"iPod Killers" for Christmas 2006


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We have run the iPod Killers for Christmas/Summer series since 2004. In that time we reported on 149 portable players and NOT one iPod killer from the bunch. That said, we may actually have a couple of genuine challengers to Apple. This holiday season will see Microsoft pump tens-of-millions of dollars to hawk their new Zune portable and SanDisk's 8GB e280 flash unit is compelling high-end users. Both can realistically grab double-digit market share from the iPod, particularly because the iPod only got a modest facelift this season. Whether they do or not waits to be seen.

The struggle of all brands is to find that secret sauce of features, look and that highly elusive "cool factor". Disney is showing success with kiddies thanks to strong product branding (a touch wheel with mouse ears). If you can argue that part of the "iPod Aura" is really a fashion thing, then we should factor in the fact that fashion changes and some consumers will shift to new players simply because they are not an iPod. But Apple is not playing Versace, which would require the iPod to morph dramatically every year. Instead Apple takes the role of Anne Klein or Polo, a classic look that evolves within the context of popular consumer taste.

But seriously, is there really a player out there to challenge the iPod? In truth, one manufacturer has already found a secret sauce that makes it the second best selling portable digital player today. This player sells one unit for every 2.3 iPod's and is the the best portable media player on the market in our opinion. That player is the Sony PSP, excluded from the top digital player lists because it is primarily a game player. So what? The PSP's widescreen offers superior video to the iPod and Sony has sold more UMD movies than Apple has digital movie downloads. True, UMD movies were on the way out after a promising start, but price drops in Japan have led to a huge ten-fold jump in sales, resurecting the format in Asia. Lower prices would probably do the same in the US, potentially giving Sony a portable movie distribution model to challenge iTunes.

Sony's PSP example gives all other makers hope. In reality they have more than hope to work with. Many of these portables, including those from Archos, Creative, SanDisk, iRiver, Toshiba, Cowon and Samsung make damn good players. Maybe they don't have a huge peripheral market surrounding them, but most have features unavailable in the iPod. If an FM tuner or Bluetooth is compelling to you they may be the better buy.

The digital portable player market is young and expanding rapidly. Only 10% of households have a digital music portable presently. In a few years it will be close to 100%. A few years after that half of all households will have multiple players. The iPod will maintain its market lead, but it will do so with a much lower share - and sell many many more units anyway. More important, market expansion also means there is considerable opportunity for profit for even the marginal participants in this space, which is why we keep seeing more new players than ever, including some of the oddest novelty portables yet.

The players include:

  • Sony NW-S205F and NW-S203F Sports Player
  • SanDisk Sansa e280 8GB
  • Microsoft Zune
  • Sony NW-S706
  • Samsung YP-K5 MP3 Player has Built-in Speaker
  • OSIM iGoGo MP3 and...Massage?
  • Archos 504
  • StormBlue A9+ Bluetooth
  • Creative Zen V Plus 8GB
  • LG MFFM20
  • Maxfield MAX-SIN Touch
  • Creative Zen Neeon 2
  • NafNaf Hyp resembles Keg-o-beer
  • Sirius Stiletto 100
  • Disney Mix Max
  • Creative Muvo V100
  • Football Helmet MP3 Player
  • Acer MP-340
  • MPIO FL500 Wedge and FY800
  • Visual Sound VS1
  • Coby PMP4230
  • Coby PMP7040
  • iRiver S10
  • Toshiba Gigabeat V Series

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Masturbate whilst commuting and listening to your favourite tunes? Nice :D
A whole new meaning to Torontonians "Ride the Rocket" *L*
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As much as they can try, the iPod will always have the market. Not because the fact of what it does, but of what it is. Most of my friends who are oblivious to the computer world only know an Mp3 Player by the name of iPod, mention Zune or a Sandisk to them and they think I am talking cookies.

Sure some people may go for this, that know what they do but as long as people fall for marketing, the iPod will always stay strong.

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Seriously, the competing products (even the Zune) will end up fading after less than a year! It's just that the iPod has become so pervasive in the consumer market with iTunes and its many applications (I've heard they can be tweaked to conduct MRI's and other medical tests). Even various phones allow iTunes connectivity nowadays!

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There's already been an iPod killer: Rio Karma. Superior playback (it was designed to play music, not look pretty), more formats supported, more intuitive interface, longer battery life, greater flexibility (through Ethernet dock supplied as standard). A pity the marketing wasn't brilliant, they got utterly crushed by Apple and they don't make 'em any more for exactly the reasons Webgraph pointed out... :cry:

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The Zune is probably the biggest possible threat on that list, and even that I do not see as putting any major dent in IPod sales. People nowadays don't go out to "buy an mp3 player" anymore, they go out to "buy an IPod." The purchasing decision is made up before they enter the store and before even comparing other device options.

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Archos 604 and 404. Makes an iPod Video look like the crap it is.

Mmm, iPod, be tied to **** format video. Lovely.

I guarantee that most people, unfortunately, don't care about the quality of video on their iPod so long as video plays at all.
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There's already been an iPod killer: Rio Karma. Superior playback (it was designed to play music, not look pretty), more formats supported, more intuitive interface, longer battery life, greater flexibility (through Ethernet dock supplied as standard). A pity the marketing wasn't brilliant, they got utterly crushed by Apple and they don't make 'em any more for exactly the reasons Webgraph pointed out... :cry:

And way before that. The iRiver H1x0 series. It was the ultimate monochromed player ever!

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