iPod touch iPod Touch 4th gen vs 5th gen?

One major difference is that the 4th gen iPod touch will not run iOS 7. I suggest you wait until the the iOS device updates in the Fall (Northern Hemisphere) this year and buy the latest iPod touch.

jread said:

Just wondering how big of a jump it is from the 4th gen to the 5th gen, and if it is worth going for the upgrade.

I bought a 4th gen iPod Touch (8 GB) for my daughter last December and got a great deal on it. I didn't want to spend too much as I wanted to see how much she used it, as well as how well she would take care of it.

7-months later, I can say it was definitely a great move. She loves it and she really enjoys playing the educational games I download for her (and she has learned a lot as well). I have noticed, however, that the 4th gen is starting to show its age and struggles with many of the newer apps. I've even had to uninstall a couple due to them being basically unplayable. Also, I suspect that with iOS7 on the way the 4th gen is going to become even more outdated (it's pretty laggy on iOS6 as it is).

So, how big of a difference is there between the 4th and 5th gen? I know it has a larger screen and the A5, but is it a dramatic difference (they are both retina screens) and is it that much faster (I would assume that the A5 being dual core would make quite a difference)?

I do not have experience with the A5 processor so I'm not sure how much better it is than the A4, or how much worse it is than the A6. Also, I've read that even though the 4th gen has a retina screen, it is not the same quality as the iPhone's screen at the time, while the 5th gen has the exact same screen found in the iPhone 5.

Any info/advice is appreciated

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There is a huge difference in the two except playing music. I suggest that you try one out yourself to decide if it's worth the extra money.

jread said:

Just wondering how big of a jump it is from the 4th gen to the 5th gen, and if it is worth going for the upgrade.

I bought a 4th gen iPod Touch (8 GB) for my daughter last December and got a great deal on it. I didn't want to spend too much as I wanted to see how much she used it, as well as how well she would take care of it.

7-months later, I can say it was definitely a great move. She loves it and she really enjoys playing the educational games I download for her (and she has learned a lot as well). I have noticed, however, that the 4th gen is starting to show its age and struggles with many of the newer apps. I've even had to uninstall a couple due to them being basically unplayable. Also, I suspect that with iOS7 on the way the 4th gen is going to become even more outdated (it's pretty laggy on iOS6 as it is).

So, how big of a difference is there between the 4th and 5th gen? I know it has a larger screen and the A5, but is it a dramatic difference (they are both retina screens) and is it that much faster (I would assume that the A5 being dual core would make quite a difference)?

I do not have experience with the A5 processor so I'm not sure how much better it is than the A4, or how much worse it is than the A6. Also, I've read that even though the 4th gen has a retina screen, it is not the same quality as the iPhone's screen at the time, while the 5th gen has the exact same screen found in the iPhone 5.

Any info/advice is appreciated

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The 5th is pretty awesome compared to my earlier generation touch (don't know what gen it is). The issues I have with the 5th is that the lens for the camera protrudes out the back a little. That is an odd 'feature' considering the very 'Zen' look of the previous versions, and all iPods. Get a case.

There was some argument if the screen was the 'exact iPhone Retina screen', and I believe that it's not 'exactly' the same, but a definite step up. It's bigger too which isn't bad. I do love the 'leash' feature. I'd think that most cases allow for its use.

With the rumoured updates coming this fall, and iOS7 coming out about the same time, I'd recommend that you wait until the update and see what comes out. You aren't hurting yourself that much for waiting now as it's nearly the middle of July, and the the update details will surely be leaking soon and the update will probably ship in two to three months. While any update is probably going to be evolutionary rather than revolutionary, the change *could* be to a much faster platform with a much more responsive screen, and maybe a fix for nit picky lens issue. Well, and you can decide how much you trust the rumours and decide from that. Plus, if you wait, the chance to get a slightly better price on the 5th after the 6th ships is definitely possible. (Watch Target as they often have promotions with gift cards thrown in).

Waiting at this point isn't a bad decision.

The possibility for a better, faster Touch would make me wait it out... The only drawback I potentially see is that the 6th might come in with a higher price point, *possibly*.

the 5th gen has a much better headphones amp with very low output impedance of only 0.75 Ohms. It sounds the best of all Apple music players.

Don't get the 4th gen. Get the 5th. You can thank us later.

Well..... If you hold the two side by side, the 5th definitely has a bigger and better screen. My son has a 4th gen 8GB Touch, and he'd love to get a 5th. I wasn't planning on using my 5th's camera, but use it a lot now that I know how wellit works. I have the 64GB version, and watching video on that screen is fine with me. I keep it on my night stand, and check my bank accounts and weather before getting out of bed. It's also slim enough that I have to check both of my pockets to find it sometimes. The protruding lens become flush with the very thin poly case I bought for it, and wasn't an issue prior to that.

jread said:

Thank you all for the responses!

As for the lens issue, I am planning to get her the 16GB version as that is enough storage for her and she doesn't use it to take photos.



I currently have the 4th gen, just wondering if the 5th gen is worth upgrading to.

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Just to let u know that apple is using sapphire crystal instead of gorilla glass to cover the len part of both Iphone 5 and ipod touch 5, therefore it is less likely to get scratches or anything. IF im not wrong.

You pick a great choice to go with touch 5 16gb, im looking to get one of those myself since my iphone already got great camera and 16GB should be just fine. Touch 4 has 256mb of ram compared to 5 with 512mb. That doubles the capability to run apps more smoothly for you.

Choose the 5th 32Gb don't think about 16Gb unless you have personal problem with camera Totally iTouch gen 5 is a worthy upgrade

I thought about the 4th gen when I was buying my iPod touch. After reading reviews I went with the 5th gen because:

4 inch retina display which some say is the same as in the iPhone 5

5 mega pixel camera/ 1080 p video recording which was much better than what the 4th gen had.

A5 chip (the same as in the iPhone 4S and iPad 2)

Has Siri

It has a better design IMO

Battery life is reportedly better

More Ram than the 4th gen

Gets more of the iOS 6 features than the 4th gen

More likely to get the next version of iOS and would run better as it has more ram and a faster processor ( now confirmed as the 4th gen isn't getting iOS 7)

So after considering the 4th gen 32 GB I ended up getting the 5th gen 64 GB.

I have both. After buying the 5 I relegated my 4 to paperweight status. Seriously...

iPT 5 is a beast.

jread said:

Picked it up earlier. Did the iPad trade in that is going on at Best Buy this weekend and got $200 for an old 16GB iPad 2 that was just sitting in the closet. Walked straight over to the iPod section and got my daughter a pink one with a Defender case.

You guys were right; there is no comparison. It completely blows the 4th gen away. The screen is as beautiful as my iPhone 5 and the performance is greatly improved.

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umm, i wouldn't say Ipad 2 for $200 is a bargain. Definitely worth more than that and Ipad 2 has the same chip as touch 5 with bigger battery. Unless its too heavy and battery has already gone bad which i doubt.

Anyhow, good luck with your new device.

jread said:

Seriously? I felt like it was a good deal given that it is a base model iPad 2 (16GB, WiFi) that I've had since launch day in March 2011. It also was not in the greatest shape.

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Well, i just think it worth little more but basicly if u just keep it lying in the closet. Its always better to exchange for something u can make a good use of.

Hope you enjoy the Touch 5. I hope i get one soon too but maybe the 16gb one.

i didn't see it mentioned yet. ipod touch 5g has a camera flash. this is not only better for taking pictures, but also great for use as an LED flashlight when needed.

i just upgraded from 4G to 5G for my 7 year old.

Hi, I own a 4th gen iPod touch and an iPad 2 (the iPad 2 uses the A5) . I have had the iPad for nearly a year and iPod for nearly 2 years. In some activities the A4 does heavily show its age. But, in graphically intensive games like nova 3 the A4 performs better than the s4 mini. I would recommend waiting for the iPod touch 6 (probably going to have an A8 ) or go for an iPhone 5 for £150 on smartphonestore anyway it's your choice so good luck.

Based on what your daughter will be using the iPod for, the 5th gen is worth the upgrade and she'll be delighted. For the things that I use it for, the 4th gen is actually preferable.

sracer said:

Based on what your daughter will be using the iPod for, the 5th gen is worth the upgrade and she'll be delighted. For the things that I use it for, the 4th gen is actually preferable.

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For what do you find the 4th gen better?

Harry Gill said:

For what do you find the 4th gen better?

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I'm guessing music? iOS 6, which the iPod Touch 4th Gen is on, has a vastly superior music player coupled with probably the best sounding DAC sharing the one found on the iPhone 4 and 4s. Helps to have a retina display so its treat for those that actually fill out the metadata and album art (after iOS 7+ absolutely butchered the design on 3.5" devices).

Harry Gill said:

For what do you find the 4th gen better?

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RoboWarriorSr said:

I'm guessing music? iOS 6, which the iPod Touch 4th Gen is on, has a vastly superior music player coupled with probably the best sounding DAC sharing the one found on the iPhone 4 and 4s. Helps to have a retina display so its treat for those that actually fill out the metadata and album art (after iOS 7+ absolutely butchered the design on 3.5" devices).

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Bingo. That is one of the major reasons why I find the 4th gen better. Another reason has to do with the camera. The camera on the 4th gen may have a lower pixel count and not perform as well in low light condition as the 5th gen, but the speed in which it take photos is noticeably quicker on the 4th gen.

I took my iPod 4th gen with me on my travels to Romania and took many photos on-the-go that would've been more difficult if not impossible to catch with the slower 5th gen.

The 5th gen is a fine device and I believe that the ergonomics are far superior (I can't stand the dramatically curved edges which make button presses challenging) but those 2 things for me makes the 4th gen preferable.

sracer said:

Bingo. That is one of the major reasons why I find the 4th gen better. Another reason has to do with the camera. The camera on the 4th gen may have a lower pixel count and not perform as well in low light condition as the 5th gen, but the speed in which it take photos is noticeably quicker on the 4th gen.

I took my iPod 4th gen with me on my travels to Romania and took many photos on-the-go that would've been more difficult if not impossible to catch with the slower 5th gen.

The 5th gen is a fine device and I believe that the ergonomics are far superior (I can't stand the dramatically curved edges which make button presses challenging) but those 2 things for me makes the 4th gen preferable.

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I thought the iPod Touch 5 would have much faster camera speed considering how slow the iPhone 4 was at shooting its camera. The A5 had a dedicated camera chip unlike the A4 and considering that was developed with 8 megapixels, the iPod Touch 5 should theoretically be the fastest camera shooter out of the iPod Touch devices.