Will Apple Produce a Truly All-in-One Device?

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5:30 am on December 31, 2005 | Category: Mobile Devices, Cell Phones, PDAs, Multimedia

Over the past couple of years, Apple’s business has soared to new heights with the wildly popular iPod MP3 player, but no mobile device can maintain its market forever without innovation.

Apple’s next challenge will be to create a new must-have device for Christmas 2006. There are a number of ways to do this, but they all seem to come back to one thing… better integration.

The simple fact is that when surveyed, customers say that they don’t want to carry around multiple mobile devices everywhere they go. The true Holy Grail of the consumer electronics industry is a completely integrated device that wraps all the essential functions into a single package.

Apple has already tried to integrate cell phones with MP3, via their partnership with Motorola over the ROKR iTunes cell phone. That particular device, unfortunately, was a bit of a flop, but there are indications that Apple might try to make a similar device of their own, without the help of Motorola.

Another possibility that has been proposed by some is a partnership, or even a buyout of Palm, in order to create an iPod PDA or “iPalm”. And the fact that Palm’s corporate worth isn’t all that high right now might just make it the perfect company to snap up.

In the long run, a compact and functional device that encompasses entertainment, mobile computing, and wireless communication is likely what Apple, among other companies, will head in the direction of creating. Like MP3 players, PDAs, and cell phones themselves, however, the market for an all-in-one device will likely get very competitive very fast.

Apple will need to keep alive the innovative spirit that lead them to creating the iPod, and use it to pursue device integration, the one thing that almost everyone seems to want.

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Apple is likely to wait for Wi-Max to get established, and an expanded web phone service. That should open up the stranglehold service providers now have.

A small device with a larger screen and wi-fi should enable many features now being pushed by phone services. A built-in camera, with a more powerful chip should provide a lot of functionality. Also, a mini iBook could bridge the gap for those who want to type messages and bring a full computer with them without the bulk of typical lap tops.

I expect the iPod line to branch into some larger more functional model lines this year. With Ultra Wideband wi-fi enabling home distribution of HD video content next fall I expect some of the iPod style devices to be able to “control” entertainment distribution and acquisition from the net with content preview potential.

Comment by rBoylin — December 31, 2005 #
I currently own an iBook and an iPod Shuffle and have been in love with most apple products for about a year now since I made the switch in 2004. I also own a Palm Treo and while I love my phone, it doesn’t play iTunes nor iVideos I download from ITMS.

Steve Jobs, if you care about a small yet vibrant segment of your customers with sincere purchasing power you will somehow squeeze in an all-in-one MacMobile / iMobile device that plays music, videos, makes calls, stores files, can read and create files, does email, built in PDA, MMS, and possibly has blue tooth. It doesn’t have to have a camera built in and doesn’t have to boast 24 hour batterie life (14 hours is fine for most people and they know it because we all charge our devices nightly, duh!) Just combine a stripped down iLife, iPod and just enough phone features and I will pay up to 500USD for it. No radio needed, no fancy keyboard, but maybe a stylus and a few games.

You can do it Steve, I believe in you!

Comment by Reginald Goodridge — December 31, 2005 #