DigiTimes' Jimmy Hsu reports today that Apple plans to release Wi-Fi-enabled iPods in the second half of 2007.

"Universal Scientific Industrial (USI) will produce the Wi-Fi modules and Foxconn will perform as the OEM system assembler, according to Taiwan portable music player component makers," Hsu writes. "USI will begin shipments later in April, while Foxconn may do so in the third quarter."

"The integration of a Wi-Fi module will require Apple to either increase the battery capacity of the iPod -- or reduce overall power consumption in order to maintain the battery life iPod users have become used to," notes TG Daily's Wolfgang Gruener. "Apple has been rumored for some time to transition its video iPods to flash memory, and we wouldn't be too surprised if the company dropped the 1.8" hard drive models in favor of 32 GB and 64 GB flash iPods when introducing the Wi-Fi feature."

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