In the review, I've also hidden a treasure trove of info on how you can legitimately download tons of quality apps for free. First though, let's quickly cover what's new.
+ Faster 1GHz A4 Processor - to keep up with the high demands of multitasking
+ Ultra high resolution "Retina display" - packs a 960 x 640 resolution at 326 pixels per inch
+ 15% longer battery life - 3.44 Whr/930 mAh plays 7 hrs of video & 40 hrs of audio
+ Rear-facing camera - supports 960 x 720 sized photos (0.6 megapixels), plus 720p HD videos
+ Front-facing VGA-quality camera - VGA-quality is a resolution of 640 x 480 (0.3 megapixels)
+ 3-Axis Gyroscope - allows for higher precision and more motion gestures
+ Wireless N - Connect faster and go farther than ever, with this WiFi device (requires a router with 802.11n)
+ Built in microphone - but Apple reverted back to using the remote- and mic-less earphones
+ Game Center - Apple's own social gaming platform
+ Sleep/Power Button - it's been moved to the right, but not improved beyond that
+ Thinner, lighter than ever
* Note - Memory remains at the same 256MB despite several unconfirmed sources touting 512MB. There is also no vibrate module.
Unlike last year's iPod touch update, this one's a complete overhaul to the entire line. Last year, the new models didn't change in appearance. On the inside, faster processors and double-memory were added to the 32GB & 64GB models, but the 8GB got left out. Not this time. Buying the new 8GB iPod touch indeed gets you all the new goodies. You'll also pay thirty bucks more than before, so consider buying the 32GB model instead. You'll get 400% more storage space for only 23% more coin!
I'm a mobile app developer who's created a few apps and games for the iPhone, iPod Touch and now iPad. I was initially drawn to the iPod touch because of the popularity and capabilities of its mobile Web browsing--I was primarily a Web developer at the time and no other device could surf the Web so well. After I got one, I was hooked. I racked up over a hundred bucks in app purchases within the first month, and before long, I found myself learning how do develop native apps for the device.
Indeed, if you have never had an iPod touch before, you're in for a real treat. Of course, if you have, then you know first hand: it's is worth its weight in gold--no, in platinum. And now, with the latest generation, it may even be worth its weight rare gem stones! I digress.
The iPod touch is frequently called an iPhone without the phone. However, until now there have been several other features also missing in the iPod touch besides the phone: a camera, GPS, magnetometer (compass), and some newer amenities from the iPhone 4: front-facing camera, high resolution "Retina display" as it has been dubbed, and the powerful 1GHz A4 processor--indeed a necessity to keep up with multitasking.
That all changes, now. The 4th gen iPod touch brings with it some new features and amenities, some of which have been anticipated by iPod touch fans and developers alike, including myself, for several generations of the device. From a developer's perspective, the more hardware features we can get our hands on, the better and more innovative apps we can create, and the more users that can download, use and enjoy them.
===== In With the New =====
The striking new design of the latest iPod touch is definitely a looker. Apple has made it even thinner (and I thought it was already too thin before) complete with a beautiful chrome back. While the super thin design is certainly attractive, I've found it slightly difficult to keep it well-gripped in your hands. The usual chrome back looks great too, but it's scratch-insistent. Yes, it's incredibly easy to scratch it all up, even after the first few days. For these two reasons, definitely get yourself a silicone skin.
For ages, the main feature topping everyone's wishlist for the iPod touch has been a camera. Check! It handles HD video too... bonus! Given, its not the 5 megapixel camera that the iPhone 4 sports, but again, the new iPod touch thinner than ever, making it somewhat of a miracle that we even got a camera in the first place, let alone two! Yes, Apple went the extra mile so we could make video calls with our fellow iPhone toting friends, via their Face Time app. Brilliant! So, for having not had any camera on the iPod touch before, and now having TWO cameras on it, we can't really complain can we? Nah.
I'll have more details on the quality and capabilities of both cameras later, but what excites me even more than the cameras is the new much-higher resolution screen--dubbed "Retina display". You may not think much of it if you haven't used an iPhone or iPod touch before, nor have an older model nearby to compare it to, but for those that have and/or do, the difference is clear! (pun intended)
Where this really comes in handy is in browsing the Web and reading non-mobile-formatted PDF e-books. Now, I can see things so much clearer at the default zoom level (which shows the full width of a Web page or document). Granted, my vision isn't spectacular by any means. I just don't mind seeing things smaller on the screen, because it allows me to see more content without having to scroll. So yes, the Retina display was the #1 feature I never knew I wanted (until I saw it in the iPhone 4 of course).
Other newness includes: Longer battery life, HD video recording and editing, wireless-n for nearly double the WiFi connection speed and distance, Game Center, which is Apple's new social gaming platform (which seems to be Apple's attempt to kill-off third party social gaming platforms like OpenFeint and Plus+), a 3-axis gyroscope sensor, which complements the existing accelerometer sensor, both of which handle the rotating, swinging and other motion gestures of the device respectively (previously, rotation support was achieved via a very rough calculation of accelerometer data), and new placement of the sleep/power button on the right (but still as difficult as ever to press).
Features still missing include: 512MB of memory, the 5 megapixel quality camera with flash (it'd also be neat if it could be used as a flashlight, like Android does), magnetometer (compass), and the GPS, the latter of which I'd happily trade the thinness of the latest iPod touch to have. WiFi based location detection is just not accurate enough, and the GPS doesn't need a WiFi or cellular connection anyway, it just needs to see the satellites in the sky.
preivew moreApple iPod touch 32 GB (4th Generation) NEWEST MODEL
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