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iPod touch Price of the new iPod Touch. Scratching my head here.

revelated

revelated

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 30, 2010
994
2
Previously, I believe you could get a low end iPod Touch for $180.

Now, Apple wants you to pay effectively $50 more. For what? A screen that's slightly more visible? Cameras that likely cost them no more than two dollars? The ability to place Skype calls (Which the original iPod Touch already had)? What exactly is justifying this price hike (and yes, it is a hike for such a low amount of storage which isn't expandable)?

I see posts from people talking about how "Great" the price is. It isn't. Not when you compare it to the original iPod Touch and certainly not when you compare it to the Zune (I know, less functionality, but still. For those who want to play MUSIC and MOVIES, the iPod Touch is a ripoff now). It's like they're giving non-AT&T customers a chance to own the next best thing to an iPhone...but then why not drop its price? It has no 3G, has no GPS, has a lesser version of the display, and is basically reused components from the previous year. And then look at the other devices:

Apple TV - Was $250, now $100 with MORE functionality

iMacs - used to be crazy expensive, now they're no less so than most other PCs with comparable specs and screen

MacBook Pro - a shadow of the price compared to the PowerBook era

iPad 16GB WiFi - quite reasonably priced for what it does

old iPod Nano - $130 or something? Quite reasonable for that level of engineering


I'm not hating on it - I seriously want an answer. What is justifying the increase in price? Because I just don't get it.
 
I

iMac0765

macrumors regular
Jul 7, 2010
144
0
You heard what Stevey said, it's the iPhone, without the phone.

He wants the touch to be as overpriced as the phone!

Pure Apple logic.
 
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pingualoty

macrumors newbie
Sep 1, 2010
8
0
That lowest one from last year was released 2 years ago thats why the price has gone up. As everything bar the memory space has got better.
 
revelated

revelated

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 30, 2010
994
2
pingualoty said:
That lowest one from last year was released 2 years ago thats why the price has gone up. As everything bar the memory space has got better.
Click to expand...

Come on man. Depreciation of technology. I'd be willing to wager if someone were to break down the cost to build these new Touches they'd find them just shy of $130 in component costs. That means even if they left it at $180 it'd still be quite profitable for them.
 
T

terraphantm

macrumors 68040
Jun 27, 2009
3,814
663
Pennsylvania
It's only $30 more. And don't write off the retina display until you use it. I can't look at the old displays anymore after getting used to the iPhone 4. IMO upgrading for the screen alone wouldve been worth it. Now you've also got the much faster A4 CPU, the PowerVR GPU, 512MB RAM, 3-axis gyro, and a much thinner form factor.

Remember the only time there was a $200 touch, it was based on the previous gen tech

1st gen: 8GB was $300, 32GB was $500
2nd gen: 8GB was $230 in 2008, $200 in 2009
3rd gen: There was no 8gb. Cheapest was 32gb at $300
4th gen: 8gb is $230 again.

While it's not the best price (it should've been 16gb IMO) it's not terrible either. It atleast has all the latest tech. and the 32gb is only $70 more
 
N

NJMetsHero

macrumors regular
Jul 10, 2009
232
0
It was $200 before. So it's not an awful thing. I'm going straight for the 32 GB anyway.
 
lilcosco08

lilcosco08

macrumors 65816
May 27, 2010
1,224
22
Dayton
Ipodize said:
No it doesn't, it's not the same retina display (just check out Engadget's video here, when the guy pans down the iPhone's retina maintains near-perfect color, whereas the iTouch 4 retina goes all blue) and the back cam is 1000% obsolete.
Click to expand...

Someone call the wambulance
I don't recall it being called the iCamera
 
X

xoggyux

macrumors 6502
Dec 4, 2008
445
0
why do you think it should be cheaper?
feature wise its great deal for $$ if you are upgrading. you get 2 cameras, HD video, slimmer design, improved performance, full compatibility with iOS4 (some older ipods were lacking this) better gyro, much better screen, etc. so if you already got an ipod its a fair upgrade for the things you are getting.
more importantly though, if you do not have an ipod already, then its a even better deal because you are getting MORE for the same price you used to get the older ipod. So IMO they are very good priced, in fact I am surprized that apple made a 8gb version for $230, I was expecting starting @ 16gb for $300 so IMO the 8GB is actually very competitive and aggressively priced.

IDK what you were expecting, because if you are not happy with all the goodies they packed in the new version then there is something wrong with you :D!
 
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Vesuvio Cat

macrumors regular
Jan 30, 2010
196
38
At first I thought the thread was meant to be sarcastic, but I guess not. For $50 more you get a HD camera, front-facing camera, retina display, a 1 GHZ processor. The previous 8 GB Touch was significantly slower and had none of the new core features.

Considering all of this, plus the fact that Apple is a business that wants to make a profit, I don't understand why you should be scratching your head.
 
Bill Gates

Bill Gates

macrumors 68030
Jun 21, 2006
2,500
14
127.0.0.1
Ipodize said:
No it doesn't, it's not the same retina display (just check out Engadget's video here, when the guy pans down the iPhone's retina maintains near-perfect color, whereas the iTouch 4 retina goes all blue) and the back cam is 1000% obsolete.
Click to expand...
Good catch. It looks like Apple is using a TN panel on the iPod Touch.
 
H

hcho3

macrumors 68030
May 13, 2010
2,783
0
Here we go again. People are crying. If you want better features, then go get yourself an iPhone 4 or wait for iPod touch 5.
 
revelated

revelated

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 30, 2010
994
2
Here's my thing. If the low end model were rocking 16gb at that price, ok. Maybe it makes sense. But 8gb?

I think I agree with the web critics. It's clear what Apple is doing. The iPod Touch should be renamed iPhone Lite. Don't call it an iPod if you're going to shy away from what the iPod was supposed to be (a MUSIC player first).
 
C

cgoodwin22

macrumors member
Sep 1, 2010
44
0
people will always find something to b##ch about...don't buy it if you don't think it's worth it. i'm completely happy about the upgrades.
 
tubemonkey

tubemonkey

macrumors 6502
Sep 10, 2009
266
0
cgoodwin22 said:
people will always find something to b##ch about...don't buy it if you don't think it's worth it. i'm completely happy about the upgrades.
Click to expand...

I'm not buying it.

Do you envision a message board where people just think happy thoughts and never say anything negative about a product?
 
M

mysticbluebmw

macrumors regular
Jun 11, 2009
249
32
revelated said:
Here's my thing. If the low end model were rocking 16gb at that price, ok. Maybe it makes sense. But 8gb?

I think I agree with the web critics. It's clear what Apple is doing. The iPod Touch should be renamed iPhone Lite. Don't call it an iPod if you're going to shy away from what the iPod was supposed to be (a MUSIC player first).
Click to expand...

Bingo, it's NOT a music player first anymore. If you want a cheap music player, there a gazillion others out there that may fit your needs. The Touch is priced appropriately for what is does. It's leaps and bounds better than the same priced $230 model (initial price at launch) it replaced. Did you come to the forums in 2008 and complain about that price as well? Again, as solely as a music player it would be overpriced, but that's not all it is anymore.
 
V

Vesuvio Cat

macrumors regular
Jan 30, 2010
196
38
revelated said:
Here's my thing. If the low end model were rocking 16gb at that price, ok. Maybe it makes sense. But 8gb?

I think I agree with the web critics. It's clear what Apple is doing. The iPod Touch should be renamed iPhone Lite. Don't call it an iPod if you're going to shy away from what the iPod was supposed to be (a MUSIC player first).
Click to expand...

I'm not sure that the iPod is "supposed to be" anything. Once the device got its feet off the ground, it was clear that Apple wanted it to be capable of many different things. It wasn't just yesterday that the iPod Touch became a video player and gaming device. Classics are still for sale, if you are disappointed with the new Touch and want to only listen to music.
 
revelated

revelated

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 30, 2010
994
2
Vesuvio Cat said:
I'm not sure that the iPod is "supposed to be" anything. Once the device got its feet off the ground, it was clear that Apple wanted it to be capable of many different things. It wasn't just yesterday that the iPod Touch became a video player and gaming device. Classics are still for sale, if you are disappointed with the new Touch and want to only listen to music.
Click to expand...

If you don't realize/remember that the iPod was first and foremost a music device...then Apple has already won. Thus the reason people are having a fit over the fact that Apple's storage capacity keeps dropping ever steadily.
 
J

joe1946

macrumors regular
Mar 11, 2009
200
20
If you people hate the new G4 version then get the G3 version for less money but show me anything else on the planet with the G4 specs. I wanted a 64GB iPhone 4 without the phone but with 802.11n wi-fi and this is it.
 
T

theanimala

macrumors 6502
Mar 2, 2007
440
228
I don't see the new iPod Touch as being a ripoff, compared to the previous version. Right now I have the Apple Refurb site and they want $319 for the 3rd Gen 64GB. Today I paid $56 more ($375 for a 64GB Gen 4 with company employee discount which is easy to find online), to get a new Touch with Retina display, gryoscope, thinner (good or bad), front camera, more battery life, faster A4 processor, plus minor things. Doesn't seem like I am paying much more for a NEW system with all these new guts vs a refurb system with old guts...
 
F

FearNo1

macrumors 6502a
Mar 9, 2009
589
0
I agree with you that the touch (iphone, as well as all apple products) is greatly overpriced. I think it is iSupply that estimates that apple normally makes 100% profit from the iphone. I don't mind that it has transformed from being more than just an audio player tho. If you want a pure mp3 player, perhaps the classic is your best choice?

revelated said:
Here's my thing. If the low end model were rocking 16gb at that price, ok. Maybe it makes sense. But 8gb?

I think I agree with the web critics. It's clear what Apple is doing. The iPod Touch should be renamed iPhone Lite. Don't call it an iPod if you're going to shy away from what the iPod was supposed to be (a MUSIC player first).
Click to expand...
 
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