Apple to announce iPod mini with colour screen & bigger HD

February 20, 2005

While Apple has gone through several generations of the regular iPod, according to Think Secret, reliable sources have confirmed that Apple is getting ready to announce their next iPod mini generation. The upcoming version will feature a full colour active matrix display of the same size as current iPod mini with a resolution of 176 x 132. It should be clearly viewable regardless of the lighting conditions, including direct sunlight.

With the sharp drop in active TFT display source pricing in the past 1/2 year, many competitors have also moved to colour displays. Capacity on the iPod mini will be improved to a 5GB or 6GB Seagate, although it is not clear which will be the actual size since Seagate's maximum size in its 1" HDD series is currently 5GB and sources expect a 6GB drive. Unlike the current 4GB Hitachi 1" HDD's the iPod mini uses, the Seagate series features RunOn motion compensation technology to allow the drive to work even under continuous shock such while the user is jogging.

Pricing of the upcoming series will remain at the current iPod mini pricing of $249 and Apple is expected to be announce this upcoming generation of its iPod mini within the next week or two. Apple also expects to upgrade its standard iPod series to colour displays later on this year.

Highly reliable sources have confirmed that the next iPod mini will gain a full-color active-matrix TFT screen while the form factor will remain largely unchanged. The color screen will be able to display colors clearly and brightly regardless of ambient lighting, even outdoors in direct sunlight. The new screen will be about the same size as the current iPod mini display and will sport a 176x132 resolution.

Apple's move to a color screen on the iPod mini is part of the company's shift away from monochrome displays, sources said. Standard iPods will also gain color screens across the board with the next update later this year. The move toward color screens is part of an effort by Apple to keep its industry-leading iPod looking new and fresh. In the last 6-8 months, prices on small active matrix TFT screens have dropped sharply and several Apple competitors are already using them, including Rio, iRiver, Creative, Gateway, and Samsung.

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With all the generations of the iPod series and an
upcoming iPod mini generation, it is a pity that Apple will not add some of the
features that its competitors offer. For example, the main issue all iPod
users will have is the dreaded 1.5 year battery life and many novice users would not be keen on dismantling a player just to change a battery. Then again, at least the battery time per charge has significantly improved.

A radio would be nice, if made made as an alternative model. Finally, while some may consider the resolution too low for video support on the upcoming colour display models, many camera phones in my experience show decent picture quality even on its 128 x 128 resolution display. The TV snapshot image to the right gives an example of what image quality would be like after being resized to 176 x 132.