Apple’s jewel in its iPod crown is, without a shadow of a doubt, the new fourth-generation iPod touch, revealed earlier today by the company’s charismatic CEO, Steve Jobs.
That said, the new iPod touch 4G was perhaps the least surprising of this week’s announcements from Apple.
The good old Apple rumour mill had been suggesting that the latest touchscreen media player would get front and back-facing cameras and Apple’s Retina screen for weeks.
iPod touch 4G: An impressive upgrade to Apple’s flagship iPod
Which is exactly what it did get. It is essentially an iPhone 4, minus the phone and SMS functions. Jobs himself stated this in no uncertain words in his presentation.
“No contract,” said the Apple CEO, while demonstrating the new iPod touch 4G, with the words ‘No Contract’ written in large letters on the big-screen slideshow behind him – at which point some elements in the assembled industry and media crowd tittered, as if Jobs had made some kind of naughty joke at the expense of O2 or AT&T.
Yet the new iPod really does have to be seen and played with to be fully appreciated. If you have yet to feast your eyes on the iPhone’s 3.5-inch, 960 x 640 pixel resolution Retina display, then you have yet to appreciate the vibrancy and quality of the images that are now available on the new iPod touch.
iPod FaceTime: Sure to be a hit with students and teens
In terms of the overall form factor, Apple has stuck with the curved stainless steel back of the previous model, although it has managed to shave around 15 per cent off the thickness and weight, so the new iPod touch is noticeably thinner and lighter when sat in the palm of the hand. We have to admit, we had suspected Apple might go the whole hog and follow the boxier design of the iPhone 4. But after a very quick hands on play with the new iPod touch, we are more than glad they didn’t.
Of course, the main beneficiaries of a slightly slimmer iPod touch are going to be the peripherals companies, with reps from all of the well-known brands out in force at today’s Apple launch. And we can be sure to expect a slew of new cases and peripheral product announcements from all of them in the coming days and weeks.
Aside from the massively improved screen, the next biggest new feature on the new iPod touch is the introduction of two cameras, which allow 720p HD video recording and also allow you to use Apple’s FaceTime video-calling app, so you can talk to any of your mates and family with iPhones (or new iPod touches).
This is sure to be a massive boon to students and younger users who either don’t want (or, more likely, are not financially able) to get tied into long-term mobile contracts, yet still want to use their iPod touch for instant messaging and video calling. It is, as we heard more than one punter mumble at today’s London showcase, a potential game-changer. Although whether or not it will cannibalise the demand for Apple’s iPhone 4 remains to be seen.
iPod touch 4G: Around 15 per cent thinner and lighter
It is also worth remembering that there are a slew of genuinely brilliant camera apps already available to download on Apple’s App Store, along with a multitude of fun photo-manipulation apps that let you make your friends into zombies, ghouls, avatars and fatties. All of which have, to date, been limited to iPhone users.
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