The only way I see them doing that now is if the nano gets a memory bump up to 32 GB. Even then I don't know. The iPhone has a contract so costs a ton more in the long run than an iPod Touch.
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iPod touch [Merged] What to expect from third generation of iPod touch?
- Thread starter polythene pam
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The only way I see them doing that now is if the nano gets a memory bump up to 32 GB. Even then I don't know. The iPhone has a contract so costs a ton more in the long run than an iPod Touch.
NOT going to happen. I could see them dropping the 8GB and bringing 16GB to $229, but not all the way down to the top iPod nano.
A new iPhone is announced with specs up to par with the Pre, so next the 3rd iteration of the iPod touch will definately get the same or better hardware updates.
This isn't quite true, as apart from the new iPhone 3GS, all the older devices hace the same CPU, albeit underclocked to save battery life.
Here is Half life on the PC - the current iPod touch/iPhone hardware supports this (naturally iPod touch 2nd gen will run faster due to underclocked CPU in the others).
Here is Half-Life 2 on PC. The 3GS GPU (according to this site) has all the features required to do this.
Presumably, the 3rd generation iPod touch, when released in September (yes, I know we can't be sure yet, but we can assume past reasonable doubt), will have the same CPU+3D Graphics chip as the iPhone 3GS, or even better (it might leapfrog the iPhone again).
AnandTech thinks it's an SGX520 (the lowest offering)
Even so,
Before someone tears down the iPhone 3GS, we can't be sure. What we do know is that it is a Power-VR that is Open GL 2.0 ES compliant. Also, note that Anand is talking about the reference design from Power VR, not the actual Apple chip design. There can be some differences in performance between the two.
Also,
will definately include compass (for added game controls, as an example: a compass adds yaw in flight simulators as well as existing tilt and pitch), and might include a built in microphone for voice control. Definately no GPS, camera (video or not) or telecom radio. Oh and maybe an oleophobic screen 
Greets, Patrick
Sources:
http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives/2009/06/iphone-3gs-gpu.html
http://www.appleinsider.com/article...e_powervr_sgx_gpu_core_for_opengl_es_2_0.html
http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/10/iphone-3g-s-supports-opengl-es-2-0-but-3g-only-supports-1-1/
http://anandtech.com/gadgets/showdoc.aspx?i=3579&p=3
This isn't quite true, as apart from the new iPhone 3GS, all the older devices hace the same CPU, albeit underclocked to save battery life.
Here is Half life on the PC - the current iPod touch/iPhone hardware supports this (naturally iPod touch 2nd gen will run faster due to underclocked CPU in the others).
Here is Half-Life 2 on PC. The 3GS GPU (according to this site) has all the features required to do this.
Presumably, the 3rd generation iPod touch, when released in September (yes, I know we can't be sure yet, but we can assume past reasonable doubt), will have the same CPU+3D Graphics chip as the iPhone 3GS, or even better (it might leapfrog the iPhone again).
AnandTech thinks it's an SGX520 (the lowest offering)
Even so,
Before someone tears down the iPhone 3GS, we can't be sure. What we do know is that it is a Power-VR that is Open GL 2.0 ES compliant. Also, note that Anand is talking about the reference design from Power VR, not the actual Apple chip design. There can be some differences in performance between the two.
Also,
will definately include compass (for added game controls, as an example: a compass adds yaw in flight simulators as well as existing tilt and pitch), and might include a built in microphone for voice control. Definately no GPS, camera (video or not) or telecom radio. Oh and maybe an oleophobic screen Greets, Patrick
Sources:
http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives/2009/06/iphone-3gs-gpu.html
http://www.appleinsider.com/article...e_powervr_sgx_gpu_core_for_opengl_es_2_0.html
http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/10/iphone-3g-s-supports-opengl-es-2-0-but-3g-only-supports-1-1/
http://anandtech.com/gadgets/showdoc.aspx?i=3579&p=3
I wonder if there are any chances that the third gen will come with vibration! It would be cool for games.. and alarm!
Definately no GPS, camera (video or not) or telecom radio. Oh and maybe an oleophobic screen
Why do you think there will "definately" be no camera? Ive seen all sorts of sepculation about this and to me it seems Apple may want to unify thier product line as they did with the pros. The addition of a camera to the touch would also allow for inproved sales at the app store (Admittedly only relevent if the averaged revenue from apps is greater than the cost of the camera).
For the record, I am hoping you're right. I work at a facility that doesnt allow cameras so if they do have one Ill have to live with the second gen...
Just after your perspective.
Thanks
why do you say that? i think there is a small miniscule possibility of GPS because many apps in the app store use GPS and the new TomTom app coming out. also there have already been rumors about a camera being on it.
Apple have already suggested the utility as a controller. It'll be in the Touch!
It depends. GPS on the iPod is not without utility, and if Apple are trying to ensure an install base large enough to get the big players aggressively competing in the App store, then the 3G Touch would be as good a place as any to ensure a large market within the first 12 months.
True most of the existing apps expect the Google map, but dedicated GPS suites by TomTom, Garmin, could easily cover many of these features natively.
Which is to say the the iPhone, or a WiFi connected Touch would always offer a better experience for GPS apps, but even in a truly standalone mode, the GPS would be enough to provide iPod users with a useful replacement for typical dash mounted GPSs, etc.
I'm about to get a iphone 3gs, but if the next touch has the same autofocus camera that does video, it would be a much wiser financial move for me, so I might wait and see. I think it's unlikely they'll cram everything but the phone in the ipod though.
How close to the Iphone?
I think the key to undersanding what features will be included in the next gen touch is to figure out how much like the phone Apple is likely to make it. The touch was designed to be an iphone without the phone, and the next iteration will probably also reflect that. As things currently stand, the two 2nd gen products have way more similarities than differences; and I think that the next version of the touch will further close the gap created by the 3GS.
I would love to see GPS in the third gen touch, but I see GPS more as a result of the phone technology, not as as a feature pushed by Apple. I could say the same about the camera, but with more and more gaming devices (DS/PSP) makeing the camera a standard option, I cant imagine Apple sitting it out for much longer. Who knows, mabe they'll wait till next year before they add the camera when I would expect a greater increment of product revision than I do now just after the seeing the 3GS announcement.
I think the key to undersanding what features will be included in the next gen touch is to figure out how much like the phone Apple is likely to make it. The touch was designed to be an iphone without the phone, and the next iteration will probably also reflect that. As things currently stand, the two 2nd gen products have way more similarities than differences; and I think that the next version of the touch will further close the gap created by the 3GS.
I would love to see GPS in the third gen touch, but I see GPS more as a result of the phone technology, not as as a feature pushed by Apple. I could say the same about the camera, but with more and more gaming devices (DS/PSP) makeing the camera a standard option, I cant imagine Apple sitting it out for much longer. Who knows, mabe they'll wait till next year before they add the camera when I would expect a greater increment of product revision than I do now just after the seeing the 3GS announcement.
No camera. That's what I think. Adds too much cost, if they do, it'll be crappy, and the touch isn't competing with the phone market. The Mp3 market hasn't hit cameras yet. Probably just the same thing, only with a magnetometer and faster CPU plus more RAM.
Oh I agree entirely. GPS would be very useful on the touch even without a data connection. However I see a lot of users complaining that it doesn't work in situations where they expect GPS to work.
Maybe Apple would include it, but I doubt they would advertise it as the same GPS as the iPhone, they might not even advertise it.
Stereo Bluetooth supported!
HEY!! Awesome news for those of you who wanted stereo bluetooth in the iPod Touch 2nd Gen. with iPhone OS 3.0 coming out, support for stereo bluetooth will be enabled, AND is available in 2nd generation iPod Touch devices as well!
Check out the feature list for the OS update: http://www.apple.com/ipodtouch/softwareupdate.html
HEY!! Awesome news for those of you who wanted stereo bluetooth in the iPod Touch 2nd Gen. with iPhone OS 3.0 coming out, support for stereo bluetooth will be enabled, AND is available in 2nd generation iPod Touch devices as well!
Check out the feature list for the OS update: http://www.apple.com/ipodtouch/softwareupdate.html
Each day it looks like i'm right more and more
"Funnest iPod ever"
"Third-Party game accessories"
They are not trying to be coy any more in September they will make it known they are competing with the DSi and PSP
Magnetometor
Accelerometor
Touch
P2P Gaming
AND gamepad!!!!
Edit:
I noticed something interesting on the iPhone site..
http://www.apple.com/iphone/softwareupdate/
It says nothing about game accessories. Could this be a sign of a greater divide between the two that will be seen in the 3g?Hmmm
"Funnest iPod ever"
"Third-Party game accessories"
They are not trying to be coy any more in September they will make it known they are competing with the DSi and PSP
Magnetometor
Accelerometor
Touch
P2P Gaming
AND gamepad!!!!
Edit:
I noticed something interesting on the iPhone site..
http://www.apple.com/iphone/softwareupdate/
It says nothing about game accessories. Could this be a sign of a greater divide between the two that will be seen in the 3g?Hmmm
@bndoarn
I reckon no camera - camera has always been a differenciator from the iPhone, apple won't want to break that.
Magnetometer - Apple marked the iPod touch as the funnest iPod ever. Fun - Games. Why would they cripple the iPod from having an even better controller set (accelerometer+magnetometer=wicked controls)
Also, havign a compass and no GPS would be an incentive for touch owners to upgrade to the iPhone
@wanrik
About accessories - all devices with 3.0 software, since the iPhone EDGE including all iPod touches will support gaming pads that plug into the 30 pin port. Apple won't release a new device for that
There have been rumors about that since day 1.
I reckon no camera - camera has always been a differenciator from the iPhone, apple won't want to break that.
Magnetometer - Apple marked the iPod touch as the funnest iPod ever. Fun - Games. Why would they cripple the iPod from having an even better controller set (accelerometer+magnetometer=wicked controls)
Also, havign a compass and no GPS would be an incentive for touch owners to upgrade to the iPhone
@wanrik
iPod touch 2nd gen has bluetooth support.
About accessories - all devices with 3.0 software, since the iPhone EDGE including all iPod touches will support gaming pads that plug into the 30 pin port. Apple won't release a new device for that
I'd say the thing that differentiates the iPhone from the touch is the, um... what do you call it? Oh right. The phone.
As you said, Apple has marketed the iPod touch as "the funnest iPod ever". In that regard, adding a camera to the 3rd generation touch makes sense.
In 2004, I owned a full touchscreen mp3 player Olympus M:robe 500i. It had a 3.7" 640x480 screen, and a 1.3MP camera. It was awsome, but the sync software sucked balls. And no one noticed the M:robe, because of the ipod hype, so it was discontinued in 2005.
In any case, I'd like to think we've come a long way in 5 years.
Also, havign a compass and no GPS would be an incentive for touch owners to upgrade to the iPhone
Quite apart from the fact that the last generation Touch was faster than the iPhone, which most likely will hold true for this generation too, how exactly is the iPhone an upgrade to the iPod Touch?
That's probably true. They don't exactly advertise the fact that Touch has all of the PDA capability available to the phone; I'm still amazed at how many people can't understand that my iPod is not an iPhone.
The only thing that throws me is Apple's sudden and unexpected love for lopping its prices. Normally I'd figure they'd chuck a few big features at the device to keep it in front of the Zune, and to justify static prices from the previous year. Maybe this year they'll just bump the spec, and drop the price though. That'd be a shame, in that I want a reason to upgrade my 16GB v1, but in a tight market, it might make sense.
A constant data connection, GPS, compass, microphone, better speaker, camera, etc. I could go on.
Yesss, but it's a phone, isn't it? The other is an iPod. Different product families, see?