Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Friday, 12 September 2008 17:33
Opinion and Analysis
Page 2 of 3
Typically, Apple has restricted the capability of this new microphone headset to its newest iPod models – the iPod nano 4th generation, the new iPod classic 120GB and the iPod Touch 2nd generation.
It would have been fantastic if this headset worked as a microphone and with the remote control on older iPods, but Jobs needs to give users a reason to upgrade, after all, and this new remote is but one of many reasons to do so, as well as being a rich source of revenue.
I can imagine Apple will sell squillions of these, for they are even better than the headset remote/microphone that comes with the iPhone, courtesy of the volume control buttons and the ability to triple click to skip back a track.
It will be interesting to see if the new microphone headset means that the iPod Touch will work over Wi-Fi with VoIP Internet phone programs. Apple’s website explicitly states it is for voice recording, without suggesting VoIP usage is possible.
If VoIP usage is blocked through the iPhone and iPod Touch SDK, then unauthorised programs will find out a way to take advantage of the feature on jailbroken iPod Touch models, although that will seriously limit the potential audience.
And whether the iPod Touch 2nd generation can now be used as a VoIP phone over Wi-Fi or not, it certainly brings that possibility ever closer, if only in a future generation.
It’s also possible to predict, without necessarily any level of accuracy, that Apple might decide to include these as standard in the 2009 iPod refresh as a way to further differentiate from competitors, in addition to whatever changes 2009 models will have in store, something Apple no doubt already has planned as is working on.
What about the potential popularity of the new iPod Touch? Please read on to page 3.
