The Apple iPod is dead!

Yup, I said it! The Apple iPod as we know it is going to die, maybe not soon but shortly after convergence devices come out en mass. Dont get me wrong, the iPod is a success story for Apple. Everyone from OEM’s to the major players in are in some way attempting to emulate Apple’s business model with the iPod and iTunes combo in some way, shape, or form. I dont have an iPod but I know several people that do and they simply love it.

But the standalone Digital audio players aka, DAP, are a dieing breed. For example, the standalone PDA market has seen steady decline every since cell phones started to get PDA like functionality. As cell phones became smarter, there was no longer a need to carry both a cell phone and a PDA. Same thing with DAP’s. Why would you want to carry around an iPod or other DAP, a cell phone, a PDA and a digital camera? I wouldn’t. I would prefer to carry one single device that would enable me too:

• use it as a cell phone
• listen to music (mp3’s and over the air radio)
• take pictures
• use it as a PDA

Apple even know this is true. Thats why they and Motorola are releasing their iTunes phone. Historically, when multiple somethings are joined to make a single something, it turns out “craptastic”. For me, the iTunes phone doesn’t have to be the “jack-of-all-trades”. All it has to do is do everything thats advertised, right. Sony is jumping into the convergence DAP bandwagon with the “W600a” and the “W800i”. Samsung even went as far as adding a 3Gig hard drive to their soon to be released SGH-i300. Sweeeeet!

I am sure there are others phone out there and you can bet there will be many more to come. Like I said, the iPod as we know it is dead! Its just a matter of time.