The new iPod Touch offers one huge new feature and that is a camera. Beyond that, it is really the same old iPod Touch. The ability to use FaceTime or any of a growing number of video chatting applications will prove to be one of the best features on mobile devices in the coming months. The iPod Touch is a slender device and despite its size, it still feels well crafted. I personally hope to see a GPS function hit the iPod Touch some time soon as it will make using Nike+ that much better, but the way it is implemented by Apple really requires 3G, at least with today’s technology. If you are looking for reasons to part with your money, then look no further than this device: dual camera’s, A4 processor, and a variety of apps that will drain money out of your pockets 99¢ at a time.
Hardware
The first thing you notice is that the iPod Touch draws from its original design vs. taking the new design of the iPhone 4. The rear panel is still chromed and much like the screen of the iPhone, and iPad, the iPod Touch leaves evidence each time a finger touches it. What is amazing is how thin the new device is. If you owned a prior generation iPod Touch the first thing you notice beyond the camera when you touch the device is how thin it really feels. When you compare the old and new side-by-side you can see the size difference is more than just an impression.
The new iPod performs better with iOS 4 than the prior generation, and this is likely due to the A4 processor that powers not just the iPod Touch, but the iPhone, iPad, and AppleTV. Apple, unlike what Research in Motion (RIM) did with the BlackBerry Torch, provides more than enough processor power in their new devices.
The buttons on the iPod Touch have changed substantially. While the device still only has power/sleep, volume up/down, and home buttons, the style and placement has shifted. The power/sleep button is now on the opposite side, and upper right when you are looking at the front glass of the unit. Additionally, the volume buttons are now two separate buttons vs. a single exposed rocker button. The power/sleep button is harder to press for two reasons. First, the button is more on the back than top of the unit due to the ultra thin design. Second, the actual location has changed too, especially if you are used to pressing the button on the other side, since you naturally look to press in the old location.
Sound Quality
Once you plug-in a good headset like the VModa Vibe II it is difficult to have poor sound quality. Where the iPod Touch does suffer is with the built-in speaker. The speaker phone is critical for me because after a long day of travel while using headsets, when I arrive at my hotel I want the built-in speaker to avoid additional headset use. I have become used to using the X-Mini Capsule Speaker which provides better audio quality than any speaker I have heard on a mobile device, so that helps. But, it is also one more thing to carry.
Something that does annoy me on the iPod Touch has to do with silent mode. On the iPhone there is a rocker switch to quickly change from an audible ring to vibrate. The iPod Touch cannot vibrate but that does not mean I don’t want to move to silent mode. The only way to do this is via the settings and turning off all notifications. This is not new to this model, but it is something to keep in mind, and something I believe that should have been dealt with long since by Apple.
FaceTime
FaceTime is not ground breaking technology. In fact I have been doing video calls from my laptop for about 5-7 years. Regardless, the real benefit of FaceTime is how easy it is to use. The requirement of Wi-Fi only is annoying but the simplicity exposes a whole new group of people to the obvious and undeniable value of video calling. For the same reason you would rather have a face-to-face conversation, you will see value in FaceTime over traditional voice-only calls. I hope in the near future you will be able to have video calls from computers to mobile devices as easy as it is with FaceTime. It appears that the market is heading in that direction, but it is still not certain.
The only challenge I had with FaceTime was when I tried to call an iPhone 4 user that had not yet upgraded to 4.1. I wish FaceTime from an iPod Touch could keep your email address private and instead use a unique identifier. Think about how the BlackBerry can do BlackBerry Messenger without the phone number exchange, just using a PIN instead.
Camera/Video Camera
The camera on the iPod Touch is good enough, but it is not as good as the iPhone. One the other hand, it also does not come with a service contract. I don’t have a Nikon D3X, Canon 1Ds Mark III, Pioneer Kuro, or Burger Yacht thus the quality images produced with the iPod Touch are fine for me. Side-by-side there is a noticeable image difference but just like buying a flat screen TV, I have no plans on comparing them side-by-side with anything. If I need a quality image I will use my Nikon D5000.
One outstanding aspect of the camera is how fast it is to take an image. I would argue that it is faster then many point-and-shoot cameras on the market. It does not have an auto-focus lens or LED Flash and despite that, it still produces good quality images. The 720p video capture is amazingly good, and while not the quality I can get from my Sony HDR-CR550V Handycam, the iPod Touch slips in my pocket with ease.
HDR Photography
When I saw that the iPhone would have the ability to take HDR photos (High Dynamic Range) I was excited because it would allow the average smartphone photographer to produce high quality images. Like many other users I assumed that the HDR photo option extended to the iPod Touch, but that is not the case. I will admit I initially hoped I could produce works similar to the quality of my photographer friend Lidia Miller. There are options (third-party) to take HDR Images on the iPod Touch like TrueHDR or HDR Camera, so while not built-in, it is possible nevertheless. I don’t plan to shoot images like Lidia any time soon, but seeing the quality of HDR images it makes you want to try. I find it amazing what you can do when combine three pictures taken to capture different light levels.
Summary
It is hard to say I love the iPod Touch because it lacks a data only option like the iPad or any of a host of new Android Tablets. Additionally, the missing GPS impacts the location-based programs. A BlackBerry and an iPod Touch is almost as common as peanut butter and jelly, as it completes me. The option to take pictures or just record a funny video of the kids makes that admission worth it’s weight in gold. I will be using the iPod Touch to do a FaceTime calls with friends from the hospital when my little one comes in the near future. With all the great things you can do on an iPod Touch, you almost forget it is also a music player.[the best iPod Touch Offers here it is]