Here is your daily Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) stock news and rumors for September 8th. Today Apple’s new line of iPods hit retailers. Reviews of both the new iPod Nano and iPod Touch have been very positive. iTunes users shopping AAPL’s online music store on these machines will have to settle for 30-second previews of songs before they buy, though — longer song samples on iTunes have been delayed by the National Music Publishers Association. Finally, while the new online gaming network for iOS mobile devices Game Center is ready to launch on new and old iPod Touch devices alike, word is it will not be supported on the iPhone 3G.
New iPod Models Hit Retailers Today: Both the diminutive and full-size models of AAPL’s popular iPod media players are available in stores today after being revealed at the company’s event for new products last Wednesday. The new iPod Touch features a number of significant improvements over its predecessor, including a retina display that allows the device to support Apple’s voice and video chat application Face Time in addition to a back mounted camera that lets users shoot video in HD. Bigger changes have come to AAPL’s more miniscule iPod offering. The iPod Nano is now square-shaped rather than rectangular, and features a 2-inch by 2-inch multitouch touch-screen interface. While the iPod Touch is shipping with the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system, iOS 4.1, already installed, the iPod Nano’s software merely mimics iOS. Apple has not said whether or not a version of iOS will be implemented in the iPod Nano at a later date. Early reviews of both devices have been positive. Tech blog Engadget said the new Nano device is “a big step forward” for Apple’s devices, promising words for investors who expected the iPod product line to be dead in the water just three short months ago.
Longer Song Samples on iTunes Delayed Thanks to Leery Labels: Apple was expected to introduce longer samples of songs prior to purchase when they unveiled iTunes 10 at last week’s media event. CNET’s Greg Sandoval originally reported on the proposed extended song previews last week. Today, Sandoval says that these new samples haven’t materialized yet because the National Music Publishers Association blocked them at the last minute. Word is that Apple only received approval from four major music labels prior to iTunes 10’s September 1st launch day. The NMPA, after reading Sandoval’s report, moved quickly to block the new 60-second samples from appearing on iTunes. Their argument is that APPL must pay fees for performance rights of samples. Of course, Apple came under fire for offering 30-second samples for the same reason. While shareholders shouldn’t be concerned over a delay in the introduction of new promotional tools on iTunes, the NMPA’s blockage is one more sign that, with new competitors like Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) emerging in the digital music space, Apple’s business is going to come under close scrutiny in the coming months. Expect to see significant changes in the iTunes business model by the end of 2011.
iOS Online Gaming Network Game Center Not Compatible With iPhone 3G: Part of Apple’s new push to establish their presence in the portable video game market is the launch of Game Center, an online gaming network for iOS mobile devices similar to Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) and its Xbox Live. The service will allow users on the iPhone 4, iPod Touch, and iPad to link their profiles to play games with one another online and compare scores and achievements. In order for Game Center to launch successfully, Apple has made efforts to ensure the technology is available on older devices. While Game Center is compatible with second-generation iPod Touch handhelds, though, it is not compatible with the iPhone 3G because of the impending release of iOS 4.1. A beta version of iOS 4.1 previously indicated that the iPod Touch 2G would be excluded as well.
As of this writing, Anthony Agnello did not own a position in any of the stocks named here.
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