Color iPod mini may be Apple's 'home-run' product

Apple enthusiasts, analysts, and industry-watchers have been speculating that Apple will introduce a new video-enabled iPod this fall; however, at least one analyst believes that Apple's 'home-run' product will be an iPod mini with a color screen and that the video iPod will not be released this year. In its most recent note to clients, Piper Jaffray maintained an "outperform" rating with a $52 price target on Apple, saying that it expects the company to launch a number of new products by the end of the year--in time for the holiday season and possibly as early as Apple Expo in late September. Forbes.com reports that the firm believes Apple will debut a higher-capacity iPod Shuffle and color screen iPod mini. "In our view, a color screen iPod mini would be a home-run product for Apple in the upcoming holiday season."

"[W]e expect iPod to continue to be a foundation for growth in other parts of Apple's business, and we expect that by the end of calendar 2005 more than 35 million iPods will have shipped, providing Apple with a greater scope of awareness for various products. It appears that this phenomenon has begun to take effect, with 1.18 million Macs shipped in the June quarter."

However, the firm reportely said that it does not expects Apple to release a video iPod and new Macs . "We do expect Apple to periodically bump up the speed of the existing Mac product line, but we would be very surprised to see any brand new Macs released into the market prior to the start of the Intel integration in mid-calendar 2006."

Filed under: Investor