Research is showing that for a brief moment at least, Sony have taken the crown in Japan and have sold more Walkmans than Apple have sold iPods in the last month.
It might not seem like a big deal on the surface but, since 2001 when research company BCN began compiling their monthly sales stats, this is just the second time that Sony have come out on top (which lasted a week), with Apple and their iPod range outselling their competitors for the rest of the time. Last month the Sony Walkman held a 47.8% share of the market where as the iPod had 44%. Many expect this will all change when the new iPod models are released by Apple in Japan but, for the time being Sony can puff out it’s corporate feathers and celebrate it’s victory in the Japanese market.
Between them Sony and Apple hold around a 90% share of the market for portable music players in Japan anyway, so there is no real loser in this battle anyway.
I have noticed that there are some good looking games on the iTouch and iPhone these days and I’m thinking they could even get better looking. Epic has recently demonstrated its Unreal Engine 3 (the same one used for games like Gears of War 2) running on the iPhone 3GS and 3rd gen iPod touch to Anand Shimpi of AnandTech.
EA Mobile has recently released Need for Speed SHIFT for the iPhone and iPod touch. Details from EA Mobile:
“Racers can hop into the driver’s seat in 20 of the fastest, hottest, most powerful cars in the world in Need for Speed SHIFT, and compete on stretches of asphalt in Chicago, London, and Tokyo in up to 28 street and pro racing events. Players can also enjoy upgrade features, such as top speed, handling, acceleration, and nitrous boosts. The all-new driver profile is the ultimate extension of the true driver’s experience, giving each player a unique persona based on their racing skills and style. Driver profiles can impact a player’s overall career progression, even affecting how they unlock cars. In Need for Speed SHIFT, it’s all about being in control while pushing yourself to the edge. How you drive is who you are behind the wheel.”
I can’t believe how the iTouch or iPhone is taking off in the “handheld gaming” area.
Looks like we win and with Microsoft’s help. After first releasing the 360 Live iPhone app for $1.99 and subsequently being talked to by Microsoft, creator Xavier Larrea has released a free version on the iTunes App Store. As the app now complies with Microsoft’s policy that all Xbox Live apps should be free, 360 Live should be here to stay.
I know, I know why am I posting news about the iPhone here. Well I want to say as an iPhone owner I am excited by the prospect of a 64gb or 120gb model. I am however not looking forward to the pricing. The main reason I am posting this is because Toshiba announced that it’s managed to cram 64GB of NAND flash memory onto a single chip. Be advised this is just speculation/rumour on my part right now about these iPhone models.
The iPod touch doesn’t have to worry about all the phone-related radios, and so has double the slots for memory, and will likely always get twice as much storage as the iPhone. Apple typically releases new iPhones in June/July, new iPod touches in September.
