The iPod in 2008: Year in Review
New software and lower prices
At Macworld on 15 January 2008 Apple added Mail, Maps, Stocks, Weather and Notes to the iPod touch, included on new units and sold to existing owners for US$19.99. iTunes movie rentals began in the US the same day; films could be watched on the iPod classic, the video-capable iPod nano and the iPod touch, with 30 days to start a rental and 24 hours to finish it. A 32 GB iPod touch followed on 5 February at US$499, and on 19 February the 1 GB iPod shuffle fell to US$49 and a 2 GB model was added at US$69.
The largest music retailer in the US
On 3 April Apple cited NPD Group figures placing the iTunes Store first among US music retailers, with more than four billion songs sold to over 50 million customers. An Apple advertisement featuring Coldplay's "Viva la Vida" premiered during the American Idol finale on 20 May, and song sales passed five billion by 19 June. In July the App Store opened; iPod touch owners could reach it through a US$9.95 software update.
The September range
On 9 September Apple renewed the line-up. The fourth-generation iPod nano came in 8 GB (US$149) and 16 GB (US$199) versions and nine colours, in a curved aluminium and glass case that Apple called its thinnest iPod. An accelerometer switched it to Cover Flow when turned sideways and shuffled songs when it was shaken, and Apple rated it at up to 24 hours of music.
The second-generation iPod touch gained a built-in speaker, volume buttons and built-in Nike + iPod support, in 8, 16 and 32 GB versions at US$229, US$299 and US$399, with up to 36 hours of music per charge. The iPod classic became a single 120 GB model at US$249, and the iPod shuffle came in four new colours.
Genius
iTunes 8, released the same day, introduced Genius, which builds a playlist of songs from the user's own library that go well with a chosen track, drawing on anonymous data from other iTunes users. Genius playlists could also be created on the iPod classic, iPod nano and iPod touch. Apple also reported that App Store downloads had passed 100 million.