iPod touch iPod Touch: Can it be replaced??

[RyanJon]

Out with the iPod Touch.. In with the?

Seemingly, the iPod Touch 5th Gen. was the end of the line for the iPod line.. Unless, we end up seeing a surprise iPod Touch 6th Gen this week at some point (fingers crossed).

That brings me to the question. At $199.99.. What can actually replace the iPod Touch? The assumption would be that Android, would be the direct OS that would be suitable. No (worth while) Android based MP3 players on the market leave you with using unactivated (prepaid and unlocked) cell phones. What unlocked phone under $199.99 matches the iPod benchmarks?

Motorola Moto G LTE (2015) ????

 

[sracer]

The Sharp Aquos Crystal sells for between $99 and $150 no-contract. It makes a terrific portable media player.

 

[AppleRobert]

Out with the iPod Touch.. In with the?

Seemingly, the iPod Touch 5th Gen. was the end of the line for the iPod line.. Unless, we end up seeing a surprise iPod Touch 6th Gen this week at some point (fingers crossed).

That brings me to the question. At $199.99.. What can actually replace the iPod Touch? The assumption would be that Android, would be the direct OS that would be suitable. No (worth while) Android based MP3 players on the market leave you with using unactivated (prepaid and unlocked) cell phones. What unlocked phone under $199.99 matches the iPod benchmarks?

Motorola Moto G LTE (2015) ????

Much more options in that price range if you buy something preowned. Just check swappa, craigslist, amazon, etc.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 and Moto X are very good for music.

 

[hallux]

Moto E, Moto G come to mind. Under $200 off-contract but limited to 8 GB capacity (you don't specify capacity need). Moto G has a larger screen (5.0" on the current model) than the E (4.5")

 

[mi7chy]

Easily the Verizon prepaid Moto G especially when on sale for $20-25 but worth $200. You can use it on WIFI. Really a superb tiny device with top notch 4.5" display, build quality, ergonomics, clear and loud speaker and it even has a built-in radio tuner. Can't say enough about it.

 

[apolloa]

Why not wait for the Sony hi res players to drop in price as they run Android? Not sure about the hardware specs though?

 

[HiDEF]

You guys have caught my attention.. Over the weekend, I bought an iPod touch for the gym. But, now I'm thinking I should return it and get a prepaid phone like the ones mentioned above..

Keep the conversation going and continue to share suggestions! I'll stay tuned

 

[RyanJon]

That Sharp Aquos Crystal looks pretty slick.

NETWORK
Technology CDMA / EVDO / LTE

LAUNCH
Announced 2014, August
Status Available. Released 2014, August

BODY
Dimensions 131 x 67 x 10 mm (5.16 x 2.64 x 0.39 in)
Weight 141 g (4.97 oz)
SIM Yes

DISPLAY
Type TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 5.0 inches (~78.5% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution 720 x 1280 pixels (~294 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch Yes

PLATFORM
OS Android OS, v4.4.2 (KitKat)
Chipset Qualcomm MSM8926 Snapdragon 400
CPU Quad-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7
GPU Adreno 305

MEMORY
Card slot microSD, up to 128 GB
Internal 8 GB, 1.5 GB RAM

CAMERA
Primary 8 MP, 3264 x 2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash
Features Geo-tagging, touch focus, face/smile detection, panorama, HDR
Video 1080p@30fps
Secondary 1.2 MP

SOUND
Alert types Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones
Loudspeaker Yes
3.5mm jack Yes
- Harman Kardon sound
- Direct Wave Receiver

COMMS
WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, hotspot
Bluetooth v4.0, A2DP, LE
GPS Yes, with A-GPS
Radio No
USB microUSB v2.0

FEATURES
Sensors Accelerometer, proximity, compass
Messaging SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email, IM
Browser HTML5
Java No
- Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic
- MP3/AAC+/WAV player
- MP4/H.264 player
- Document viewer/editor
- Photo viewer/editor
- Voice memo/dial

BATTERY
Li-Ion 2040 mAh battery
Talk time Up to 13 h

MISC
Colors Black, White

 

[hallux]

Heck, you can get an unlocked Moto X 2013 (still a good phone) for right around $200 in good condition, 16 GB.

 

[HiDEF]

The Aqous looks nice but the iPod is slightly lighter... Weight would be a deciding factor for me.

 

[RyanJon]

The Aqous looks nice but the iPod is slightly lighter... Weight would be a deciding factor for me.

It's also a full inch of more screen. That'd probably add to the weight.

 

[sracer]

It's also a full inch of more screen. That'd probably add to the weight.

The Sharp Aquos is my daily-driver phone. I bought it when it was first released (no-contract on BoostMobile). When I move on to another phone, I'll root this, remove the phone-bits, and use it as a dedicated player.

The lack of bezels makes it seem larger than it actually is. The screen alone is as large as my iPhone 4 itself... so really not that large.

 

[AppleRobert]

That Sharp Aquos Crystal looks pretty slick.

NETWORK
Technology CDMA / EVDO / LTE

LAUNCH
Announced 2014, August
Status Available. Released 2014, August

BODY
Dimensions 131 x 67 x 10 mm (5.16 x 2.64 x 0.39 in)
Weight 141 g (4.97 oz)
SIM Yes

DISPLAY
Type TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 5.0 inches (~78.5% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution 720 x 1280 pixels (~294 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch Yes

PLATFORM
OS Android OS, v4.4.2 (KitKat)
Chipset Qualcomm MSM8926 Snapdragon 400
CPU Quad-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7
GPU Adreno 305

MEMORY
Card slot microSD, up to 128 GB
Internal 8 GB, 1.5 GB RAM

CAMERA
Primary 8 MP, 3264 x 2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash
Features Geo-tagging, touch focus, face/smile detection, panorama, HDR
Video 1080p@30fps
Secondary 1.2 MP

SOUND
Alert types Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones
Loudspeaker Yes
3.5mm jack Yes
- Harman Kardon sound
- Direct Wave Receiver

COMMS
WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, hotspot
Bluetooth v4.0, A2DP, LE
GPS Yes, with A-GPS
Radio No
USB microUSB v2.0

FEATURES
Sensors Accelerometer, proximity, compass
Messaging SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email, IM
Browser HTML5
Java No
- Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic
- MP3/AAC+/WAV player
- MP4/H.264 player
- Document viewer/editor
- Photo viewer/editor
- Voice memo/dial

BATTERY
Li-Ion 2040 mAh battery
Talk time Up to 13 h

MISC
Colors Black, White

I did not care for it as a music player versus the S4 or Moto X I previously mentioned.

 

[mi7chy]

Moto E, Moto G come to mind. Under $200 off-contract but limited to 8 GB capacity (you don't specify capacity need). Moto G has a larger screen (5.0" on the current model) than the E (4.5")

FYI, 1st gen Moto G which has a better display than 2nd gen comes in 8GB, 16GB and there's a version with LTE and SD card slot. But even 8GB is plentiful for the gym and you also have the built-in radio tuner. The Verizon prepaid 8GB 1st gen Moto G when on sale for $20-25 is a steal but if you can find the unlocked US GSM version with LTE and SD card slot it's even better if you plan to use it as a phone but that usually goes for closer to $200.

 

[RyanJon]

I did not care for it as a music player versus the S4 or Moto X I previously mentioned.

I'm not much a fan of the Samsung Galaxy series phones, aside from their cameras on the s5 - present. I usually use PowerAmp as my player on my Android devices. Makes my $20 LG Optimus Fuel sound like it is a premium mp3 player (which is what I'm still using currently as my daily mp3 player). I don't like buying used phones.. Or used mp3 players, for that matter. I haven't ever bought something that lasted longer than a couple months, max.. And I've bought at least a half dozen over the past few years. I just don't have good luck. One was brand new, sealed in packaging. So, I really try to stay away from second hand devices.

FWIW, I'm looking at new vs new. New iPod Touch 5th Gen vs new Android (or Windows) phone used in an iPod-like fashion.

 

[RyanJon]

Well, I'm going to put my foot in my mouth. I think I found my iPod Touch replacement.. And some.

NETWORK
Technology GSM / HSPA / LTE

LAUNCH
Announced 2014, April
Status Available. Released 2014, June

BODY
Dimensions 137.5 x 70.8 x 16.6 mm (5.41 x 2.79 x 0.65 in)
Weight 200 g (7.05 oz)
SIM Micro-SIM

DISPLAY
Type Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 4.8 inches (~65.2% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution 720 x 1280 pixels (~306 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch Yes
Protection Corning Gorilla Glass 3

PLATFORM
OS Android OS, v4.4.2 (KitKat)
Chipset Exynos 5260
CPU Quad-core 1.3 GHz Cortex A7 & dual-core 1.7 GHz Cortex A15
GPU Mali-T624

MEMORY
Card slot microSD, up to 64 GB
Internal 8 GB, 2 GB RAM

CAMERA
Primary 20.7 MP, 5248 х 3936 pixels, auto/manual focus, 10x optical zoom (24-240mm), optical image stabilization, Xenon & LED flash, check quality
Features 1/2.3'' sensor size, geo-tagging, touch focus, face/smile detection, HDR, panorama
Video 1080p@60fps, optical stabilization, check quality
Secondary 2 MP

SOUND
Alert types Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones
Loudspeaker Yes
3.5mm jack Yes

COMMS
WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot
Bluetooth v4.0, A2DP, LE
GPS Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS
NFC Yes
Radio No
USB microUSB v2.0 (MHL 1.3 TV-out), USB Host

FEATURES
Sensors Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
Messaging SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Mail, IM
Browser HTML5
Java No
- ANT+ support
- S-Voice natural language commands and dictation
- Dropbox (50 GB cloud storage)
- Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic
- MP4/DivX/XviD/WMV/H.264 player
- MP3/WAV/eAAC+/FLAC player
- Photo/video editor
- Document viewer

BATTERY
Li-Ion 2430 mAh battery
Talk time Up to 14 h (3G)
Music play Up to 47 h

MISC
Colors Charcoal Black, Electric Blue, Shimmery White
SAR US 0.51 W/kg (head) 1.07 W/kg (body)
SAR EU 0.40 W/kg (head) 0.37 W/kg (body)

 

[Savor]

The Sharp Aquos Crystal was pretty nice when I had it for two weeks except the bezel-less screen was awkward to hold if the sensor is on the bottom right area. But forget pmp/pvp. Waste of money. Always stick to a cheap prepaid smartphone to do things over an overpriced iPod touch which can't make calls with a sim.

I stick to GSM and any cp with a sim slot. The Nokia Lumia 635 is a nice choice. The 635 has long batt and decent loud speakers with removable battery and micro-sd slot. If Windows Phone isn't your thing, then Moto E and G are your next bet. Android simply has better media playing apps than WP. You can also go a little OLD SCHOOL and find a decent flagship from a few years again if you want a better cam, display, and SoC but even though 2012-2013 Androids might still be too big for you.

I actually considered going even more old school. Any SanDisk mp3 player that uses double A or triple A batteries. I always think of movies Castaway, The Book of Eli, 2012, and San Andreas when the day we lose electricity and the only way I can power a gadget is with batteries from Duracel and Energizer. Some day we will be punished for our technical reliance and arrogance and have to go back to simpler times to survive. All the useless info and time wasting we get from online will get us back at the end.

 

[HiDEF]

So I returned the iPod touch to take advantage of a prepaid phone.

Which one do you guys recommend between the moto e and moto g? I know there's a small size difference but I want something that could last me for some time.

 

[Oletros]

I also want an iPod touch replacement, the problem is that I want a 4" screen, I don't want a 5" phone and almost everything is in the range 4.8"-5"

 

[HiDEF]

So, I picked up Verizon's Pre-Paid Moto e at BestBuy for 75. I'm hoping this gets me by cause for the price, you can't beat it.

 

[Michael Goff]

I also want an iPod touch replacement, the problem is that I want a 4" screen, I don't want a 5" phone and almost everything is in the range 4.8"-5"

Lumia 520?

 

[Oletros]

Lumia 520?

I forgot to say that my primary music source is Play Music

 

[Michael Goff]

I forgot to say that my primary music source is Play Music

Then my idea doesn't hold any water.

Then I'll have to say ... first gen Moto E is 4.3"?

 

[HiDEF]

ugh! I'm starting to regret the decision I believe you can not root the prepaid variant and there's bloatware I wanna get rid of.

 

[mi7chy]

Why Moto E? It's not nearly as good as $40 ($20-25 when on sale) Verizon 1st gen Moto G that's equivalent to iPhone 6 if not better with 326ppi 720p IPS display, battery life, more compact one handed use, curved ergonomic back, soft touch feel, etc. There's little bloat which you can disable.