News.blog: New iPods, at last?

The iPhone has launched, and the iMac has been redesigned, which means it's probably time for new iPods.

Several different reports have surfaced over the past couple of days regarding revamped iPods that Apple may or may not have in the works. Other than adding colour to the iPod Shuffle line, Apple hasn't done anything with the traditional iPods this year, and it looks like that's about to change.

AppleInsider believes that Apple will release Mac OS X-based iPods in September, citing unidentified sources. This particular theory has surfaced before, with many believing that Apple will introduce an iPod that looks just like the iPhone, just without the ability to make phone calls.

These new iPods would have features very similar to the iPhone but would retain the familiar click-wheel interface, according to AppleInsider. The site thinks four models are planned, two new iPod Nano models and two new iPod models, all of which would run some iteration of Mac OS.

It seems to make sense to me that Apple would want to start releasing Mac OS X iPods, given the amount of work it put into tailoring Mac OS for the iPhone and the extras that could possibly come along with Leopard in October. Also, a phone-less iPhone would finally give Apple a real video iPod, with the wider screen and the ability to watch movies or TV in landscape mode.

The exact details may still be up in the air, and the only safe bet seems to be that Apple will release new iPods later this year to refresh an aging lineup in time for Christmas. Apple sold 21 million iPods in the fourth quarter of last year without making any major changes, and new designs could prompt upgrades.