Apple roadmap hints at white iPod touch but few changes in 2011 - Page 2

The A5 is dual core and probably worth waiting for at this point.

A) only in the US
B) only with a clunky interface since you can't stream from the cloud

At that point you're down to a very small market of people who need more than 128GB or can't afford a 128GB Touch. The only reason to stay with 1.8" HDs at that point would be to push the storage even higher - and then you're talking video, so you're talking a bigger/fatter touch. Not that it's impossible but it's too close to the tweener 7" tablets that Steve Jobs has so far mocked.

I'd be surprised if there was no processor bump to make it a good iOS 5 machine - especially for gaming apps. 128 GB would also allow consolidating the customers for the Classic (except for those who use it as a field hdd, e.g., pro photogs who also enjoy an iPod - if that mode still exists) - unless Apple feels iCloud supercedes the need for large amounts of local storage (and the market I just mentioned is likely quite tiny in terms of the demos and unit volumes Apple now lives on).


Some of what you say makes sense, but I don't see your whole proposed package coming into anything like that form. That would be a phone model, not a Touch.


I agree at least with the last line for sure, and consolidation of the iPod line does seem likely. That's the new Apple to a T.... ...if you add "and the ecosystem extenders and integrators."


Again, I'll buy the last line if not the first parts. I've decided my notion of converging the current touch strengths with a good P&S cam in a phone sized shell is not going to happen, since the phone's own camera's evolving fast enough to eat into the cam market by itself. Even tho' the model I see could use the phone electronics room to jam in a real optical zoom, better sensor and advanced image processing codecs. Giving a cool camera with all those apps, all that media capability, etc. Sigh.


Actually you won't. The development model is optimized for doublings of the original pixel density. 5.5" would be a jaggy version of the current iPhone 4 res or a compressed version of the iPad res.

On the other hand, if Apple's open to new form factors, it would be a way around the notion they'll never announce a smaller iPAD. So a long shot of long shots at best in my book.

However, my impression was that the Touch was competing quite nicely with other portable gaming platforms, so I wasn't expecting a major de-emphasis of that part of the line.


The certainly do care about the speed of their games.....

The Nintendo DS has like a 100MHz processor and the Sony PSP has like 300MHz and I've never heard kids complain about those portable gaming systems being slow. The Touch does NOT need a dual core processor, because currently the A4 beats anything else out there in the non-phone portable media field. The Touch has no competition.

If Apple gave it a decent price drop and added a white model, people would still buy Touches in droves. As I said before teens and their parents aren't gonna care if it has a dual core processor, simply because people in this demographic don't compare spec sheets they compare features and available content which the Touch trounces it's competition there.

From the sounds of this report it looks like the Touch is gonna get what the iPhone got a couple months ago. A new color and no other upgrades, and frankly it doesn't need any other upgrades.

iCloud will be making it to other countries soon, and although you can't stream you can upload the songs you want when you want them. All in all a web connected device is more essential than a non-web connected device (ie the Classic).

And in reality how many classics are sold in other countries? I'd suspect that the number is small.

Thank you. Looks like I'll put it on the calendar .. 2-3 months from now make my purchase.

Apple will keep the iPod line as it provides an important entry vector into people's lives. All the models provide service to millions of customers, many of whom go on to buy other Apple products.

Still - the idea of GrangerFX seems quite plausible and makes a lot of sense to me. I am just not sure whether or not Apple can produce a phone at $300 and make enough money on it. The comm chips are expensive, and I believe there may be license fees on top of that.

If the were to happen, they would have to stay with A4 chip and lower res screen (IMHO - but what do I know????)

Not updating the iPod would be stupid, because it is the gateway drug to the iPhone universe. Speaking from personal experience here. I first had an Touch and I got all the apps, functionality down. When I transitioned to an iPhone and iPad there was nothing new to learn and all my apps were right there. The only difference was the phone app (though I was already calling with the touch). If kids get samsung android PMPs this winter, it may mean a loss of customers down the line (ie they will reach for the familiar android device, rather than familiar iOS device).

But then again, maybe iPad is the gateway drug now.

You are so right! As far as i am concerned the ipod touch is not really an ipod it is much more (its almost like calling the iPad an ipod Pad), as u correctly implied it is more like a tablet. it would be supremely stupid to discontinue its production for a cheaper iphone it makes more sense to add 3G and GPS and if possible rebrand it by calling it an ipad nano or whatever(with over the air updates 3G should also be a no-brainer). it should be Apple's pride when it comes to mobile gaming.

I really wanted Apple to revamp the touch. More sotorage space, A5 processor, better camera, better battery and a 5" or 7" display. Something to rival the smaller tablets out there. Their appears to be a nitch for that...

1) iCloud is not USA only
2) You can *currently* stream from the cloud, but when iCloud comes, then not.

And you'll do WHAT with it? You'll take it where? You'll PUT it where? Ghetto pants do not tablet pockets make.*


All the other tablet manufacturers have the "completely sucks and has no purpose whatsoever" niche filled already, I think.

*Note: I know nothing about ghetto pants other than they're bought to fall down off of people's waists, so I figure from what I've seen that they'd have larger than normal pockets. Excuse the reference if I'm wrong. I'm about as "white" as humanly possible.

Look at the upcoming NGP though, quad core A9's and quad SGX graphics, so double in each spec in the iPad. Its not so much about speed as graphical fidelity now. If it wants to compete with the NGP (well, after that comes out) and the 3DS, it should have the A5. 'Dem kids might not care about the silicon, but they will about graphics, and the A5 is much ahead of the A4.

i hope they don't kill the ipod as i doubt i will ever get an iphone unless they offer free gps. i've never bought an ipod but would like one now.i want the touch but it doesn't have enough space.white would be nice

To be clear, you mean free GPS, voice-enabled, turn-by-turn directions, right?

Because it's 100% free to use the iPhone's GPS in the Maps application to not only get your location but to get directions based on said location. And has always been this way.