2010 iPod + iPhone Buyers' Guide Debuts, Joining iLounge's Multi-Million-Strong Family

SEATTLE, Nov. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Authoritative. Comprehensive. Incredible. These are the words that readers use to describe iLounge's annual iPod + iPhone Buyers' Guides - respected annual overviews of Apple's portable media devices and third-party add-ons. Today, iLounge proudly debuts the brand-new 2010 iPod + iPhone Buyers' Guide, the latest in its multi-million-downloaded series of publications. The 200-page Guide is available immediately as a free, hassle-free download from iLounge.com, and will be featured at the iLounge Pavilion of the January 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

With thousands of accessories and "apps" now competing for attention, this is the most exciting time in history to buy iPods, iPhones, and add-ons, but also the most confusing. As the world's leading reviewer of these products since 2001, iLounge has distilled years of honest, smart analysis into the 2010 Guide, creating four easy-to-read sections that spotlight the year's most essential products: Apple hardware, games, applications, and accessories. New headphones, speakers, cases, batteries, and car accessories receive special attention inside.

Serious iPod and iPhone fans will enjoy exclusive sneak peeks at upcoming accessories, as well as gift recommendations that range from free games to a $41,000 platinum and diamond-encrusted iPhone 3GS - plus plenty of affordable choices in the middle. First-time users will especially appreciate the iGlossary, which clearly explains all the Apple technical jargon that has become common over the last several years, and a Where To Buy section, which clearly shows the lowest-priced and smartest places to purchase iPods, iPhones, and accessories.

"Apple has sold over 260 million iPods and iPhones," said Jeremy Horwitz, Editor-in-Chief of iLounge and the Guide, "so there's never been a greater appetite for honest information about these devices and their add-ons. The 2010 Buyers' Guide is a quick, downloadable summary you can read on your computer or carry in your pocket when shopping, helping you make educated choices about what best fits your needs."

Additional key sections of the 2010 iPod + iPhone Buyers' Guide include:

* Buying and Selling Tips: Looking to buy a new iPod or iPhone right now? Skip the screwy 2009 iPod shuffle, and try the tricked-out new iPod touch, iPod nano, or iPhone 3GS. Want to sell your old model? Check the Guide for current used pricing for every iPod and iPhone released since 2001.

* Best of the Year and Readers' Choice Awards: Sixteen products and three top developers are named as winners of iLounge's prestigious Best of the Year awards for 2009, with highest honors going to Speck Products, iHome, Gameloft, Facebook, and SwitchEasy. Thousands of reader votes selected the winners of four Readers' Choice Awards, as well.

* The Complete History of iPod, iPhone + iTunes: Over 54 million iPods and 20 million iPhones were sold in the past year, along with roughly one billion App Store downloads. Our milestone-based timeline covers everything from the January 2001 release of iTunes through October 2009's release of Apple TV 3.0.

* Contests: With over $2,300 in prizes at stake, winners of iLounge's Design The Apple Tablet art contest are named, and a new iD the iPods + iPhones photo contest debuts.

"With two million downloads of our Guides in the last year alone, iLounge has built an unmatched reputation for honest and objective coverage of Apple's digital media products," said Dennis Lloyd, Publisher of iLounge. "Our latest 2010 Buyers' Guide is a must-read for anyone who has an iPod or iPhone, and anyone who's thinking of buying Apple-related products this year."

The 2010 iPod + iPhone Buyers' Guide is available now in Adobe PDF format from http://www.ilounge.com/2010bg/ . Widely heralded as "the iPod Bible," iLounge's popular tutorial edition, The Free iPod + iPhone Book, and previous years' versions of the Buyers' Guide can also be downloaded from http://www.ilounge.com/library/ .

With offices in Seattle, Washington and East Amherst, New York, iLounge Inc. is the world's leading provider of iPod, iPhone, and iTunes information, fully independent of Apple Inc. and vendors of related hardware, software, and services. iLounge is the exclusive partner of the Consumer Electronics Association for the iLounge Pavilion, a unified exhibition area for iPod, iPhone, and Mac-related products at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Founded only days after Apple announced the first iPod in 2001, iLounge has exploded in popularity, today boasting millions of visitors and tens of millions of page views each month. Its editorial content is in no way influenced by advertising, paid placements, or other unsavory practices. iLounge has been hailed by publications such as Forbes, Time Magazine, cNet, and The Wall Street Journal as the leader in iPod-related information online, the former deeming iLounge "the ultimate in product reviews and tutorials on all things iPod." The site, its publisher and editors have been spotlighted by the Associated Press, CNBC, The Guardian (UK), Italian Vogue, The Los Angeles Times, National Post (Canada), The New York Times, PC Magazine, Reuters, Stuff (UK), TechTV and more.