They won't come out with new iPods before the back to school sale is done. Which means September.

Ohh I'd be unhappy if they decided to update the nano before replacing the 5.5G. My nearly 4 year-old 3G is begging for replacement with 100GB 16:9 goodness.

My Bet is september. But Apple's been doing things in a surprising way lately. Who knows?

bah...

A two-inch square flash-based iPod that may be called the iPod Touch, based on the fact that it's going to have touchscreen features, play back video, and cost $299 and $399 for 4GB and 8GB.

that would be a huge price increase over the current nano. For the same capacity. All just to get a touch-screen, video capability, and make it a little smaller? If this description is accurate, it doesn't make much sense. The screen doesn't even seem like it could be bigger than a regular "iPod Video" today.

the iPod Touch sounds a little too sex-toyish. I highly doubt that that would be the name for the Nano replacement. Also, i don't think the Nano is due for a replacement, yet is it? The iPod with Video is getting looooong in the tooth and they need to put it out to pasture with some touchscreen/widescreen goodness.

THe back-to-school promotion isn't actually a "free" nano, you just save $150 on any iPod model. So you can get a 30 GB iPod Video for just $100 with the promotion. If Apple releases a newiPod Touch lineup at a premium price over current offerings (without stopping orders on current iPods), college kids won't complain.

Then after the back-to-school promotion ends (September), Apple could axe the current offerings, lower the price of the Touch lineup to current prices. Sounds fair to me, no?

if apple does this it will be a huge mistake, its too expensive with not enough capacity... won't sell

Bit of statement/question for the Giz and it's loyal readers. I for one would be very happy with an iPod that's nothing more than the iPhone without the phone. Keep the bluetooth (for GPS) and wifi and most of the widgets. More GBs is always better. Sell it for under $500 and a fanboy I shall be.

Anybody else with me on that?

I wouldn't put any stock in this turning out to be real? It doesn't make market sense, and it doesn't really sound very fesible as a practical design, either. Nor does it follow any of Apple's heavily invested product trends. To be honest, it kind of sounds like something someone thought up because they thought it would be cool, but were too late to enter it in the "free iphone" contest.

If this is a true photo and the new ipod has a touchscreen, then why does the picture have the click wheel? Wouldn't it be useless and be all screen like the iphone.

I love your blog but do you even screen the rumors before they come in? Think about it a 2in square ipod? Have you actually taken a piece of paper and drawn a 2 in square, it is tiny. My finger would cover half of the screen (I have fat fingers). If it uses a touch screen it would be a disaster. Also who the hell would want to watch a movie on that? The current 5.5 G screen is bigger. This sounds like BS to me and I am usually pretty open minded about the Ipod rumors

Oh man, Creative is going to shit their pants. First apple blatantly rips the "nano" name and now (potentially) the "touch" name as well.

I smell a lawsuit.

@quickdood: If there's anything that Apple does consistently, it's that they don't care about people with fat fingers or practicality. They do things the way they want to, and expect you to jump on the bandwagon. After all, superficially, Apple is gorgeous. They just don't offer much substance to those who think. The Apple consumer mantra is, don't let them think, just have them do. Modern American dream.

Mork and Mindy? Well I did Kinda See the Wide-Screen iPod Video Coming ever since I first saw the Creative Zen W...I actually just Purchased the Sansa Express as Part of the iDont But I think iWill will be Getting That if its thin enough...

@STEINAH6

Just a correction, the promotion offers $199 off any iPod (except the Shuffle). But I like your idea of offering this new thing along with the rest of them, then have a price cut after the promotion ends, but again, it doesn't seem like the kind of thing Apple would do.

@DestroyerMTL: What was the creative "touch"? I don't remember that?

Along those lines though I wouldn't think HTC would be too happy with the whole thing since they haven't even gotten their answer to the iPhone out in the states yet and their name is already gone.

Like everyone else I'm skeptical though. Sound a lot like the clix in terms of size. I guess that is a fairly popular player in its own right, I just don't see apple needing to come up with an "answer" to it.

We'll see soon enough I guess.

I just called them and they told me that there won't be a release. If there were, they would have gotten it all over the news.

Yet, I do realize that they might have purposely said no...

You'd probably want to weigh buying an iPod for that much over the Meizu especially when it comes to value for your money. I just bought a Meizu m6 and I think you'd be hard pressed to find something comparable for its price point.

Meizu Cons: Very little support / No Application / Windows only media converter
Meizu Pros: No DRM / Plays Video / Plays Radio / Plays Audio / Records Voice / Pictures / Records Radio / Price! $140

Ipod Cons: DRM / iTunes / "$299 and $399 for 4GB and 8GB." / Apple Support
Ipod Pros: Plays Video/ Plays Audio / Pictures / iTunes / Apple Support

In the past, Apple has released iPods a week or so before the end of the back to school promotion. They don't give the discount on the new iPods, just the old ones still in stock. This way they can still upsell people on the new ones, as well.

in all good humour, JB007, i never thought of calling up big corporations, as most of their service hotlines are shit.

quite a sweet idea actually, and if it works, then giz can just print a headline and the number then say "call apple for details cos we're just going to hype it up as much as they would anyway. except we would pretend we weren't".

@trampas: I'm with ya. I don't know about $500, but a wifi (g)/BT enabled phoneless iPhone would be a nice web tablet compliment to my cell phone. Though I still don't think the screen resolution is high enough for serious web work. Oh, and I don't think the iPhone actually has GPS.

I think this rumor has aspects of plausibility, but something is amiss; either the size, capacity or price are way off or Jobs has gone nuts. My money is on a larger size and smaller price than the rumor suggests. And that Jobs has gone nuts.

This needs to be corrected. 9 to 5 mac states that there will be two thing released on August 7th. First, a new nano, that will be 2 square inches. It will also play video.

Secondly, there will be a new hard drive based iPod. It will be similar to the iPhone as it will be widescreen and touchscreen. The poster states that the name will make HTC bitter. By researching what product names are on HTC's site, you can deduce that it will be either wizard or touch. My bet goes to touch.

To recap... 2 new releases...iPod "touch" and iPod nano capable of video.

Jason Chen...READ BEFORE YOU POST!

Threadster notes that their are some very special items currently on sale at Fred Flare. Can you guess what these plush stuffed toys are supposed to resemble?

The current Nano is the perfect shape for those using it for running, exercise, etc. Seems like Apple would be shooting itself in the foot getting rid of that design in favor of one that is more expensive and less easy to hold while running.

Ahh...to be on the inside for once.

I'll just say that you're close, oh so very close, but you're missing one huge aspect.

$400 for a 100GB multitouch ipod might work, but 8GB for that price is insulting.

@thecompkid: Why bother to make a comment like that? Now I am angry at you for either misrepresenting what you know or knowing some info I dont have access to, either way AARRHHGGG!!!!

2 inch, better be all screen :)

Hey it's apple. And they have a bunch of idiot "ipod fanboys" out there willing to pay $400 for an 8g model. Morons!

BY DTREICHLER AT 01:56 PM

Ohh I'd be unhappy if they decided to update the nano before replacing the 5.5G. My nearly 4 year-old 3G is begging for replacement with 100GB 16:9 goodness.

==

My thoughts EXACTLY!

100% WRONG.

This article was misinterpreted by giz. It first talks about the new nano, then goes into saying, "the big news, though" (adding a different subject matter) describing the "iPod XXXX" which will be the iphone minus phone features at the 299 and 399 pricepoint.

@jos:

Ipod Cons: DRM / iTunes / "$299 and $399 for 4GB and 8GB." / Apple Support
Ipod Pros: Plays Video/ Plays Audio / Pictures / iTunes / Apple Support

it's weird. but every iPod i have ever owned has managed to play thousands and thousands of DRM-free tracks with absolutely zero problems.

you act as if DRM is a *requirement* to play songs on an iPod. as if it is impossible to have an iPod that *lacks* DRM. you are wrong.

more FUD from an ill-informed moron.

it might sound crazy. but some of us used iTunes before it was iTunes. and *like* it. and some of us had iPods before there was an iTMS.

@drugs: Good point, just took the time to read the original article and you are right giz did misunderstand

@jos: Why is apple support both a pro and a con?

Here's what the 9to5 site sctually says about the new Nano, note they say it will keep the same pricing, contrary to the summary here...
"Yep, all of you angry commenters were right. That mockup we showed you awhile back? It isn't the new hi-end iPod. It is the new iPod Nano! It will be about two inches square and play video (so technically we were right about being the new video iPods). It is coming in 4GB and 8GB size and will likely keep the same pricing."

Everything is always iPod. But what about the Creative Zen, which is better than the iPod?

Creative has just beaten Apple by releasing a 16GB Zen V+ Flash Video player. It also has Microphone & Line-in Recording and landscape screen rotation. The iPod Nano has none of these features.

Well, it's been a week...