Jobs: "you have to buy a new iPod at least once a year"

Now we know the truth. In an interview with NBC's Brian Williams, Apple CEO Steve Jobs explained why Apple comes up with new iPod models so frequently: "You keep on innovating, you keep on making better stuff," Jobs said, in response to a question from Williams about why a new iPod might seem outdated as soon as you take it out of the box. Then Jobs offered a bit of advice to consumers: "If you always want the latest and greatest, then you have to buy a new iPod at least once a year." Gee, thanks, Steve. We always thought it was the dead batteries or battered shell that kept sending us back to the Apple store. Glad you could set us straight.

[Via iLounge]

[Norm @ May 26th 2006 3:34PM]

I'll buy a new ipod when they release another metal one like my 4gb mini.

[z @ May 26th 2006 3:37PM]

Common Marc, get realistic! I have an ipod since a few years now, and I didn't feel that uncanny urge to get all the ones that came out once a year. Many are like me. Most of us in fact! At least Jobs is frank: you're a tech junkie, you get one every year. Or, as most of us ipod owners, you don't.

[Jake @ May 26th 2006 3:38PM]

Every executive knows that. But Jobs had the balls to say it!

[louis @ May 26th 2006 3:38PM]

gee i wish apple would stop updating the ipod so often.

[Jamaicanbwoydre @ May 26th 2006 3:38PM]

Now i know

[jesus @ May 26th 2006 3:39PM]

haha! it was a given, but at least you can get some year old models off ebay for cheap!!

[Pip @ May 26th 2006 3:39PM]

Makes sense to me. How else are you going to get the latest and greatest? Have it handed to you? I'm pretty impressed how they are changing the models to be smaller and smaller, but bigger and brighter screens and more features for around the same price as the years before.

If you dont want the latest and greatest, just dont buy one. Apple needs to stay a step ahead, or at least keep up with everyone else to make money.

[Dave @ May 26th 2006 3:39PM]

"Battered shell"? Cheap shot - my nano was bought the day it came out and looks great with a couple of hairline scratches, that's it. Looks and works perfectly.

[Shade @ May 26th 2006 3:42PM]

Engadget has taken on a very obvious anti-Apple stance recently. I suspect that this may be due to all of the outrage from Apple haters over the number of Apple posts here on Engadget.



If you always want the latest and greatest, then you have to buy a new [INSERT TECHNOLOGY PRODUCT] at least once a year.

[Damage @ May 26th 2006 3:42PM]

Where's Job's happy bulge as he was saying that? Huh? HUH?!?

[Benny @ May 26th 2006 3:42PM]

Some people must not like progress. I always hear the argument of not being able to keep up with tech. CHOICE is a good thing. 1G gig ipods still work fine in OSX it's not a matter of bing obsolete. It's a matter of jealousy on some peoples part because their toy is not the newest anymore. DEAL WITH IT

[PR @ May 26th 2006 3:42PM]

I've bought one once a year for 3 years now. Once the new one comes out this year, I will most likely buy that one too.

[PXLated @ May 26th 2006 3:42PM]

Nothing startling/new here, applies to almost everything.

[blahblah @ May 26th 2006 3:43PM]

Wow, um... I'm starting to rethink my support of Apple at news of this comment.

It doesn't matter if it was meant as a joke, I'm still disturbed at the idea that Jobs would suggest buying a new 3-500 dollar music player every year. The idea belies the values of a company I want to associate myself with.

What's supposed to happen to all those old iPods? What am I supposed to do with the old 20" iMac I just bought? Buy a new one next year?

[blackout @ May 26th 2006 3:46PM]

yes, i bought one this year, and plan on doing it again =D

[Ryan Block @ May 26th 2006 3:47PM]

I don't think we've taken an anti-Apple stance, we just call it like we see it. When something's good, we say it; when something's not, we call it out, too. The fact that so many people say we're pro/anti-Apple means we're probably doing it just right. As for some of the other comments here, well, I think people should lighten up a little bit. Of course Jobs thinks we should buy a new iPod every year -- doesn't mean we can't have some fun with this stuff. We, of course, encourage you guys to have some fun with tech "news" too!

Best, Ryan

[rex @ May 26th 2006 3:49PM]

It's a Conspiracy!... Apple is purposely letting all the batteries die within a year so that people can go and buy new ipods!... The government should get in on this just to make sure that they really aren't doing that.

And plus if they're innovating and coming out with the latest and greatest...why haven't they come out with batteries that could last over 50hours?!?

[os4 @ May 26th 2006 3:50PM]

you guys have no sense of humour.

[Mulyadi Kurniawan @ May 26th 2006 3:50PM]

If the used iPods can be sold easily and fast, then buying a new iPod every year is not a problem.

[faboo @ May 26th 2006 3:51PM]

purchase the latest and greatest?

sounds kinda elitist to me... i guess Jobs thinks we all have the same job he has. so we can purchase a new one for everyday of the week.

we have an iPod its been great, but shouldnt a product last a few years before it needs to be updated? i use to like Apple, my first comp was an Apple II+. but this whole iPod thing is getting crazy. its just an MP3 player, isnt it?

not to sound harsh, but Jobs uSuck or worst, uSwallow.

[Dro @ May 26th 2006 3:51PM]

I'll probably never buy another ipod again...

[Johnny @ May 26th 2006 3:52PM]

"If you always want the latest and greatest, then you have to buy a new iPod at least once a year."

Isn't that true about almost all computer/consumer electronics stuff? I fail to see the bombshell.

[JMatt @ May 26th 2006 3:52PM]

Pretty much anti-news.

If you want the latest Zen, you'll have to buy one every year. If you want the latest xxx Player, you'll have to buy one every year. If you want the latest car, you'll have to buy one every year. So forth, and so on.

[z @ May 26th 2006 3:52PM]

I kind of agree with ryan, but the fine humoristic border gets somewhat fuzzy. Engadget stays the best (for now)! ;-)

[Boyscout @ May 26th 2006 3:53PM]

iDont

[Brendna Eaton @ May 26th 2006 3:54PM]

Normally when a quote is abbreviated, the abbreviation is noted with ". . ." The headline to this article is a bit misleading.

[Anders @ May 26th 2006 3:56PM]

I'm still carrying my 40GB iPod Photo (remember that short-lived gem?) from almost two years ago. The size of the thing suits me fine, given that it holds forty gigs, which I've never quite filled with music and photos. And so far, I don't feel the need for video. Maybe when the sideways screen video iPod comes out I'll trade in for the latest and greatest. Meanwhile I'll just count the ones that I sidestep as they flit by into obscurity (mini, shuffle... pack your bags, nano...)

[Bill @ May 26th 2006 3:58PM]

Bet you "upgrade" Apple products less frequently than non-Apple products. :-)

[d chalmers @ May 26th 2006 4:01PM]

Impressive, Marc! An admirable use of not only a non-newsworthy news item, but an applaudable (and traffic-boosting!) out-of-context quote. Engadget is just a printing press away from being the MSM. I hope you got a gold star on your cubicle for this post.

[G Money @ May 26th 2006 4:02PM]

"
And plus if they're innovating and coming out with the latest and greatest...why haven't they come out with batteries that could last over 50hours?!?"

DER becuase then you wouldnt need to buy a new ipod every year. I bought my 3G 15 gig in Jan of 04 and the POS holds a full charge for about 2 hours MAX, and thats with no backlight no megabass no EQ no nothing. Do i expect it to last 4 ever? No. But i dont have to replace my CPU every year, i dont replace my tv every year, i dont replace my electric shaver every year.

[Charlie @ May 26th 2006 4:02PM]

I agree that to the fact you have to buy new ipods to get the latest and greatest.....But when the PSP and DS came out with new iterations....Everyone was screaming bloody murder. When Apple does it....Everyone has to wipe the jiz-nut from their mouth when Jobs give thems a full load.

[Bultie @ May 26th 2006 4:03PM]

Ohhhh Engadge dont be so naive. Thats how it works in big big bad world of buisness. This is happening with every product. just look a regular Computers I mean Hey be happy! If there were not that much product updates of every sort, we would not need YOU the blog and u would not have any job ( eccept those single articles every 3 years...).

[shirizaki @ May 26th 2006 4:07PM]

Smug bastard.

Of course this isn't different from Sony and their engineered PS2's that break every 2 years.

[iDZ @ May 26th 2006 4:09PM]

if I ran my digital camera for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, that battery would need replacing after about a year.

same's true of my rechargeable electric razor or my cellphone.

music players just seem like they have battery issues because people use the hell out of them.

[Mike S @ May 26th 2006 4:09PM]

Well at least he's honest.

[dudeInAmerica @ May 26th 2006 4:10PM]

Oh yeah, dont forget to buy a new laptop/dvr/monitor/tv/dvd (hd, blue ray, flux capacitor), keyboard/mouse/tablet/cell phone/pda/ipod/printer/game console/ digital camera/ portable game player / bluetooth adapter / hard drive and usb memory stick every year as well. Just a heads up.

[Mischa Lockton @ May 26th 2006 4:11PM]

zing!

[DAN @ May 26th 2006 4:13PM]

after my iMac G5 blew up after 2 weeks and my iPod Nano was totally scratched up after 2 weeks, I'm not buying any new apple products until they've been on the market a year... at least.

[d chalmers @ May 26th 2006 4:13PM]

28 - "bloody murder" over the DS Lite? What kind of gamers do you hang out with? Every DS owner I know is just waiting to drop 130 bills on that bizzle when it comes out. The Japanese market also seemed to like it pretty well.

The lesson from Apple and the DS Lite is, if you can make a product that makes everything else on the market (including your last gen) look like chintzy crap, you're going to move a lot of units. But as many others have pointed out above, that is just practicing good design and constantly rethinking and expanding your product, not a sinister plot.

It kind of reminds me of the extreme programming/web 2.0 mantra: "release early, release often". Put out a product that beats everything else (by whatever metric you feel is important), and then constantly improve it. (It's that second part that's key.)

And to #27, maybe you should invest in a $20 replacement battery. They're dead-easy to switch out on the 4Gs, and you'll get more battery life than you ever did on your old battery. (I traded out the battery on my 2G 20GB and got 15hrs+, twice the original battery life.)

[iDZ @ May 26th 2006 4:14PM]

the title of this article is just flame-bait.

i agree that it should have the "..." up front since they removed the qualifier at the beginning of Jobs' statement.

"...you have to buy a new iPod at least once a year"

[Jeffrey M Foster @ May 26th 2006 4:15PM]

er... welcome to capitalism, engadget.

this is news?

At least they're not pushing 3 year old stagnant technology... but i think the principle applies to EVERYTHING: if you want the latest and greatest, you have to buy the latest and greatest, which chances are, come out about every year (or less.)

D- for boring "news"

[eric @ May 26th 2006 4:18PM]

Apple is being "Osborned" by the true video iPod rumours. I for one am just waiting on the sidelines with my 5 large.

[threefingeredlord @ May 26th 2006 4:18PM]

I hate that guy. Soo much. Apple offer trade-ins for their new ipods, more people would buy them that way....not me though....

[paris @ May 26th 2006 4:21PM]

I don't know about that. I've still got my bluw iPod mini and am loving it. Maybe its because it never had a follow up.

As long as something's functional I'll always prefer a classic old look and feel. Same goes for my mobile phone.

[James Ahlschwede @ May 26th 2006 4:23PM]

This is tabloid style non-story. If what Jobs said wasn't true then he would have said this: "We're going to stop releasing new iPod models for a year. Yes the component technologies keep improving, but we're just going to ignore that." That would have been news.

[Hypertime @ May 26th 2006 4:24PM]

What the hell is up with the obnoxiously anti-Apple tone lately?

[Frank Palazzi @ May 26th 2006 4:26PM]

Sooooooo, how come you can only see the video if you have Windoze Media Player 10? i.e YOUR NOT ON A MAC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love Macs. I run an Ad agency/ production house. We have 9 at work, 4 at home.
We produce award winning video on them.

BUT THE LACK OF COMPATABILITY WIN VIDEO ONER THE INTERNET HAS GOT TO GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Frank

[d3 @ May 26th 2006 4:36PM]

What, is this like some subversive agenda or something? The same thing is true of any number of products, especially computers. I suppose your going to complain that car companies come out with models too often, forcing consumers who always want the latest-and-greatest to buy a new car every 2 years.

Thanks for the non-news.

[Parry Cadwallader @ May 26th 2006 4:37PM]

Thought this comparison may be a little off, its like owning a house. You want to keep the house? Pay the money each year. Want to stay in touch with the latest gadgets? Pay the money each year.

Also, on the topic of scratched iPods...I have an iPod that fell off the BACK OF A MOVING TRUCK and it has less scratches than that...though it does have a cracked screen...but that's expected.

[Cody @ May 26th 2006 4:39PM]

Could my new iPod every year qualify as an addiction. Maybe someone could stage an iPod intervention for me...