MUST READ: Microsoft unleashes bug bounty program — for betas, too

Topic: Mobility

Discover

Fourth-gen iPod touch announced with dual cameras, Retina display, FaceTime

Summary: Following the new iPod Shuffle and iPod Nano, we got our inevitable new iPod touch announcement with many of the expected specs, but we're happy to see them finally.

Rachel King

By for The ToyBox |

Following the new iPod Shuffle and iPod Nano, we got our inevitable new iPod touch announcement with many of the expected specs, but we're happy to see them official finally.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs noted during the keynote today that the iPod touch is Apple's "most popular iPod," and often dubbed an iPhone without the phone part...or maybe it's just "contract free." (It didn't help that Jobs kept referring to the iPod touch as a "phone" a few times during the speech.)

But let's get to the important stuff. As expected, the slimmer iPod touch got two cameras: a front-facing VGA camera with FaceTime support as well as a rear camera capable of shooting HD video. Videos can be edited directly on the device and uploaded via Wi-Fi thanks to the new iOS 4.1.

The iPod touch also took some specs from the iPhone 4, including the A4 chip, 3-axis Gyro and all the glory of the Retina display with 4x the pixels, 326ppi, and a 24-bit color, LED-backlit screen. Jobs dubbed it as "the best display in the world." It truly is a clear screen, but does anyone still prefer AMOLED?

Finally, users can expect up to 40 hours of battery life for music playback alone. The iPod touch is available for pre-order today and will be released "next week." Buyers have three capacity and pricing options to choose from: 8GB for $229, 32GB for $299 and 64GB for $399.

The latter two capacities are still priced the same as the previous generation, but that's a bit of a jump for the 8GB variant, which cost $199 before. Now it's even more expensive than the 16GB iPhone 4, which seems a bit strange considering the iPod touch does lack at least one big feature in comparison. Nevertheless, this one is still contract-free.

Related coverage on ZDNet:

Topics: Mobility, Apple, Hardware

Kick off your day with ZDNet's daily email newsletter. It's the freshest tech news and opinion, served hot. Get it.

Talkback

18 comments
Log in or register to join the discussion

  • the iPhone is subsidized by contracts

    "it?s even more expensive than the 16GB iPhone 4"

    Apple makes hundreds of dollars (500-600) on iPhones. Carriers pay Apple a higher price than what they sell them for and then make it up from the subscriber contracts.

    It's really shocking how CHEAP the iPod touch is with the Retina display etc. Perhaps that's why there aren't that many iPod competitors.
    Davewrite
    Reply Vote

    • also.. the contract is going to add another $1000 a year...

      @Davewrite - the iPod Touch is WAY, WAY cheaper than an iPhone..

      and yes, the contract free price of an iPhone is about $500 to $700 ($550 8GB to $780 32 GB in Canada)
      doctorSpoc
      Reply Vote

  • You would thihnk by now

    That considering how many people have an iPod, the prices of these things would drop...
    The one and only, Cylon Centurion
    Reply Vote

    • they drop every time...

      @NStalnecker - every generation you get twice the storage for the same price.. plus many new features..

      for the same price you get the retina display, front and rear facing camera, twice the storage capacity, a faster processor. LED backlit screen.. are you serious with that comment?
      doctorSpoc
      Reply Vote

      • Except that this time...

        @doctorSpoc

        Storage is the same. That being said, the 8GB model should be closer to $180 and a 16GB model should have been slotted in at $230-240.
        nix_hed
        Reply Vote

  • RE: Fourth-gen iPod touch announced with dual cameras, Retina display

    I just read that the new iPod Touch's rear camera can't take photos, only HD video. Could this actually be possible? It sounds insane.

    http://communities.canada.com/vancouversun/blogs/parenting/archive/2010/09/01/ipod-touch-2010-4g-reasons-to-buy.aspx
    ALISON SMOCK
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Fourth-gen iPod touch announced with dual cameras, Retina display

      @stebidri The article you linked to even says, "At first, it looked like the new Touch took only video but not photos -- like last year's Nano -- but a closer look at Apple's tech specs shows it does take photos, though at a lower-resolution 960x720."
      canira
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Fourth-gen iPod touch announced with dual cameras, Retina display

        @canira They edited that article after I posted my comment. Thanks for the head's up.
        ALISON SMOCK
        Reply Vote

  • RE: Fourth-gen iPod touch announced with dual cameras, Retina display

    Apparently this does NOT have the 5-MP camera as in the iPhone. And it requires OS X 10.5.8 AND iTunes 10.
    levinson
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Fourth-gen iPod touch announced with dual cameras, Retina display

    So $ 70 to jump from 8 GB to 32 GB storage on an iPod touch, but $ 100 to upsell from 16 GB to 32 GB? It doesn't add up, unless someone's getting ripped.
    emiliosic
    Reply Vote

    • huh.. there are only 8, 32 and 64GB.. where did you get 16GB?

      @emiliosic ...
      doctorSpoc
      Reply Vote

  • Still prefer Super AMOLED

    Since you asked, "Yes, I prefer AMOLED to retina displays."

    I'll take the colour, contrast, and depth, rather than the barely perceptible resolution increase.

    Samsung's Super AMOLED has better touch sensitivity, too. It really is a noticeably better screen.
    BigTipper
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Fourth-gen iPod touch announced with dual cameras, Retina display

    where's the bluetooth support for handsfree headsets? not ad2p, but handfree so I can use Skype or another voip app hands free .... been waiting for years on this
    /dev/null
    Reply Vote

  • I'm going to assume that . . .

    the $229 price for the 8gb model has something to do with the new nano's pricing structure . . .After all, why buy the 16 gb model for $179, if a full touch is only $20 more . . .
    JLHenry
    Reply Vote

  • Don't gripe over the pricing

    You should try living in the UK. The $299 32GB versions retails at GBP250. So, the Brits get ripped off yet again!
    geoffejohnson@...
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Fourth-gen iPod touch announced with dual cameras, Retina display

    Here in Canada it looks like the 8GB is going to cost $249. I certainly didn't expect the price to go down, but a 25% increase? I was interested but I've definitely cooled to getting one now.
    ALISON SMOCK
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Fourth-gen iPod touch announced with dual cameras, Retina display

    Bare in mind that the 3rd Gen iPod Touch 8GB had the same processor speed and system RAM as the 2nd Gen model. Maybe the 4th Gen 8GB has the upgraded processor and RAM to account for the price boost?
    xrayangiodoc
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Fourth-gen iPod touch announced with dual cameras, Retina display

    I have the 3rd gen 16GB touch . It stopped syncing with iTUNES at 9.2.1 but the PC sees it fine... I would snap up the new one due to the 32GB and screen enhancements BUT, why couldn't Apple add the FM radio to it?
    fbergess@...
    Reply Vote
CNET Join | Log In | Privacy | Cookies Close