I recently got an iPod Touch 4th generation and now seeing the new versions that Apple has released, I’m feeling I should have waited. Of course you can’t make calls through it in India but in the US you have the option of using Google Voice to make calls from your iPod. You can however download Viber to make calls to other smartphone users.
For someone like me with a medium budget, an iPod Touch is a great way to get access to the iOS experience and the App Store. I do have an Android Device ( Galaxy S GT i-9003) as well but unlike my iPod Touch which almost never hangs, the Android device often gives trouble with constant crashes. This is one of the reasons I actually prefer the Apple experience over the Android one.
Despite owning the iPod Touch, would I consider buying the new one? Totally, and here’s why:
Internet: Even though it doesn’t have 3G Internet, I feel this is something I can live without. While I like to be connected to the Internet for the maximum period, I prefer accessing Wi-Fi than struggling over 2G and EDGE which is often very slow in India. I’ve never opted for 3G as I think it’s unnecessarily expensive in India. For me, the iPod Touch is really more about apps and music rather than being constantly connected.
Processor and Apps: The new iPod Touch has an A5 dual-core processor, which makes this as fast as the iPhone 4S. For a device that is priced at half, this is a winning quality. I often end up using a lot of gaming and magazine apps, so this extra speed is well worth the buy. The new processor means much faster gaming and less lag.
The new iPod Touch. Getty Images
The bigger screen: The iPod Touch also has a bigger 4-inch screen which has Retina Display like the previous version but the resolution is higher at 1136×640 pixels.
While the screen for my Android is also a 4-inch version, the constant crashing doesn’t make for a great reading experience. I’ve actually found that reading on the iPod is a lot easier and a bigger screen in the new version sounds tempting to me.
Price: The iPod Touch will be priced at $299 for a 32GB version. Although the India price has not yet been revealed, I’m assuming that it will debut between Rs 16, 500-Rs 18, 000. For someone like me, who’s constantly listening to music and browsing discovering new apps, this is a decent budget-buy and for a 32GB version this is steal. My 8GB version cost around Rs 13,500 and now, more than ever it seems over-priced.
Apps: The new iPod Touch also comes with Siri and all features of iOS 6. Of course I can and will upgrade my current device to iOS 6, but still it won’t get Siri. Getting Siri for under 20k doesn’t seem like a bad option especially since the iPhone 4S still costs around Rs 42,000 and more.
A better camera: This is another big plus since the new version has a 5 megapixel iSight back camera and 1.2 megapixel front camera for FaceTime. With a faster processor and a better camera, FaceTime, Skype, etc on the iPod Touch should get better.
Design: Ok, so this is actually at the head of my instant reach for the wallet. The new iPod is much thinner, has an aluminium-body finish and of course more colours. Yes Black and White are the classics, but who ever said no to a little colour. For me, the pink or the blue iPod just appears to be so much more lively.
