iPod touch Cell version?

LucasLand said:

anyone think they will come out with a new cellular version, that way you can have internet available everywhere with a data plan? please don't respond with "they do its called an iPhone"

i don't want the phone service but i would like to have the option to buy a $15-20 per month data plan

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I highly doubt they will, it'll be far too similar to the iPhone if they do.

LucasLand said:

anyone think they will come out with a new cellular version, that way you can have internet available everywhere with a data plan? please don't respond with "they do its called an iPhone"

i don't want the phone service but i would like to have the option to buy a $15-20 per month data plan

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Yes, they do have this - it's called the iPhone.

Seriously though, they haven't done this in the last 7 and a half years, and with the iPT being such a minor product at this point, I don't think they're going to start now.

If they do that it will be an 'iPhone without Phone only' and that's what they want to avoid. If not, no one would buy the iPhone and everyone would have a cheap non smart- phone, and an iPod Touch.

How is that not an iPhone?

and no. apple doesn't even update the iPod anymore.

LucasLand said:

anyone think they will come out with a new cellular version, that way you can have internet available everywhere with a data plan? please don't respond with "they do its called an iPhone"

i don't want the phone service but i would like to have the option to buy a $15-20 per month data plan

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A few years ago I could have seen it happening, but not now. The iPod Touch has a speaker and can use FaceTime audio and with access to iMessage, whatsapp, etc, it could actually be used as a fully functioning phone if it had a data plan (though unable to call emergency services, which would be a problem). So it's really not feasible for Apple.

One the plus side, if you really want that you could always buy one and also get a 3G/4G dongle to go along with it. Connect it up by wifi and bob's your uncle!

I dont understand why people even make this argument anymore... Its never going to happen...

LucasLand said:

please don't respond with "they do its called an iPhone"

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The problem isn't with that Apple calls the device or intends for it, but how the cellular carriers decide to treat the device. What does a handheld, iPhone-like device that Apple calls an iPod Touch look like to cell carriers? A revenue destroyer... unless you treat it like an iPhone and require iPhone-like plans.

Ultimately, it's the carriers that are making the decisions on what plans you can and can't get on these devices. Want proof? You actually CAN get a data/text-only plan on an iPhone... if you manage to convince them that the primary user of the phone is deaf.

Even then, these plans are definitely not in the $15-20 range you're asking for though. You won't even get that in most cases for tablets, unless it's a very limited plan (prepaid 200-300MB or so, or for a limited time span like a day or a week), or as an add-on device to an existing account with a full smartphone plan.

I don't understand. Why is the iPod any different than an iPad to the carriers? They willingly sell data plans for iPads. I pay $20 a month to Verizon and get 1 GB of cellular data on my iPad. I'm happy with the arrangement and Verizon seems to be also.

colodane said:

I don't understand. Why is the iPod any different than an iPad to the carriers? They willingly sell data plans for iPads. I pay $20 a month to Verizon and get 1 GB of cellular data on my iPad. I'm happy with the arrangement and Verizon seems to be also.

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If the iPod Touch were to have a cell radio in it, then no difference. But then the cost of the device is going to be much higher than the iPod Touch without cellular connectivity.

The split-second after such a device were to be made available, some yahoo would want to know why they can't make voice calls on it.

scaredpoet said:

The problem isn't with that Apple calls the device or intends for it, but how the cellular carriers decide to treat the device. What does a handheld, iPhone-like device that Apple calls an iPod Touch look like to cell carriers? A revenue destroyer... unless you treat it like an iPhone and require iPhone-like plans.

Ultimately, it's the carriers that are making the decisions on what plans you can and can't get on these devices. Want proof? You actually CAN get a data/text-only plan on an iPhone... if you manage to convince them that the primary user of the phone is deaf.

Even then, these plans are definitely not in the $15-20 range you're asking for though. You won't even get that in most cases for tablets, unless it's a very limited plan (prepaid 200-300MB or so, or for a limited time span like a day or a week), or as an add-on device to an existing account with a full smartphone plan.

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Maybe Verizon/Sprint/ATT won't allow that, but Tmobile has a $20/1GB data-only plan

colodane said:

I don't understand. Why is the iPod any different than an iPad to the carriers?

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The iPad is not pocketable. The iPod is, and Is more likely to be taken places an iPad isn't if given a cellular radio.

They willingly sell data plans for iPads.

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Typically, iPads and tablets are seen as revenue enhancers. In most cases an iPad cellular owner already has a cell phone on the same network, this supplementing the money they're already getting... OR as a marketing tool to get that customer to switch if they don't.

And iPod with cellular doesn't have the same use case. If someone has an iPod touch with cellular,that same user isn't as likely to add another device with the same form factor, since they already now have a cellphone-like device... So the carrier will want to treat it as a cell phone.

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CreatorCode said:

Maybe Verizon/Sprint/ATT won't allow that, but Tmobile has a $20/1GB data-only plan

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That's for dedicated hotspots and tablets. If you actually follow that link and select that plan, and then select an iPhone, the buy page then directs you (subtly, but it directs you) to select a Simple Choice plan instead, with a minimum $50/month for voice and texting on top of that 1GB of data.

I love what T-Mobile is doing, but even I have doubts that if Apple came out with an iPod Touch cellular, T-Mobile would let you use the $20 data only plan on it.

sracer said:

If the iPod Touch were to have a cell radio in it, then no difference. But then the cost of the device is going to be much higher than the iPod Touch without cellular connectivity.

The split-second after such a device were to be made available, some yahoo would want to know why they can't make voice calls on it.

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Right. And now a device that represents 0.00001% of revenues will have a variant that represents 0.0001% of that device's overall revenues? Really, you'd need an electron microscope to see the annual profits from a cell iPod. I understand that people would like things that Apple doesn't offer. I'd really like a cell modem in the notebooks, which would sell in much greater quantities than a cell iPod, but it ain't gonna happen.

if the ipod had a cell radio, its sales wouldnt be 0.0000001% anymore. It'll cannibalize into the iphone for sure.

saudor said:

if the ipod had a cell radio, its sales wouldnt be 0.0000001% anymore. It'll cannibalize into the iphone for sure.

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Not if it couldn't make voice calls.

sracer said:

Not if it couldn't make voice calls.

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It would. Like others said, why spend thousands on a contract when you get to use an iPod with a cell radio that does almost everything an iphone does. A 16gb iPhone in Canada costs $400+ for the device including tax plus $70 a month for 2 years.


As for calling, I bet not a lot do so especially with things like Facebook calling, whatsapp, skype, etc. Obviously the enterprise market would be different.

Some cheap phone/android would give a best of both worlds scenario.

saudor said:

It would. Like others said, why spend thousands on a contract when you get to use an iPod with a cell radio that does almost everything an iphone does. A 16gb iPhone in Canada costs $400+ for the device including tax plus $70 a month for 2 years.


As for calling, I bet not a lot do so especially with things like Facebook calling, whatsapp, skype, etc. Obviously the enterprise market would be different.

Some cheap phone/android would give a best of both worlds scenario.

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Some people think that there's only a few $$$ difference between the cost of making an iPhone and an iPod Touch. There's not. So basically people just want a cheaper iPhone.

Some keep pointing to the cost of service as a reason for wanting cell-enabled ipod...

I bought a new 32GB iPhone 4 (3 years ago) for $300 no contract, and paid $45/month pay-as-you-go... still do. These are regular prices for cell service (not the phone) and are available to everyone (at least here in the 'States)

I think that those who want a cell-enabled ipod haven't fully thought through the process...

Take an iPod Touch (16GB): $199 + add cell LTE: $130 = $330 for a 16GB iPod Touch. Then add cell service: $20+/month.

That'd be that if a person also didn't have a cellphone.
Add the cost of the phone and cell service for the phone.

The total combined cost will be more than simply owning an iPhone.

iPod touch: $330 (based on your calculations) + $20*24 = $810 over 2 years

Iphone: $349 + $70x24= $2029 (canada, 500mb data)
iPhone (based on your Pay as you go) $649 + $45x24 =$1729

That's over $1000 in either case. Not sure about you but I don't make many real phone calls. Much of it is over FaceTime audio, whatsapp, messenger, Skype, etc if anything. Not to mention the audio quality is much better

Plus many apps can call real phones too (I.e Skype for pennies per minute) That $1000 could buy me two iPad Air 2's or a MacBook. That's a nice chunk of change.

LucasLand said:

anyone think they will come out with a new cellular version, that way you can have internet available everywhere with a data plan? please don't respond with "they do its called an iPhone"

i don't want the phone service but i would like to have the option to buy a $15-20 per month data plan

Click to expand...

You could always buy a Mobile Internet/WiFi device and use that if you really needed that as a solution.
But of course that would mean carrying around another device. Unless you only want to use it in the car or at any venue that doesn't have free wifi then it may be okay. Not sure how big/small those devices are these days.

But I like the idea of a data-plan only iPod Touch. Would come in handy.
I'm sure the telco's would love that as it would mean more money for them if they could sell data plans.
I think the iPod Touch deserves the same freedom as the iPhone, to go anywhere and be able to access the internet.
Perhaps you should suggest it to Apple.

Just did a quick google search and there are 4G WiFi iPod Touch cases around. I never knew they existed. Might have to look into getting one for myself. So that's an option I guess.

scaredpoet said:

That's for dedicated hotspots and tablets. If you actually follow that link and select that plan, and then select an iPhone, the buy page then directs you (subtly, but it directs you) to select a Simple Choice plan [...]

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You choose the SIM only option ($15) and buy an iPhone separately.

I have done exactly this with my phone in Europe (since I had zero need for a voice phone in Europe.) It was exactly what you wanted (cellular data on a pocket-sized device with low service costs) and it worked perfectly.

CreatorCode said:

You choose the SIM only option ($15) and buy an iPhone separately.

I have done exactly this with my phone in Europe (since I had zero need for a voice phone in Europe.) It was exactly what you wanted (cellular data on a pocket-sized device with low service costs) and it worked perfectly.

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You've either managed to fall through the cracks, or they're more tolerant of this in Europe. In the US, this wouldn't fly.

If they did this nobody would buy an iPhone...