iPod Timeline (Ted's Blog)

In one of the first virtual books that iLounge posted, they had a timeline of all the dates where different iPods were introduced. But then they didn't update it. So I took what they had, plus what I found elsewhere and updated it, current up to the satanic-colored 5G U2 edition iPod introduced Tuesday. I'm trying to analyze the past history to guess when Apple will come out with a new iPod since I will be in the market soon. Looks like I need to wait until September or October.

The price premium for owning an iPod vs. rival MP3 players nearly disappeared in 2006. When I bought the $279 20 GB Archos, all Apple had was a 5 GB 1st genereration iPod which was $399 and it only worked with Macs. Two months after I got the Archos, Apple introduced the 10 GB iPod for $499. Still, I had twice the capacity (but none of the cool) for about half the price.

1-9-01: iTunes available for Macs
10-23-01: 1G iPod 5 GB $399

1-18-02: Ted gets 20GB Archos $279
3-20-02: 10 GB $499
7-17-02: 2G iPod: 5GB $299, 10 GB $399, 20 GB, $499. PC versions available.
4-28-03: 3G iPod: 10 GB $299, 15 GB $399, 30 GB $499. PC or Mac compatible. iTunes music store debuts, but for Mac only.
9-8-03: 20 GB $399, 40 GB $499
10-16-03: iTunes for PC's
11-12-03: Ted gets 3G 20GB
12-25-03: Ted lends Archos to Danny indefinitely

1-6-04: iPod Mini 4GB $249; 15 GB $299 (in silver, blue, green, pink, or gold)
7-19-04: 4G iPod: 20 GB $299, 40 GB $399
8-27-04: HP iPods
10-28-04: iPod Photo with color screen 40 GB $499, 60 GB $599; U2 iPod 20 GB $349

1-11-05: Shuffle 512MB $99, 1GB $149
1-12-05: Nicole gets U2 edition iPod
2-3-05: Eric gets 4G 20 GB
2-23-05: 2G mini 4GB $199, 6GB $249 (silver, blue, green, or pink); 30 GB iPod Photo $349, 60 GB $449, discontinue 40GB photo
6-28-05: Monochrome 4Gs discontinued, color 20GB $299, 60GB $399; U2 iPod color $329; 1GB shuffle $129
7-26-05: Danny gets 1 GB shuffle
9-7-05: Nano 2GB $199, 4GB $249 (both in black or white); mini discontinued
10-12-05: 5G video iPod 30GB $299, 60GB $399 (in black or white)

2-7-06: 1GB nano $149; Shuffle 512MB $69, 1GB $99
6-1-06: Kelly gets black 1GB nano
6-6-06: U2 edition 30 GB 5G $329
6-8-06: Jeb inherits Archos from Danny
9-12-06: 2G shuffle 1GB $79; 2G nano 2GB $149 (silver only), 4GB $199 (green, blue silver, or pink), 8GB $249 (black only); 5.5G iPod 30GB $249, 80GB $349 gets larger, brighter screen
10-13-06: 4 GB nano available in red
11-3-06: 8 GB nano available in red
11-6-06: Claire gets blue 4GB nano; Jeb inherits Claire's shuffle
12-25-06: Jeb gets black 80 GB iPod; David gets silver nano

1-30-07: Shuffle gets colors: pink, green, blue, and orange in addition to silver
6-29-07: iPhone introduced with AT&T cellular service only: widescreen, Mac OSX 4GB $499, 8GB $599.
9-5-07: Shuffle gets different colors: cranberry, purple, light green, light blue, silver, and red. 3G nano is wider with larger screen, video; 4GB $149 (silver only), 8GB $199 (black, red, silver, light blue, light green). iPod Classic replaces 5.5G, metal case, 80 GB $249, 160 GB $349. iPod Touch widescreen, wifi, Mac OSX, 8GB $299, 16GB $399. iPhone 8GB $399.
9-5-07: Ted gets black 8 GB 3G nano.
11-24-07: Susan gets blue Shuffle.
12-25-07: Danny gets black 8 GB 3G nano.

1-22-08: 8GB 3G nano available in pink
2-5-08: 32 GB iPod Touch, $499; 16 GB iPhone, $499
2-19-08: Shuffle 1 GB $49, 2 GB $69
2-20-08: Nicole gets red 1 GB Shuffle and inherits Jeb's 80 GB 5.5G
5-25-08: Jeb gets red 8 GB 3G nano
7-11-08: 3G iPhone supports 3G data network, adds GPS, 8 GB $199, 16 GB $299, in black or white
8-28-08: Kelly gets green 8 GB 3G nano
9-9-08: Shuffle colors revert to silver, blue, green, red, pink. 2G iPod Classic 120 GB $249. 4G nano skinny again with rounded front, can be watched sideways, 8 GB $149 or 16 GB $199 with new colors: silver, black, purple, blue, lime green, yellow, orange, red, pink. 2G Touch has same form as 3G iPhone: 8 GB $229, 16 GB $299, and 32 GB $399.
9-11-08: Ted gets red 16 GB 4G nano; lends 3G nano to Mom
12-12-08: Ted wins light blue 8 GB 3G nano, gives it to Jami

3-11-09: 3G shuffle, 4GB $79, in silver or black. Smaller and no buttons (controls moved to heaphone cable). Voiceover navigation speaks song titles to you.
6-19-09: iPhone 3GS, 16 GB $199, 32 GB $299 in black or white. Adds digital compass, video camera. iPhone 3.0 software.
8-7-09: Jeb gets 32 GB iPod Touch
9-9-09: 5G nano gets video camera, microphone, speaker, FM radio, taller screen (2.2 in). Same colors but now shiny instead of flat, 8 GB $149, 16 GB $179. Classic now 160 GB, $249. Shuffle gets colors: pink, green, and blue in addition to black and silver, 2 GB $59, 4 GB $79 (polished stainless steel version $99). 3G iPod touch higher end models get faster processor, 8 GB $199, 32 GB $299, 64 GB $399.

4-3-10: iPad has 9.7-inch 1024x768 touch screen 16 GB $499, 32 GB $599, 64GB $699 for wi-fi only versions.
4-30-10: iPad with 3G cellular 16GB $629, 32 GB $729, and 64 GB $829.
6-24-10: iPhone 4 has flat glass back, 5 megapixel camera with LED "flash," front-facing camera (640x480) for video calls, a gyroscope for better motion detection, and a higher resolution screen (960x640), in black or white, 16GB $199 or 32GB $299.