Apple’s iPhone 5 is sure to get most of the attention today, but the Cupertino company’s press event also saw the unveiling of a drastically revamped iPod Touch meant (once again) to bring iOS to the masses.
First things first — let’s talk price. The new iPod Touch will launch in October, and will cost customers $299 for the 32GB model and $399 for the 64GB variant.
The list of tweaks and updates is an extensive one, but perhaps the most notable change here is the 4-inch display, bringing the device in line with the new, larger iPhone. As you would expect, there’s a new (but sort of old) processor in the mix as well — Apple’s A5 chipset replaces the aging A4 seen in its most immediate predecessor, and it brings it with some nifty features that hadn’t yet made their way to the Wi-Fi-only devices.
Apple’s Greg Joswiak also revealed that Siri has finally come to the iPod Touch, but didn’t elaborate much. In terms of design, Apple also took a page out of the iPod nano playbook by adding several new color options — grey, black, blue, green, and red — to what was otherwise a strictly black-and-white affair.
Of course, Apple sought to minimize the impact that the iPod Touch’s bigger display and that beefier processor could have. According to Joswiak, the new Touch has “improved” battery life, and is capable of playing back tunes and videos for 40 and 8 hours respectively. Also improved this time around is the Touch’s camera — it now has an improved 5-megapixel backlight-illuminated camera, and shares many of the same new features and processing functionality as that of the new iPhone. The front-facing iSight camera has gotten a boost too, with backside illumination and facial detection.
Apple has been very thoughtful about driving the down the size and weight of its newer devices, and the 5th gen iPod Touch is no exception. At 6.1mm thick and weighing in at a scant 88g, Joswiak pegs it as being the company’s thinnest and lightest yet. That’s quite an achievement, especially considering just how insubstantial the prior generation was in terms of feel.
