Well, it finally happened. Apple released a new version of the iPod with a widescreen/touchscreen display. However, the new device is NOT an iPod, at least not in the traditional sense. In actuality it is so much more. A cellular phone, a wireless internet device, and music player all in one glorious package. But is this it? Is this going to be the future of Apple’s digital music players from here on out? Fortunately, no.

The release of the iPhone was tremendous. I was blown away with all the features that this new golden child actually supported.

Mulitouch capabilities?! Are you kidding?
Internal accelerometers to determine if the device was being held in landscape or portrait mode? Incredible!

However, when the keynote was over and the smoke began to clear a few nagging thoughts began to bother me. Only 4 and 8GB of storage? $500 – $600 price points? Cingular ONLY? While I know a few in the cult of Apple that would be willing to swallow all these bitter pills, would the rest of the world go along? Jobs claims they are only going after 1% of the cell phone market, but seriously, he knows he wants more. And this device, in its current state, will not be the device to do it.

Limited Storage

The iPhone, at its introductory listing, is only featuring 4 and 8GB capacities. This is more comparable to the Nano than the top tier iPod. 8GB is nothing for current users of the iPod who are used to 30 and 60GB numbers. Plus, when you begin to add video to this knapsack sized storage device, you’ll quickly see you don’t have as much room as you had hoped. With these numbers, Apple cannot seriously court the hardcore digital music junkies of today. We need mass storage for all our digital media, not just an overnight bag to satisfy us on a trip.

Huge Price Points

Before the initial prices of $499 and $599 for the respective models were announced, even Steve himself had to switch into infomercial mode. “How much would you pay for a device that could do all this? $1000? $2000?” (roughly paraphrased) He knew these prices were going to hurt and he knew that this device is only for the lust-crazed early adopters that are hardcore Apple fans. It is true that actually purchasing an iPod, cell phone, and PDA would come to much more than the iPhone’s price, but when you throw in a mandatory two year contract with any cell provider it becomes alot to handle. If this is truly going to be the next gen of the flagship of iPods then the price must come down.

But I don’t have Cingular

When Jobs uttered the words “only available through Cingular” a little piece of me died inside. I don’t have Cingular service. You probably don’t have Cingular service. Most of the country doesn’t have Cingular service. Even if Cingular owns the largest network of American users, the percentage of non-Cingular users is still close to 70% of the U.S. market. Opening your initial offerings to only 1/3 of the country is risky and disappointing. While I have no doubt that many will actually make the switch in time for the June roll out, that is a hard sell to make to the majority of people in a world of hard contracts and hidden fees.

I believe that if Apple really wanted this to be the “6th Generation iPod” several things would have been different. Namely, it wouldn’t be a phone that required a two year service plan with a third party. For most digital media consumers, a widescreen/touchscreen media player would have been all that was desired. By attempting to make the end-all-be-all of digital devices, Apple may have over designed themselves right out of the market. I may be wrong though. Five years from now we may all be walking around with only one multi-purpose digital device, connected to one service provider and living under a strangle-hold of monopolies, but this is doubtful. While this may be Apple’s ultimate evil plan, I think they are aware of the current market. If they wanted the iPhone to be the true 6th generation iPod it wouldn’t have come with the ball and chain of a cell phone contract. Watch for another device coming from Cupertino soon with all the sexy of the iPhone but with one or two fewer features and a lot less hassle; the true 6th gen iPod.