Apple on Monday updated its iPod product line to include new 20GB and 40GB models — the high-end model can now hold up to 10,000 songs. Apple also offered an update on the success of its iTunes Music Store.
The iPod line has been refreshed to include a new, higher capacity high-end model. The line now includes a 10GB model for US$299, a new 20GB model for $399 and a new 40GB model for $499. The 20GB and 40GB models replace the 15GB and 30GB models previously available, for the same retail price.
“The iPod is a rocket,” Greg Joswiak, vice president of hardware product marketing, told MacCentral. “The success we’ve had in what should be a seasonally low time has been just astounding. The iPod is the number one selling digital music player and we just keep making it better, staying further and further ahead of our competition.”
Outside of the higher capacities of the mid-range and high-end models, the iPod feature set remains the same. The new models feature a dock connector to attach the iPod to a Mac or PC, a “no moving parts” navigation wheel, backlit buttons, and a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that offers up to 8 hours of continuous music.
All models include earbud headphones, a power adapter, FireWire cable and 4-to-6 pin iPod FireWire adapter. 20GB and 40GB models also include the iPod Dock, carrying case and wired remote. A separate USB 2.0 cable is required for USB 2.0 support with Windows PCs.
Apple also noted today that it has sold more than 10 million songs through the iTunes Music Store, the company’s popular music service. The iTunes Music Store enables Mac OS X users to buy and download commercial music for $0.99 a song through iTunes, Apple’s music playback software. Currently, Apple’s iTunes Music Store only works with Mac OS X, but the company has stated its intention to make the service available to Windows users before the end of the year.
“We’re optimistic about the phenomenal response we’ve had to the iTunes Music Store,” said Peter Lowe, Apple’s director of marketing for Applications and Services. “We seem to be the folks to emulate in this market, but we just keep marching along at a great pace of over 500,000 songs a week. We are looking forward to getting the Windows version out by the end of the year and fulfilling that demand.”
The 10 millionth song? According to Apple, it was pop star Avril Lavigne’s hit single “Complicated,” and it was sold at 11:34PM on September 3, 2003.
Update: Added information from interview with Apple executives.