Notes on the new iPod
2012-09-15 08:25:00
The iPod touch has lagged behind the iPhone both temporally and in features. Not only was it released months after the iPhone, but it would have some key differences. It really was much less than "an iPhone without the phone."
This year the iPod touch has been released at the same time as the iPhone. But it also has had a few of its shortcomings with respect to the iPhone removed:
- apparently it now has the same display as the iPhone. Previously it was a retina display, but it was a less costly one. This makes a lot of sense given the large price difference between an iPod and an iPhone. But the display looked noticeably worse, especially side-by-side with the iPhone.
- Also, and I think for the first time, the iPod touch is getting the oleophobic coating on the glass. This makes a huge difference in reducing fingerprints on the screen. I believe that now all the iOS products have this coating; it was introduced to the iPad in the latest (3rd generation) model. [Advice: don't put those crappy screen protector shields on your iPod/iPhone/iPad. They completely ruin the smooth action of the coating. And they look like hell.]
- The camera on the iPod is now a 5 megapixel camera with backside illumination and 5-element optics. This may or may not be the identical camera to the iPhone 4S, but it is pretty close on technical specs. Also, the iPod is getting the fancy sapphire lens cover as the iPhone 5. Here's an area where Apple could easily have saved some costs. They could have said, "The iPhone gets the expensive sapphire cover, but you iPod people can make due with glass." But they didn't. Sapphire is what some luxury watches, such as Rolex, use as a face cover. It is extremely difficult to scratch. You might wear such a watch for 15 or 20 years before you see a single scratch on it.
Of course, there remain key functional differences:
- the iPod has no GPS or Compass
- there are not 3G data options such as on the iPad
These missing elements make sense if you look at the intended audience of the iPod: kids. Kids don't drive or wander around far from home alone, so they don't need navigation and mapping. And they are much more likely to be near wifi more of the time, either at home or school.
Apple's solution for those that need such capabilities is still pretty clear: get an iPhone or an iPad with 3G.