSTICK controller for third generation iPod shuffle from Scosche, priced at $29…

review by Bill Palmer

The latest iPod shuffle innovatively moves nearly all of the device controls off the shuffle itself and onto the earbuds, making it even tinier than ever – but that doesn’t work for those users who’ve already invested serious money in their favorite set of earbuds. While various third party solutions have ranged from shuffle-specific higher end earbuds to tips that attempt to make the shuffle’s stock earbuds sound better, Scosche has gone in a different direction with its tapSTICK: a plastic shuffle case with three buttons on the back that replicate the shuffle’s earbud controls, allowing you to go ahead use any earbuds you want.



Evolutionarily, the tapSTICK is something of a paradox in that it completely wipes out the innovation of the latest shuffle in a way that will make Steve Jobs and company cringe. But at the same time, it does allow you to go ahead and use the same earbuds with your shuffle that you use with your other iPod and iPhone devices.



And it works as advertised. The three buttons on the tapSTICK replicate the tri-button controls from the shuffle’s earbuds, and the various third party earbuds I tested it with all worked normally. That it makes the shuffle about twice as big overall is something that most users can probably live with, if they care enough about their existing earbuds that they’re willing to invest $29 into this product just to keep using them. There are a few annoyances, though. While the shuffle’s clip is still usable, the bulk added to the top of the shuffle means that it may poke you in the neck if you clip it to your T-shirt collar, or in the stomach if you clip it to your belt, depending on your physical attributes. And there’s no way to lock out the buttons like a Hold switch would, meaning they can get pressed accidentally. Finally, the shuffle has to be removed before it can be charged, which could be a nightly minor annoyance.



This is a compromise product by definition, further compromised by the various design choices. But those who’ve refused to buy a new shuffle (or regret buying one) because of the earbud situation may see the tapSTICK as a good start. It also comes with a three foot stereo cable for connecting to a car stereo or other stereo system.

*****

Learn more about the tapSTICK at Scosche.com.

*****

Incipio Feather for iPod shuffle

Each time Apple has released a progressively tinier iPod shuffle, skeptics have predicted that it would finally be the first iPod model that couldn’t be accessorized. They said it again about the third generation shuffle, and they’ve been again proved wrong. While a number of third party shuffle-specific earbuds (complete with in-line playback control) have been announced, none have yet arrived. But in the mean time 3G shuffle owners will have to settle for more basic accessories such as Incipio’s Feather.



Consisting of a single piece of super thin hard plastic, the Feather serves two purposes: change the color of your shuffle from the front and sides, and keep those surfaces from getting scratched up. The desire for color choice on the part of 3G shuffle users isn’t surprising, as the previous shuffle came in half a dozen different colors, and the new shuffle only comes in silver or black. The protection angle is less apparent, as the brushed metal of the shuffle’s front and sides are the least likely to get nicked up during use; and it’s actually the reflective chrome clip on the back that’s highly prone to scratching, and yet the Feather does nothing to protect it. Then again, the shuffle’s clip is nearly always hidden while being worn, and a product like this is probably more likely to be purchased for its color options than its protection angle.



The fact that three different colored Feathers come in each $14 package sounds great until you realize it’s not the easiest product in the world to remove. In fact I had to set the base of the clip on the edge of my desk while pushing downward on the Feather just to get it to slide off. That suggests that the product is best left attached semi-permanently, meaning that you’re really buying a three-pack just to get your favorite color. And I’m not sure how many users want the company’s name displayed that large on the front of their shuffle. This is a decent start, but you might want to wait to see what else the industry has up its sleeve for the third generation shuffle.

Learn more at MyIncipio.com