Shah 1

Harsh Shah

R. Arnold

English 1101

19 October 2010

IPod Touch Review

At first, this review on the new iPod touch did not make it seem like anything new or

extraordinary. This review introduces the new iPod touch as a mere replica of the old iPod touch

and that nothing has majorly changed. However, reading more into the review, the reader starts

to learn about the dramatic changes that have occurred to the new iPod touch.

The biggest changes of the new iPod touch that the articles would have to be the new

high definition video camera, the retina display screen, and the gyroscope they have added for

new motion-sensing apps. The review does a great job explaining how all these new applications

come together to form the new iPod touch. This review states that even though the new iPod

touch has everything the old iPod touch has, this new device can do the same things, plus more!

The review talks about what customers want more in an iPod, and even tells how the new

iPod will satisfy the cry for all the demands. Since about 200 iPod are being downloaded about

every second (Apple Special Event Video), the review states how apple has added the new

gyroscope, which is made for new upcoming motion detection apps.

The reviewer does not put the new device on a pedestal, but does comment how this

device is worth buying. He does not speak negatively about the past models of the iPod touch,

but how simply the new model is just an upgrade. Simply, Apple always seems to outdo most

companies when it comes to selling mp3’s because of the innovative devices they create. So as

the article states, “if you’ve held off buying one until now, don’t delay any longer.”
 Shah 2

The most striking thing about the new iPod touch is that it looks almost exactly like an old iPod touch,
only thinner. When you learn about the improvements packed into the fourth generation of what is now
the bestseller of Apple’s iPod range, it’s hard not to be surprised. The new iPod touch has an HD video
camera, a second, front-facing, camera, a gyroscope for motion-sensing apps and the high-resolution
Retina display like the one that graces the iPhone 4.
Did I mention that it’s thinner too? Now that the iPhone has switched to a chunkier, more industrial
design, the iPod touch has the curved back form factor to itself. It sits in the hand nicely and feels
significantly lighter than the iPhone 4, though the difference is a mere 30 grams.
The iPod touch has often been described as an ‘iPhone without the phone’ - or an “iPhone without the
contract” as Steve Jobs pointed out last week - but that’s less the case with this version. FaceTime video
calling, which uses the front-facing camera, means that an iPod touch is getting closer to being a phone
too. Admittedly, the calls work only to iPhone 4s or other iPod touches at the moment and require a wifi
connection but this is a significant step forward.
As with the iPhone 4, the Retina display looks amazing. A 960-by-640 resolution on a device this size
means pin-sharp visuals and since the iPhone 4 has been out for a few months now most apps have been
updated to take advantage of it. Games, text and photos all look astonishingly sharp.
Games have been the runaway success of the iPod touch, with Apple now claiming that their handheld
games device outsells those of Sony and Nintendo put together. iOS 4.1, the latest version of Apple’s
touchscreen operating system, brings Game Center to the iPod touch, adding achievements and social
gaming.
The video shot by the phone looks wonderful on this screen too but the fact that it shoots in 1280-by-720
resolution at 30 frames-per-second means that it will also look good on your computer or your television.
The one area where Apple does seem to have skimped is with the stills camera. At less than a megapixel -
920-by-720 pixels - you won’t be making prints from these images. It means that the iPod touch won’t be
a portable casual camera as the five-megapixel iPhone 4 now is. However, a better camera would
certainly have added to the iPod touch’s bulk, not to mention its price, and that’s presumably a
compromise that Apple didn’t want to make. They’re clearly banking on video being a better selling
point.
Storage-wise, this year’s iPod touches match last year’s. There’s an entry-level 8GB model (£189), a
32GB model (£249) and a 64GB model (£329). Apple says that customers aren’t really demanding more
storage. The 64GB version should offer enough space for most of your music, video and app needs.
Anyone with a more demanding music collection is directed to the iPod Classic, still hanging on to its slot
on the shelves.
Apple has made some significant upgrades to what was already, in my view, the best portable media
player on the market. If you’ve held off buying one until now, don’t delay any longer.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/apple/7987797/Apple-iPod-touch-review.html