Toshiba, maker of the 1.8" hard drives currently used in iPods, has announced that it is planning to ship an 80 GB in the 3rd quarter of 2005. The annoucement of the drive comes a year after it announced the 60 GB version currently found in the iPod photo.
Unlike the 60 GB announcement, Toshiba has chosen to not name names of who might order this upcoming 80 GB drive, but given that the sizing of the device is relatively the same as the 60 GB counterpart, it isn't unreasonable to have it incorporated into the next generation iPod.
Additionally, Toshiba announced a revision to the 40 GB model slated to ship in the 2nd quarter of 2005. This revision is thinner and lighter than the current 40 GB model, which could lead to a thinner mid-range iPod.
