Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

iPod touch iPod Touch bluetooth (semi) confirmed... photos included

O

orangejelly

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 14, 2008
11
0
Is there really bluetooth in the iPod touch, disabled until Apple decides to enable it for another $9.95? Some people say no, but there actually is.

There has always been Broadcom BCM4325 Bluetooth chips in iPod touches, but they were never advertised. Take a closer look at these photos, from an Apple employee recently:

touchtooth2nj1.jpg



touchtooth4jg3.jpg


Yes, as you can see in the top right hand corner of the iPod touch, Bluetooth is enabled on a iPod touch. It was said that Apple will release a new firmware very soon to enable Bluetooth on the iPhone's little cousin. This lucky Apple employee got to try it out on a first-generation iPod touch, and snapped some photos.

Now, it'll be interesting to see how a Bluetooth-enabled touch will affect iPhone sales...

- orangejelly
 
The politics that seem to be involved with Apple working with mobile carriers is frustrating. Enable bluetooth, enable VOIP, enable tethering, stop playing games.
 
well it is the best news of the day....(maybe)


but to have the feel that Apple screws the people more and more:confused:


has a bad taste for me..... anyway...we will see what will happen

but I would be happy to have after months bluetooth in my iPod Touch
 
Hot news, but break it down for the neophyte or layman:

Is the Broadcom BCM4325 Bluetooth chip a full function Bluetooth or is this some trimmed down version for the Nike+ software/communication?

With the marketing of a mic-headphone set I was curious if Apple has been slyly prepping Touch to go full out voip. They are probably dancing around AT&T contracts at this time, but it won't be long before those obligations skitter away and Apple can begin their own voice communication empire... if they decide to go in that direction.
--------
I have an ancient ear fetus I would love to use with my iPT.
Hopefully the do enable Blootooth soon.
 
There is nothing about Bluetooth that has anything to do with iPhone sales. The Broadcom chip also supports wifi and FM radio. Device designers can use some or all of a chips features, and that is what Apple has done.

What it DOES mean is that Touch owners would be able to:
- Sync contact data from their bluetooth phones,
- Potentially use bluetooth keyboards and even a mouse,
- Send audio wirelessly to bluetooth enabled docks, headphones, or transceiver on your home stereo.
- share files via bluetooth. IMO this is why Apple is reluctant to enable it.
 
Lesser Evets said:
Hot news, but break it down for the neophyte or layman:

Is the Broadcom BCM4325 Bluetooth chip a full function Bluetooth or is this some trimmed down version for the Nike+ software/communication?

With the marketing of a mic-headphone set I was curious if Apple has been slyly prepping Touch to go full out voip. They are probably dancing around AT&T contracts at this time, but it won't be long before those obligations skitter away and Apple can begin their own voice communication empire... if they decide to go in that direction.
--------
I have an ancient ear fetus I would love to use with my iPT.
Hopefully the do enable Blootooth soon.
Click to expand...

i would LOVE skype on the ipod touch..
 
I'm not sure if it's a mod you can do with software, think about it - if you've ever tricked the springboard into thinking it was on an iPhone instead (I've done it), even though bluetooth is an option you can't use it!

Hrmm more hacking is necessary!
 
The pictures with a Bluetooth activation option points to the very likely possibility that the current chip might be fully accessible via a hack, and someday by software when Apple allows it to be.

It's a nice thought, and brings me back to my deduction - Apple is possibly prepping to make a voip service of its own and create a large, healthy internet phone business once AT&T contracts lapse, and Apple has a site available.

They could easily make a phone service for voipers that is simple, inexpensive, and far more feature oriented than Skype. It would be like MOBILE ME, but with voice mailboxes, and call directing to iPT's and iPhones, etc.
 
Pondering ...

The same Broadcom chip supports FM radio.... It would be nice to have a radio tuner app. Older ipods have supported radio via external dongles so this wouldn't be something completely new ... These chips typically use the headset as the antenna, so it may be worth checking if the antenna pins on the chip are routed somewhere or just terminated.

I wonder if the Nike+ protocol is just some twist on standard bluetooth. It would make $ sense to use cheap commodity hardware rather than build your own chips from scratch ... If so, other bluetooth devices may be able to hook up to Nike+ ... Not necessarily the dongles that Nike sells ...
 
a456 said:
The politics that seem to be involved with Apple working with mobile carriers is frustrating. Enable bluetooth, enable VOIP, enable tethering, stop playing games.
Click to expand...

what does bluetooth have to do with a mobile carrier? you do know bluetooth is NOTHING to do with a mobile carrier right?


anyway back on topic, I don't see how a 1st gen ipod could have a symbol showing bluetooth enabled when theres no bluetooth chip in the 1st gen is there?
 
andybno1 said:
what does bluetooth have to do with a mobile carrier? you do know bluetooth is NOTHING to do with a mobile carrier right?


anyway back on topic, I don't see how a 1st gen ipod could have a symbol showing bluetooth enabled when theres no bluetooth chip in the 1st gen is there?
Click to expand...

I had the same thought, but odviously there is. Maybe in 2.1.1 they'll be announcing the Bluetooth and an fm radio thing. That'd be cool





Zym(check out my blog)
 
No, Bluetooth is something that gives the iPhone some predation, in a sense. It would be like the Touch having GPS (what an Idea that was huh?). It was competition for the iPhone. It doesn't have anything to do with mobile telecommunications as far as cell phones are concerned.
 
andybno1 said:
are you sure? whats your source on this? I been mulling this over and well googled it and well heres a disassemble of the 1st gen ipod and they mention they found NO bluetooth chip in 1st gen

http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/First-Look/iPod/iPod-Touch
Click to expand...

"We did not find the CSR Bluetooth chip that the iPhone has. However, there are several Apple-branded chips that we didn't identify, so we cannot completely rule out the presence of a Bluetooth chip."

Its possible its there, just not labeled.
 
Strategy said:
"We did not find the CSR Bluetooth chip that the iPhone has. However, there are several Apple-branded chips that we didn't identify, so we cannot completely rule out the presence of a Bluetooth chip."

Its possible its there, just not labeled.
Click to expand...

that's what I was going to say :)
 
ok so I techinally was wrong but they said they seen no blutooth branded chips :p where as the OP said theres always been a broadcom bluetooth chip in it I would like to know the source of this
 
The photos appear to be a Gen 1 Touch. Fair enough to conclude Bluetooth is possible on it. Of course it's not unusual to have prototypes with unique features that don't make it into production models. Apple may have tested the concept, but left the chip out of the production models if they weren't going to use it.
 
or this could be a simple hack to have the bluetooth icon in the top corner and well the settings menu is easy enough to add menus into
 
Possibly a fake...

I would love to believe it is real, but the second photo should have the name of the Wi-Fi it is connected to showing on the Wi-Fi menu button.

I don't know what significance that has, but it is odd...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back