Apple quietly released a new version of the iPod Touch this week, refreshing the hardware to line up with the iPhone 6. The latest iPod Touch is faster, packs a better camera than the Touch it's replacing, and is poised to make a fun, functional addition to the iOS family.
We've grown accustomed to calling the iPod Touch "an iPad for your pocket," and that still holds true. It's part MP3 player, part gateway to the Apple App store, and it offers a taste of what you could be getting from an iPhone at a fraction of the price. They're not cheap -- especially when compared to budget tablets like the Amazon Fire HD 6 or the Amazon Fire HD 7.
That said, the new iPod Touch is one of the least expensive ways to enter the iOS ecosystem. It starts at $199 for the 16GB model (£159 in the UK, and AU$279 in Australia) and works all the way up to $399 for the 128GB model (£329 in the UK, and AU$579 in Australia). There is of course no co ntract -- an unlocked iPhone 6 starts at $649, and then there's the monthly service fee to factor in.
But the iPod Touch faces some stiff competition: you probably already own a smartphone, and smartwatches and tablets have cannibalized the Touch's classic niches.
There are a few good reasons to buy the new iPod Touch...It's almost an iPhone 6, without a contractThe new iPod Touch is small -- almost dinky, when compared to the iPhone 6. Much of the hardware design is identical to the 5th-generation iPod Touch it replaces: you're getting a 4-inch, 1,136-by-640-pixel resolution display (the iPhone 6 sits at 1,334 by 750 pixels), and a pixel density of 326 pixels per inch -- that's identical to the iPhone 6. The rest of the hardware has been brought up to speed with the iPhone 6: Apple's 64-bit A8 chip is joined by the M8 motion coprocessor, which handles motion tracking.
Whatever your thoughts on Apple products, the vast majority of cool new apps and mobile games head to iOS first. The iPod Touch's souped-up hardware means that the games and apps that are usually exclusive to iOS will work here, so if you're in the market for a portable entertainment device and don't want an iPhone, the iPod Touch is a relatively inexpensive way to go.
You're getting the 8-megapixel iSight camera, too. The camera on the iPod Touch is a tad slower than the one you'll find on the iPhone 6, with an f/2.4 aperture when compared to the iPhone 6's f/2.2. Video recording remains at 1080p resolution, but it's limited to 30 frames per second, with slow-motion video capped at 120 frames per second. The iPhone 6 can shoot at 60 frames per second, and shoot slow-motion at 240 frames per second. You're also losing out on things like continuous autofocus while recording video.
The photos it captures are still pretty good though, and you're getting all of the functionality built into iOS 8. That includes the aforementioned slow motion video recording, as well as time-lapse videos, and 43-megapixel panoramas. I wouldn't recommend picking up an iPod Touch to use solely as a camera, but if the camera on your own phone isn't up to snuff, the Touch won't disappoint.
. ..But there are also reasons to steer clear
The gap between phones and PCs that iPods used to cheerily occupy is getting really crowded. If you're looking for a fitness companion, or just want to take your music with while you're out and about, there's a good chance you're already using your phone to handle that. The iPod Touch offers no additional functionality, and the lack of cellular connectivity limits what you can do while you're out and about. If you've got the money and want something to fill a fitness-shaped hole in your life, devices like the Apple Watch or Android Wear smartwatches are more than happy to help.
Want to have some fun? You'll enjoy a tablet moreThe iPod Touch has always made a compelling case as an entertainment device, and that doesn't change with the latest model. But devices like the 7.9-inch iPad Mini 3 are fairly easy to tote and will offer a much more satisfying entertainment experience, whether you're looking to play some games or watch a few movies.
Source: Three great reasons to buy the new iPod Touch -- and two reasons to steer clear (hands-on)
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