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You love the report by now . For many , theiPod touchis the iPhone without the phone and GPS feature — no cellular voice calls , no texting , and no EDGE or 3 G wireless service . The remaining features that the two have in common ( or lack ) is often how the iPod pinch is approximate . In the case of the fourth - generation ( 4 G ) iPod feeling — available in 8 GB ( $ 229 ) , 32 GB ( $ 299 ) , and 64 GB ( $ 399 ) capacity — the two arrive nearer to feature parity than ever before . ( Even more so this time around as all three iPod touch models have the same features , unlike with the old genesis of touches . ) This , for many people , makes for a compelling iPod . It does for us as well .
Similarities and differences
Thin as the iPhone 4 is , the 4 gramme iPod touch is thin still — two sandwiched 4 G iPod touches come very closely to the thickness of the iPhone 4 . It ’s also a little less wide and lighter than the third - generation iPod touch ( ) that preceded it . Its edges are also more angled . This angling is sharp enough that owners of iPhones and former iPod touch will have to train themselves to search for the volume and Sleep / Wake push near the back edge of the iPod rather than the side and top , severally .
Unlike previous iPod touches , the 4 G iPod touch lacks the small black plastic patch on the back ’s top - left corner that covered the Wi - Fi feeler . That corner now nurse the iPod ’s built - in omni - directing microphone and its high-pitched - definition hind end - facing camera ( like the iPhone 4 , the 4 GiB iPod speck also has a standard - definition front - facing camera ) .
Thanks to the built - in microphone , you have a room to control the iPod touch hand - free . Press and agree on the Home clitoris until the Voice Control screen come out and tell the iPod what you ’d like it to play using the same voice commands you ’d use with an iPhone . ( Learn more about Voice Control in talk of the town to your iPod : Inside Apple ’s Voice Control . ) Voice Control works only for playing euphony , however . You ca n’t use it to induct a FaceTime call ( more on FaceTime later in the review ) .
In bright light the video shot with the iPod touch’s rear-facing camera (right) is more susceptible to being washed out than the iPhone 4’s video (left).
In plus , the 4 gigabyte iPod touch has a dedicated loudspeaker port , which you find just to the left of the dock connector port at the bottom of the iPod . The second- and third - generation iPod touch also had a verbaliser , but sound give forth generally from inside the iPod rather than from a dedicated interface . Whether it ’s the quality of the speaker component inside the iPod or the being of the port , the 4 K iPod skin senses ’s talker is much brighter than previous speck ’ . This is welcome as the previous touches ’ speakers managed to be tinny and muffled at the same time . The speaker on the current iPod trace does n’t have the quality of the iPhone 4 ’s verbalizer , but it ’s a definite improvement over the old models .
The combination of the mike and speaker means that the iPod tinge becomes a better machine for Skype / VoIP calls . In the past you could employ VoIP apps with the iPod feeling ( Wi - Fi only , of course ) , but , because those iPods had no built - in mic , you had to use a headset that include both headphones and a microphone . With the novel iPod touch you’re able to make such calls without a headset . Even though the mic is on the back of the iPod , it ’s sensitive enough to pick up your voice . And the speaker is hearable enough to convey on a conversation .
The Sleep / Wake button has move to the top - right edge , and the volume buttons are now two discreet buttons rather than a rocker switch . Although you may control the iPod ’s volume , music , and video navigation with headphones that let in volume and fiddle controls , you wo n’t find those earphone in the iPod ’s box . Apple ply just the bare - pearl earbuds that lack any play controls . We regret this skip as it ’s gracious to have the option to remotely master an iPod tucked deep in a pouch . If you want that choice from Apple , you ’ll have to give $ 29 for theApple Earphones with Remote and Mic .
The iPod touch’s lower-resolution rear-facing camera (right) produces less detailed stills than the iPhone 4’s camera (left).
Like the iPhone 4 , the 4 G iPod touch has a 960 by 640 retina display . The video display — at least on the iPod touch I test — has a slimly yellower form than the previous iPod trace . ( That cast is completely unnoticeable unless you put the two devices side by side . ) Just as with the iPhone 4 , you see no pixels when looking at text on the 4 g-force iPod touch ’s screen — image are very , very clean and you could make the display very bright . However , the iPhone 4 ’s video display offers better off - angle viewing . When you tip the iPod touch to approximately a 45 degree angle , it ’s more unmanageable to view than an iPhone ’s display at the same slant .
indoors , the 4 G iPod touch sensation has Apple ’s A4 processor — the same kind of chip get hold in the iPhone 4 and iPad . I compared the performance of a novel 32 GB iPod touch with that of a 32 GB third - contemporaries simulation and , quite frankly , I remark very little operation difference . The 4 g-force iPod touch booted two seconds more quickly ( 26 seconds versus 28 secondment ) , but apps launched equally as tight on the two iPods and the two performed nearly identically in a variety of applications . The 4 G iPod speck was , however , observably more responsive than my first- and second - generation iPod touches .
As with previous iPod touches this one has no Global Positioning System ironware — it uses Wi - Fi location data only to determine its co-ordinate . ( And yes , by default , that locating information is embedded in pictures snapped with the iPod touch ’s cameras . ) Like the iPhone 4 , however , it does have a gyro . That gyroscope makes for a richer play experience with apps that take advantage of the gyroscope ’s ability to smell out roster , yaw , and pitch .
And thanks to iOS 4.1 , the 4 G iPod ghost provides better support for AVRCP ( Audio / Video Remote Control Profile)—a Bluetooth profile that lets you control playback functions with A2DP devices such as phone and speakers . In practical term this means that the iPod skin senses and iPhone 4 will now respond not only to play / suspension and volume commands from A2DP gadget , but also next and late track mastery . I quiz this with a Plantronics P590 stereo headset and the iPod tactile sensation responded to each of these dictation . ( Io 4.1 also brings better AVRCP support to the iPhone 4 . )
The iPod touch as video camera
The iPod touch ’s tv camera are not identical to those find in the iPhone 4 . Although the rear - facing camera shoot picture at the same 720p ( 1280 by 720 ) resolution , when you compare the results of the same scene shot with each twist , differences are apparent . To begin with , the iPod speck ’s video appear to be zoomed out slightly as compare to telecasting taken with the iPhone 4 . inject both cameras side by side and the iPod touch captures more of what ’s in front of it . Also , the iPod ’s rear - facing television camera is more potential to give rise launder - out results in bright condition than the iPhone 4 ’s television camera . Still , while its results are n’t as dependable as those produced by the iPhone 4 or one of the better HD pocket camcorders , the iPod touch demand reasonable - looking videos under well - lit conditions .
In bright spark the telecasting shot with the iPod jot ’s hind end - facing camera ( right ) is more susceptible to being washed out than the iPhone 4 ’s video ( give ) .
In under - lit conditions you more understandably see the difference between the two devices ’ cameras . The iPod touch ’s video is coarse-grained and shows less point . And , unlike with the iPhone 4 , you do n’t have the alternative to switch on the flash because the iPod lack a newsflash . Rather , the iPod touch includes a nates illumination sensor , which is designed to make the behind - confront camera perform better in lowly - Inner Light . Yet even with this sensor the iPod touch ’s results were inadequate than the iPhone 4 . But perhaps without the clarification sensing element they ’d be bad yet .
The 4 gravitational constant iPod touch supports Apple ’s $ 5 iMovie app ( ) . Just as with the iPhone 4 , you could make picture show on the iPod touch complete with titles , base , and soundtrack . And , you could now upload those moving picture in HD . Under iOS 4 on the iPhone 4 , you could create and export 720p movies , but when you upload them from the Photos app their resolution was reduced . With Io 4.1 that ’s no longer the subject . you’re able to now upload HD video to YouTube and a MobileMe gallery and they hold back their 720p resolution .
The iPod touch as still camera
I mentioned that with video , the iPod touch ’s ass - confront camera is a snatch more zoom out than the iPhone 4 ’s . The opposite is true with still images . With these epitome , the iPod ’s camera is more zoomed in , hinting at a smaller sensor . Also , iPhone 4 ’s television camera gaining control silence at 1936 by 2592 pixel , while the iPod touch ’s rear - facing tv camera shoots at 720 by 960 pixel . That ’s 5 megapixels on the iPhone 4 versus less than 1 megapixel on the iPod spot .
Given the lower resolve and want of a New York minute , it should n’t be surprising that the 4 gramme iPod feeling ’s still pictures do n’t measure up to the iPhone 4 ’s . The images it grow are far less detailed and the camera ’s more susceptible to being bobble out when capture bright images — vivacious yellows , pinks , and reds , for example . Inside , in under - lit conditions , the iPod touch ’s camera fight very hard to get the image , but in the process can create grainy and wash out results . Unless you ’re buck under ideal conditions or you do n’t have a better camera at hand , this is not the camera you require to habituate to create print .
The iPod touch ’s lower - answer fundament - facing tv camera ( right ) produces less elaborate stills than the iPhone 4 ’s tv camera ( left ) .
FaceTime and the iPod touch
With the television camera comes FaceTime , and it works very much as it does on the iPhone 4 . As with an iPhone 4 , you have the pick to switch between the front- and rear - face camera and your voice is foot up by the external mic . Again , even though the microphone is on the back of the iPod — and thus facing away from you as you talk into the front of the machine — the mic is sensitive enough to piece up your part . And , again , the internal speaker is gaudy enough that you’re able to well hear the person speaking to you . you may optionally use a compatible wired headset — the microphone and phone on Apple ’s iPhone headset knead perfectly with FaceTime . My Plantronics Bluetooth headset , however , did n’t act upon at all for FaceTime calls .
The difference between FaceTime on the iPod signature and iPhone 4 is that with the iPod touch you do n’t need a phone number to place or receive a FaceTime call . rather , FaceTime requires only an Es - mail address . When you first launch the FaceTime app on the iPod touch , you ’re asked to enter an e - post address . Apple sends an east - mail message to that speech that asks you to verify your savoir-faire by clicking a connection in the message . This launches your connection web browser app and takes you to a Web page on Apple ’s Website where you inscribe your Apple ID and the password associated with that ID . chatter a Verify Address push button and your iPod touch is verified to pick up FaceTime calls at that savoir-faire . ( you could add additional e - post addresses within the FaceTime mise en scene . Do so and you repeat this physical process for each added address . )
To make a call , just spread a physical contact . ( you’re able to choose contact from Favorites , Recents , and Contacts screens within the FaceTime app or select a contact within the Contacts app ) . On a middleman ’s screen will be a FaceTime push . Tap it to initiate a FaceTime call . Alternatively , if you have it off that the somebody you ’re calling has an iPhone 4 , you could plainly intercept that phone ’s number in the Contact screen and the iPod touch will place a FaceTime call . All you want is a Wi - Fi connection . you may invalid FaceTime just by tapping FaceTime in the configurations screen and flicking the On / Off toggle switch switch to Off .
Macworld’s buying advice
The iPod touch modality is wildly popular for good reason . It ’s an extremely versatile machine — spiritualist thespian ; sack gaming machine ; productivity tool ; Internet communicating machine ; and , with this late update , scoop camcorder , still tv camera , handheld fipple pipe , and FaceTime video recording phone . While its cameras fail to produce results as good as the iPhone 4 , they make FaceTime potential , which allows us to more well forgive their less - than - pristine images and movie .
Despite the cameras ’ weaknesses , this is a very good iPod touch . If you have a third - multiplication iPod mite and lack an iPhone 4 , this iPod ’s FaceTime capabilities may lure you to upgrade . If you ’re unhappy with the performance or capacity of an even earlier iPod spot , this iPod is more compelling still . And if you ’re without iPhone or iPod touch sensation and have been holding out for a devicethiiiisclose to the iPhone — without the incumbent information plan and two - twelvemonth commitment ( and , of trend , the phone features)—that realisation has never been close . It ’s tough to opine what more Apple could do to tempt you .
update 9/7/10 9:00 PM to include selective information about the iPod touch ’s off - angle viewing .
[ Christopher Breen is a senior editor for Macworld . ]
