If you ask Bill Gates, he’ll tell you that the success of the iPod is not sustainable. “If you were to ask me which mobile device will take top place for listening to music, I’d bet on the mobile phone for sure,” he said in an interview.
It is increasingly evident that a number of devices are converging onto the phone platform. With phones now starting to appear with micro-drives, capacity will become less of a factor. Windows Mobile 5.0 will also up the ante in the game with its email push capabilities. Why carry around an iPod if your phone can offer the same functionality and more? Apple will need to reinvent its iPod to ensure that it remains relevant.