Apple iPod touch 8 GB 4th Generation (White) on sale

Raven A. Wind Say: Apple iPod touch 8 GB 4th Generation (White)
A definite improvement over the previous generation., 2010-10-11
This review is for: Apple iPod touch 8 GB 4th Generation (White)
I know what you're thinking while looking at these reviews: "Should I save fifty bucks and get the 3rd Generation iPod touch, or is the 4th Gen really worth the new price?"I am happy to report that the improvements made from 3rd to 4th generation are worth your attention.* Size/Shape: The new model is thinner and more narrow, but slightly taller/longer. What this translates to in real-world usage is that the device is slightly less bulky in your pocket once you put a case on it, but that it's a tiny bit harder to grip without a case, if you have big hands. Of course, since Apple continues to put that scratch-magnet shiny back on the iPod touch (PLEASE, Apple, STOP IT! Give us brushed aluminum or something!) you will probably need a case, so the thinness is a good thing.* Microphone: No, you don't get the headphones with the in-line microphone anymore, but you do get a microphone built into the iPod touch. While most people focus on the Face Time, Skype, or other social uses for a microphone and lament the loss of one on the headphones, as someone who doesn't care about VOIP, I find the built-in microphone a lot better for my purposes. I use it for voice commands in the iPod ("Play artist 'The Beatles'") and for dictation (Dragon's free app is awesome) and voice memos. It also functions well for video recording. I don't miss the in-line earbud microphone at all.* Video Recording/Photos: While the iPod touch won't replace a top-line video camera, and most definitely won't replace a decent digital camera, it works as a "I happen to have it in my pocket" substitute on both counts. I don't take a lot of photos, so the lower resolution on the camera doesn't bother me. The video, however, is quite nice, and replaces my Flip Mino HD without a hitch. Just remember to reserve some storage space if you intend to record videos.* Retina Display: Wow. You have to see it to understand why it's a big deal. You don't notice it as much in the main screen, but when you get into text displays you really see the difference. Everything is crisp, there's almost no pixelization and nothing is "fuzzy". Games that support it look gorgeous. It really is worth it if you intend to use the iPod touch to do any reading, web browsing, or gaming.* iOS 4: I love the OS changes they made since I owned a 3rd generation iPod touch. The ability to group apps into folders/groups is about the best thing they did since the iPod touch debuted. The ability to do multitasking is very handy, too. The Gmail integration is much better now that it supports IMAP, and the contacts are much more friendly to Windows users since they started providing decent support for Google Contacts. WiFi signals seem to be stronger, and the battery life is excellent. All told, the little changes make a big difference.* Video Playback: Now that they've increased the screen resolution to 960x640, videos are not as limited. This means that if you have a collection of 720p m4v/mp4 videos already, they'll work with the iPod touch. You won't need to downscale them to make them work. This also means that if you choose to output to a HDTV screen, you'll get your full 720p video in all its glory. This is a great feature for media hounds like myself. If only Apple made a 1TB iPod touch..!* Improved buttons: While the buttons are no longer metal (they're now plastic or polycarbonate), they are much better-designed in terms of placement. The volume toggle has been turned into two separate buttons for up and down, and they work quite well when you're not looking at the device (like when it's in your pocket). The standby/power button is smaller and to the right of the top of the device, and it, too is easy to find and use when the device is out of view. Response from the buttons is nice, with a good clicky tactile feedback. They seem sturdy and yet they're small enough to be unobtrusive and not be pressed accidentally.* Speaker: They went from using the whole back panel as a speaker board to putting in a little speaker in the device at the bottom. This has the effect of making things sound a little better, but not without some problems (see below).- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -THE CONS* The new size means you will probably need a new case and screen protector. Old ones won't fit. Some exceptions exist (some slip-cases, for example) but anything that was an exact fit for the previous models is too big for the current model.* No in-line microphone on the earbuds. This is not a problem for me, but for social networking types, this will be something they miss.* Speed is, at this point, no better than the previous model in most cases, and sometimes slower in apps that have yet to update some features. This will no doubt change, but right now expect no major boost in speed or power with the upgrade to 4th Gen.* Still camera is low resolution. As I noted above, it's not a crippling issue for me, as I don't take lots of photos and the video camera is so nice, but if you're a shutterbug looking for an alternate digital camera, you may be a little let-down by the current generation. You're probably better off with an iPhone 4 or waiting for the 5th Gen iPod touch and crossing your fingers.* Dock connector doesn't sit flush with the device. It looks weird at first, but when you connect to the docking cable, the connector doesn't seem to go in all the way if you look at it from the back of the iPod touch. This is, apparently, by design. I can't say I like it, but this is the sacrifice you get with thinner devices. Apple didn't want to give up the tapered design, but they didn't want to redesign the dock connection, either. The compromise was to make the connector do what it currently does. This is not really a big deal, as it works fine and feels secure, but it does make you wonder how some third-party docks and devices will work with the current generation.* Speaker gets blocked easily. I know this is more of a critique of App design than iPod design, but the iPod touch's speaker being in the bottom corner causes me to end up covering the speaker when I turn the device sideways (to the left) to play a game. Smart Apps make it possible to tilt the screen any direction, but some are set on making you tilt to the left, which leads to the speaker blockage. Again, no big deal, but it makes me wonder why Apple doesn't just put the speaker on the side of the device instead of on the bottom. There's little chance you'd block it on a sideways/widescreen App in that case.* Stupid shiny back: I mentioned this earlier, but WHY, Apple? Why do you keep putting this horrible shiny back on the iPod touch? It was terrible back on the classics, and it's terrible now. Give us something that doesn't get scratched from the slightest touch, and something that isn't slippery! Brushed aluminum, rubberized metal, or anything else would be preferable to this stupid shiny back-plate. This, for me, is the iPod touch's #1 bad feature.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -SUMMARYIn my opinion the newer model is worth the new price. You get a lot of extra features and the best screen on any iPod to date, and the microphone being built-in becomes a must-have feature after you realize how convenient it is to not have to hook up the earbuds in order to record something. So here's the rundown on whether or not you should upgrade from 3rd Gen to 4th Gen:* If you're a reader: YES. The Retina Display makes reading books and comics much easier on the eyes (although I still prefer e-ink for long stretches or reading outdoors).* If you're a gamer: YES. The Retina Display, better speaker, and new gyroscope/accelerometer make gaming better.* If you're a social networking freak: YES. The video camera, still camera, built-in microphone, and Face Time are a social networking fan's wet dream.* If you're looking for a PDA: NO. It doesn't really matter unless you want to take advantage of the video camera for business meetings, or have bad eyes and want your address book to look more crisp. You could probably get by with the 3rd Gen, but honestly, you're probably already using iPhone 4 so this is a non-issue.* If you're looking for a portable web browser and mail client: YES. If you're on the Internet a lot, you'll appreciate the Retina Display and better WiFi reception from 802.11n.* If you just want to play music: NO. Don't bother to upgrade because the music/iPod functions aren't all that different from the previous generation, unless you want the convenience of the built-in microphone for voice commands.* If you just want to play videos: YES. The higher resolution and Retina Diplay make videos much better, and the ability to output 720p is a great feature for videophiles.Final verdict: For most users, the newer model is a much better value. Apple improved the iPod touch enough this time around to make it worth grabbing the 4th Gen, even if you do end up paying a little more for it than a clearance-model 3rd Gen.

J. Austin Say: Apple iPod touch 8 GB 4th Generation (White)
Great display but terrible rear camera, 2010-09-01
This review is for: Apple iPod touch 8 GB 4th Generation (White)
My wife and I have the 3rd generation iPod Touch and are very happy with them. The one thing that I have been missing/wanting is having a built in camera. I recently saw the photos taken by a friend's iPhone and was blown away by how good they were. Almost all reviews have said the iPhone built in 5MP camera is excellent. Like many others I watched Steve Jobs present the new iPod line today and was very excited to hear that it had all the features I was looking for. Retina display - awesome. Front and rear cameras - yes! Finally.I was all set to order 2 from Amazon the minute Amazon had them listed. But .. while looking thru the Apple website I came across the specs for the rear facing camera. It is only .7 megapixels. Less than 1 megapixel. What? I thought that can't be right. I contacted Apple and the rep, who had gotten many such calls it seemed, confirmed that the iPod touch has a very different camera (.7 MP vs the iPhone's 5 MP) . Bummer. I looked around and found a hands on review of it .... and they said the sensor itself, besides being lower MP, is also not nearly as good as the one in the iPhone. Not terrible but certainly not good and no where in the same league as the one in the iPhone.The camera was one of the 2 main things people asked for. The other being the Retina display. My assumption is that Apple didn't want to affect iPhone sales and purposely dummied down the camera. Shame on them. They want us to pay $240 to $400 for an iPod with a terrible camera.I first predicted that w/ the Retina display and the camera that this would be a smashing success, a huge seller coming into the holiday season. I suspect when people get them and see how bad the photos are, they'll be returning them to Apple. Or like myself, not upgrading.I realize this review should be for a product I own, but I felt it was important for people to know about the camera before they ordered it. If photos aren't a big deal, and you'll only email them or post them on facebook, then .7 MP is probably fine. If you want to print any of the photos you take, or even have room to crop the photo, you won't get enough resolution to do that.That being said, the Retina display does look awesome, but is it worth the extra dollars over the price of the 3G model? Only you can decide that.I hope this helps all of you make a wise decision about your purchase.08 Sept 2010 UpdateHello everyone. First, I am glad that my raising the above issues helped many of you. Second, for those who lashed out at me, perhaps you should take a look at why you get so angry at a stranger who simply encouraged you to look and think before you buy.Here's an update.[...] has posted a hands on review of the new iPod Touch. You may want to google it or go to their site to read it.In summary:1. Retina display is darker and not nearly as good as the one in the iPhone. "Definitely not an iPhone w/o the contract".2. HD Video is actually pretty good3. Size is a lot smaller than the 3g, bad if you have normal or large hands, ok for teens and those w/ small hands.4. Photo quality is much worse than the iPhone. And their posted photos show how much worse. Forget trying to print them and I'd argue not even good for the web based on their samples. No focus or zoom capability either, you can only adjust brightness.There you go. We are staying w/ our 3g models, there isn't enough here to justify taking a huge loss selling them and buying these new models. And given that the camera and retina display aren't nearly the quality of the iPhone, this is certainly a release we'll sit out.I hope this has helped.

T. Jackman Say: Apple iPod touch 8 GB 4th Generation (White)
Better In Every Way, 2010-09-02
This review is for: Apple iPod touch 8 GB 4th Generation (White)
---------------------------------Overview------------------------------------------------The latest iPod Touch from Apple improves on the previous generation in nearly every single way. It does all this without increasing the price one cent (except the 8GB version which increased in price by $30 and is now no longer a hardware generation behind). Bottom line, the iPod Touch continues to be an irresistible device that has no peer on the market right now. Think back even three years and people would simply be amazed at everything the latest iPod Touch can do for only $229. Games in every category, some of which have graphics superior to the PSP or Nintendo DS, news and weather apps, streaming video from your computer or from services like Netflix and Hulu, exercise and weight loss apps, the list goes on and on (and on). While we are starting to see some Android based tablets enter the market, there is nothing in the portable market that comes close to what the iPod can do.If you really have some problems with some of the iPod Touch's shortcomings (like the camera) and you want access to the Apple App store, you may want to consider just buckling down and getting an iPhone 4 (if you can afford it). However, once you consider the value proposition of the iPhone 4 (total cost of ownership over two year contract $75-85 x 24 + $299) vs. the iPod Touch at $299, you start to understand that some of these drawbacks are not so bad.---------------------------------CHANGES-------------------------------------------------Compared to the previous (and well loved) iPod Touch this device:- replaces the previous processor with the more powerful A4 processor. Expect smooth and fast operation with support for even the most graphically intense iPod Touch games. All other applications will run at top speed, although not dramatically faster than the previous generation.- is now even thinner. The Ipod Touch is now shockingly thin.- added a microphone so you don't need a headset to talk to people or use voice control- doubled the amount of ram so multi-tasking should be a breeze- has longer battery life | extended audio life by 10 hours (from 30 to 40 hours) and video by 1 hour (from 6 to 7 hours).- weighs less- has TWO additional cameras (front facing for video and self-portraits and back for HD video) - the front camera is VGA quality (640x480) and the back camera is a 720P (1280x720) sensor (when used to take pictures that resolution is reduced to 960x720). Samples of the HD video show that this feature was not just "tacked on" and actually looks very good compared to some HD video available on other pocket devices (like the EVO 4G).- 4 times as many pixels on the screen - Apple is calling this a "retina display" because it has the same dpi (dots per inch) as the iPhone 4. However, the iPod Touch is not using the same IPS display found in the iPhone 4 which means the viewing angles aren't as good. I doubt most users will notice the difference here.- adds the gyroscope for extra precision with motion based apps (mostly gaming)- adds support for the faster Wireless "N" standard, which should help when streaming video to your phone or using Facetime to make a video call- adds a vibrator for alerts, force feedback in gaming, and notifications for voice callingCons:- speaker still sucks - I let my two year watch videos on my iPhone. Thus a crappy speaker is a deal breaker for me because she is too small to use headphones. You can blame the extreme thinness on this one. There simply isn't enough depth to put an iPhone quality speaker in. If I didn't have a two year old I wouldn't consider this a big deal because I rarely use this function otherwise.- no 5MP camera or LED flash - This is going to be a deal breaker for some who saw the iPhone 4 and started salivating at the thought of the possibility of the same high quality sensor in the iPod Touch. Read my thoughts below for more on this one.- No GPS chip - you're still stuck with using WiFi signals to determine location, a la the original iPhone. Maybe Garmin or Tom Tom paid them money not to include this feature.---------------------------Thoughts and Conclusions------------------------------------Yes, I wanted the camera sensor from the iPhone 4 as well, but the unfortunate reality is that sensor wouldn't fit in the old iPod Touch body and this one is even slimmer! In order to fit the iPhone 4 camera sensor into the iPod Touch, Apple would have had to make this device significantly thicker, which loses one of the big advantages the Touch has had over the iPhone, its size. I might have been willing to make the tradeoff, but obviously Apple wasn't.Keep in mind that the larger sensor (and LED Flash) adds to the cost of the device as well. Apple added a significant number of features to the iPod Touch and kept the price exactly the same. Something's gotta give here. The 32GB iPhone 4 sells for $700! (AT&T pays Apple the difference when you buy one on contract). I'm sure if people were willing to spend $400 more than the $299 the 32GB iPod Touch sells for they would have a mind blowing sensor in there. I'm actually surprised at how much of the functionality of the iPhone the iPod Touch now replicates, given the huge gap in cost.Appreciate the fact that you can now record HD video and do video calling over WiFi for the same price as the last model. Or don't buy it. Consider how much you can do on this device compared to other portable gadgets, like the pocket sized Flip Video Camera, which costs more than $100+ and does nothing other than video, or even the ZUNE HD, which is a great device, but lacks compatibility with the hundreds of thousands of Apps that turn the iPod Touch into a pocket computer.I'm waiting for something to come along to blow away the iPod Touch, but that device just doesn't exist. All things considered, this device is a 4.5/5, which I round up to 5 because Amazon doesn't do half stars. This device won't be for everyone, but then again, no device is. For a great majority of users, this is product is nothing short of gadget heaven.