The Apple Core

Jason D. O'Grady & David Morgenstern

Fourth-gen iPod touch rumors: 5MP, FaceTime and gyroscope

By | July 12, 2010, 12:28pm PDT

Summary: The latest Apple rumor has the new iPod touch getting a 5-megapixel camera, LED flash, HD video capture, FaceTime and even a gyroscope, just like the iPhone 4.

If a new report from the Electric Pig (via PowerPage) is to be believed, Apple’s fourth-generation iPod touch — rumored to arrive in September 2010 — will feature a 5-megapixel camera, HD video capture, FaceTime and even a gyroscope, just like the iPhone 4.

U.K. retailer John Lewis said the information is based on “noises we’re hearing from suppliers”. Though no mention was specifically made of a forward-facing camera at the company’s presentation in London, it did say that FaceTime calling over Wi-Fi would be possible “so you can communicate with friends at zero cost.”

The expanded rumors about Apple’s next iPod touch originated at the John Lewis “Xmas in July” event, where the retailer also claimed that the new iPod touch will include an LED flash, just like the iPhone 4. Curiously, nothing was said specifically about a front-facing camera, although it’s a requirement for FaceTime.

Wait, when did we start getting our rumors from retailers? As always, consider the source on this one.

Still at issue is whether the revved iPod touch would also inherit the iPhone 4’s new 640-by-960 pixel Retina Display or Apple’s custom-built A4 processor.

Apple was originally rumored to add a camera to the iPod touch at its September 2009 iPod event but the feature was reportedly pulled due to problems with the camera modules. Apple later added a video camera to the 5th generation iPod nano.

It seems like Apple’s new video conferencing technology could be poised to take off. Especially if the new 4th-gen iPod touch rumors pan out, and the iPad gets FaceTime (which seems like an eventuality) but especially when Skype supports FaceTime.

More importantly, can a new iPod touch with this many features be stopped? One PowerPage commenter thinks that such a device would achieve world domination:

If Apple pulls this off, the iPod Touch will dominate. It will be by far the best pocket multi-media device on the market. The iPod Touch will essentially become what the iPod was for Apple, they will sell tons of it and it will dominate the market. I mean with the Mac, iPad, and iPod touch combo Apple seems to be laying a very solid foundation that will make it a strong company for many more years.

What’s your take?

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Topics

Jason O'Grady is a journalist and author specializing in mobile technology. He has published six books on Apple and mobile gadgets and his PowerPage blog has been publishing for over 15 years.

Disclosure

Jason D. O'Grady

Jason D. O'Grady is the creator and editor of O'Grady's PowerPage, which has been publishing mobile technology news since 1995. He maintains an advertising relationship with the following legacy advertisers on the PowerPage:

  • Amazon Associates
  • Google Adsense
  • Tekserve
  • Advertising on the PowerPage is brokered by a third-party agency (BackBeat Media) and he recuses himself from these negotiations.

Biography

Jason D. O'Grady

Jason D. O'Grady developed an affinity for Apple computers after using the original Lisa, and this affinity turned into a bona-fide obsession when he got the original 128 KB Macintosh in 1984.

He started writing one of the first Web sites about Apple (O'Grady's PowerPage) in 1995 and is considered to be one of the fathers of blogging. He has been a frequent speaker at the Macworld Expo conference and a member of the conference faculty. He also co-founded the first dedicated PowerBook User Group (PPUG) in the United States.

After winning a major legal battle with Apple in 2006, he set the precedent that independent journalists are entitled to the same protections under the First Amendment as members of the mainstream media.

O'Grady is the author of The Nexus One Pocket Guide, The Droid Pocket Guide, The Google Phone Pocket Guide, and The Garmin nuvi Pocket Guide (Peachpit Press), the author of Corporations That Changed the World: Apple Inc. (Greenwood Press), and a contributor to The Mac Bible (Peachpit Press). In addition, he has contributed to numerous Mac publications over the years, including MacWEEK, Macworld, and MacPower (Japan).

When he's not writing about Apple for ZDNet at The Apple Core, he enjoys spending time with his family in New Jersey.

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RE: Fourth-gen iPod touch rumors: 5MP cam, FaceTime, gyroscope
jackson1984-24316069205748857739440257893812 11th Oct
Howdy,good submit. Informations are genuinely usefull and saves me gigantic quantity of time which I dedicate on the matter else in destination of hunting posts for example this happy Im awaiting added, nfljersey bye happy
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That is a LOT of fragmentation!!
NonZealot 12th Jul 2010
So we have iOS devices with cell, without cell, with gyroscope, without gyroscope, with 480*320, 960*640, and 1024*768 resolutions, with multi-tasking, without multi-tasking, with front camera, without front camera...

Wow, that is a lot of fragmentation.
i just commented on the CR anntena issue and stated that i own two i pod touch third gens iwill quickly give them up and buy three fourth gen if they cone out thanks for the heads up i can start savining up now that gyroscope sounds fantastic for when i get my dizzy spells i'll carry a touch in each pocket
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RE: Fourth-gen iPod touch rumors: 5MP cam, FaceTime, gyroscope
jackson1984-24316069205748857739440257893812 11th Oct
Howdy,good submit. Informations are genuinely usefull and saves me gigantic quantity of time which I dedicate on the matter else in destination of hunting posts for example this happy Im awaiting added, nfljersey bye happy

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