Is the iPod becoming less popular these days?

When it comes to listening to our music on the go, and before the emergence of smartphones, there was a good chance you would see someone on the street sporting an iPod or the Zune MP3 player, or even an iRiver. However all of that has changed, especially with smartphones these days sporting the ability (and the capacity) to play our songs while on the go, which means that unless you need to bring with you your entire 160GB collection of MP3s, chances are you will let your smartphone double as your music player instead.

If you agree with what I’ve said above, then you’ll also probably understand that sales of the iPod have been steadily declining, ever since its peak back in December of 2008 with sales of 22.7 million units. In fact, analysts have predicted that sales of the iPod will continue declining by another 7.2% in the coming fiscal quarter.

On one hand having a dedicated MP3 player allows you to conserve your smartphone’s battery life, but that would mean having an additional gadget in your pocket or handbag, which is an option that some might choose to do without. Not to mention that smartphones will also allow users to go online anywhere through the use of mobile internet, and this will provide other venues of entertainment and not just limiting the user to their songs. There have also been rumors that Apple is planning a 3G version of their iPod touch series, which should be able to accomplish what a smartphone does, probably with the exception of making calls and sending text messages.

So what do you guys think? Do you think that the iPod (along with other dedicated MP3 players) is dying? Would you also rather load up some of your songs on your phone to keep you entertained during train and bus rides, or would you prefer carrying a dedicated MP3 player around with you instead?

Tyler Lee
Categories: Apple, Audio
Tags: iPod, iriver, Smartphones, Tablet, zune