Apple iPod Touch 4G

On September 1, 2010 Apple unveiled the Apple iPod Touch 4G with a revamped design and many great new features. On the same day, the new iPod Shuffle and iPod Nano were also released. The 4th generation of iPod touch is perhaps the slimmest MP3 player you will ever find, and it is also a perfect example of the attention that Apple gives to the aesthetics and visual appeal of its devices.

The iPod touch has been described by Steve Jobs as an iPhone without a contract. When you see its functionality, this notion starts to make a lot of sense. The only difference between the iPod touch and the Apple iPhone now is that you cannot make calls on the iPod touch. This makes it the perfect gadget for someone who does not want to buy an iPhone, but still wants to enjoy the features and advantages of the new iOS4 on a premium Apple product.

Apple iPod touch 4G - How Good is the Hardware?

In previous generations of the iPod touch, there were considerable differences between the iPhone and the iPod touch. But the new Apple iPod touch 4th generation has some startling similarities to the Apple iPhone 4G. The very first thing that you notice about the device is its amazing slimness. How Apple has managed to design such a slim iPod touch with two functional cameras is a mystery, but the thinness of this device has lifted the bar considerably higher. The thickness (or the thinness) of the device is an amazing 7.2 mm. This makes the device very comfortable to hold, and it actually feels like you are holding a glass slab in your hands. For left-handed people though, this can be a problem when they are using the volume rocker. The buttons are very hard to press, and it seems to be designed primarily with right-handed people in mind. There are a number of iPod touch accessories that you can make use of in order to improve the appearance and the utility of the device too.

The second thing that you will notice about the Apple iPod touch 4G is the presence of two cameras. The secondary camera on the front has a VGA resolution, and this is meant to be used for Apple's FaceTime video calling feature. This means that you can use this camera to video chat with users of an Apple iPod touch 4 or an Apple iPhone 4. The primary camera has a 5 MP resolution, and is sufficient for taking some basic pictures. For a device so thin, it is a wonder that you can also record HD videos with the camera. Do not expect much in the camera interface though, and this is highlighted by the lack of autofocus. The quality of the loudspeaker is nothing to write home about either.

Now, this brings us to the stunning Retina-Eye display that we first saw on the iPhone 4. The 640x960 pixel density is the sharpest that you will find in the market, and once you start seeing this screen you will not want to look at another one, ever again. This screen also has some amazing viewing angles, but the panel is slightly different from that found on the iPhone 4. All these facets also lend the Apple iPod touch 4G excellent sunlight legibility. You will also get the 1GHz Apple A4 processor that we saw on the iPhone 4, and along with the 256MB RAM this makes the device pretty fast and responsive to any touch.

Apple iPod touch 4G - Software Review

The operating system on the device is iOS4, which has now been upgraded to iOS 4.1. This is Apple's software at its peak, and it combines its legendary user-friendliness with some great performance. Moreover, you also have access to the Apple App Store, with more than 300,000 iPhone and iPod applications and games to choose from. You also get access to the Apple iTunes Store, which is a huge library of movies, TV shows, music, videos, audiobooks and podcasts. You also get other usual cool things to do with iPod touch like read iBooks, play on multiplayer gaming platforms (Game Center), get support for 720p videos and enjoy Bluetooth connectivity.

Browsing on the Safari browser gets a little taxing if you are visiting many heavy websites at the same time, and this is due to the amount of RAM, which could admittedly have been higher. As mentioned before, the camera interface also has an alarming lack of features and options, and there is no FM radio on the Apple iPod touch 4G either. You also get Wi-Fi connectivity, and Apple claims the battery life of the device is 40 hours. All in all, you get a wonderful experience on the device, and you can perform a whole host of tasks.

As far as Apple iPod touch 4G prices are concerned, the 8GB model will cost you $229, the 32GB model will cost you $299 and the 64GB model will cost you $399. The new iPod touch 4G with camera for FaceTime is a huge upgrade, and this is certainly a device that is worth purchasing. Whether or not you own an Apple iPhone, an Apple iPod touch 4G should be at the top of your shopping list this festive season.