News Analysis: Apple CEO Steve Jobs will be discussing Apple's future in the music industry on Sept. 1. But what exactly does Jobs plan to talk about that day?
Apple CEO Steve Jobs is
taking the stage on Sept. 1 to unveil several new products. Based on what the
industry has heard so far, Jobs will be discussing music. Exactly what that
entails, and how that will impact current products, is unknown. And as expected,
Apple isn't willing to talk about it.
But that doesn't mean that speculation about what Steve Jobs
will talk about should stop. In fact, it's arguably the
best
time to discuss what he will be unveiling at his event on Sept. 1. No doubt
iPods will take center stage. But look for several other new products and
solutions from Apple that just might appeal to consumers more than their
predecessors.
Here's what Apple likely will announce at this press event.
1. A new iPod Touch
There is little debating that
Apple
will announce a new iPod Touch on Sept. 1. Currently, the iPod Touch is the
best music player on the market. But with the iPhone 4 now captivating
audiences, Apple will need to update its iPod Touch to make it more appealing.
Expect an iPhone 4-like design, a front-facing camera and the possibility of 3G
networking in the next iPod Touch.
2. The iTV
Although Apple has been ignoring the set-top box market for
years, the company must now focus its efforts there. Hardware vendors are
preparing to release Google TV-based set-top boxes later this year that will
extend what a person can do in the living room. When that happens, the Apple TV
will be the also-ran in the market. The onus is now on Apple to respond with
the rumored iTV. And it will likely do that at its next event.
3. iPhone sales
Just because Apple will be spending most of its time talking
about iPods doesn't mean that Steve Jobs won't also discuss the success of the
iPhone 4. Recent sales figures have shown that Android OS is now beating iOS in
the mobile market. And the chances of that changing as more Android-based
devices hit store shelves seem slim. But Jobs doesn't like to hear that. And he
will undoubtedly discuss the iPhone 4's strong sales to counter all the
attention Android is enjoying.
4. iTunes
Whether or not iTunes will get a full-fledged streaming option
is unknown. But if anything is certain, it's that Steve Jobs will announce some
kind of update to his company's music service. Exactly what that update will be
has been discussed by just about everyone in the tech space. But no one has the
answer. Chances are the update will be more iterative than groundbreaking.
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