Can the iPod be Saved? Should It?

Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference convenes this week, a time for talking about operating systems, apps and other assorted software. It is not a time when the company discusses hardware, so we probably won’t seen any new shiny things from Cupertino. Still, it’s a time to examine what the company might do moving forward.

Take the iPod, for example. In an era when almost everyone has a smartphone, why would anyone need a standalone personal music player anymore? I can think of a couple of reasons.

• Workouts: If you’re looking to add music to your exercise routines, an iPod Shuffle or Nano is much less bulky than a full-sized iPhone. And who wants to drop and shatter and iPhone while jogging?
• Kids: They don’t need a full-on smartphone yet. Give ’em a Touch.
• Music therapy: I know of a lot of institutions who use iPods for health reasons, including treatment of dementia.

And let’s face it: as music players, iPods work pretty well–if that’s all you want them to do. But with sales falling precipitously quarter after quarter, can the iPod be saved? Maybe–but only if you add features. CNET has some ideas:

1. Add Wi-Fi to the entire line
2. Same thing with Apple Music. Make it accessible by every model.
3. Activate Siri.
4. Make them waterproof

Anything else you’d do? Read the entire article here.