Unconfirmed case illustrations show upcoming iPod touch
Photo illustrations supposedly obtained from iPod case manufacturers show a new version of the iPod touch with a camera and flash.
HardMac, the English language version of France's Macbidouille, posted an illustration of the next generation iPod touch in a clear case. The website claims the source of the image is "very reliable." The image appears to show a rounded back with a rear-facing camera and flash.
A rounded back would be a clear departure from the design of the iPhone 4, which has a flat glass back.
According to HardMac, the source has been reliable in the past, correctly confirming the inclusion of a camera on last year's iPod nano. Technical issues have been cited as the reason for the lack of a camera on last year's iPod touch model.
Although rumors of a camera-enabled iPod touch have persisted for several years, the June unveiling of Apple's FaceTime video call feature for the iPhone 4 served to strengthen the rumors. At that time, CEO Steve Jobs expressed plans to make the feature an "open industry standard" that works between different devices. When speculating which devices are likely to adopt the FaceTime standard, many analysts have kept the iPod touch at the top of their lists.
Reports from "supplier" sources corroborate the iPod touch camera rumor, although the details don't always match. In July, U.K. retailer John Lewis claimed the next iPod touch will have a 5 megapixel camera, while the Taiwanese publication Digitimes cited sources predicting a 3 megapixel camera.
HardMac, the English language version of France's Macbidouille, posted an illustration of the next generation iPod touch in a clear case. The website claims the source of the image is "very reliable." The image appears to show a rounded back with a rear-facing camera and flash.
A rounded back would be a clear departure from the design of the iPhone 4, which has a flat glass back.
According to HardMac, the source has been reliable in the past, correctly confirming the inclusion of a camera on last year's iPod nano. Technical issues have been cited as the reason for the lack of a camera on last year's iPod touch model.
Although rumors of a camera-enabled iPod touch have persisted for several years, the June unveiling of Apple's FaceTime video call feature for the iPhone 4 served to strengthen the rumors. At that time, CEO Steve Jobs expressed plans to make the feature an "open industry standard" that works between different devices. When speculating which devices are likely to adopt the FaceTime standard, many analysts have kept the iPod touch at the top of their lists.
Reports from "supplier" sources corroborate the iPod touch camera rumor, although the details don't always match. In July, U.K. retailer John Lewis claimed the next iPod touch will have a 5 megapixel camera, while the Taiwanese publication Digitimes cited sources predicting a 3 megapixel camera.
Comments
I am wondering about the screen. Will they go Retina or leave it as is?
Would be nice but I find it doubtful. How much money do they want to dump into just the Touch? And how could they keep up demand for the iTouch's that are identical to the iPhone 4 when they can't even keep up with the iPhone 4 itself? Only about a month away till we find out!
I am wondering about the screen. Will they go Retina or leave it as is?
They'll go Retinal with their push with OpenGL ES 2.0 Games.
Would be nice but I find it doubtful. How much money do they want to dump into just the Touch? And how could they keep up demand for the iTouch's that are identical to the iPhone 4 when they can't even keep up with the iPhone 4 itself? Only about a month away till we find out!
LG is not the only panel manufacturer in the world.
I am wondering about the screen. Will they go Retina or leave it as is?
I can't see them not going with a retina display. By ramping up the volume prices will come down. My guess is that the next iPad will likewise be fitted with a retina display.
But seriously... why not have a front facing camera for facetime with this. It would be another way to push that standard.
Photo illustrations supposedly obtained from iPod case manufacturers show a new version of the iPod touch with a camera and flash.
(...)Although rumors of a camera-enabled iPod touch have persisted for several years, the June unveiling of Apple's FaceTime video call feature for the iPhone 4 served to strengthen the rumors. At that time, CEO Steve Jobs expressed plans to make the feature an "open industry standard" that works between different devices. When speculating which devices are likely to adopt the FaceTime standard, many analysts have kept the iPod touch at the top of their lists.
[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]
I don't see a front facing camera, so how / why are there speculating that FaceTime will come to the iPod touch? And if so, it will become a WiFi phone, making a jump to the iPhone less needed. (especially if people jailbreak them and use FaceTime over 3G)
Or is my eyesight not 20/20?
Cheers,
Philippe
The iPod touch has always had the same display, CPU, graphics chip and overall style based on the iPhone.
This rumor is B.S.
I don't see a front facing camera, so how / why are there speculating that FaceTime will come to the iPod touch? And if so, it will become a WiFi phone, making a jump to the iPhone less needed. (especially if people jailbreak them and use FaceTime over 3G)
Or is my eyesight not 20/20?
Cheers,
Philippe
I thought facetime for touch was to be baked into the next point iOS release. If official it could mean you could use a rear camera to do chat. It would be awkward but possible.
I doubt we will see retina cause personally I don't see much of a difference. Please don't hate me too much Retina fans.
I can't see them not going with a retina display. By ramping up the volume prices will come down.
The only reason I can see them foregoing the Retina Display is if there was a lack of supply to fill the iPhone demand that won?t be met with the expected Holiday Season ramp up.
My guess is that the next iPad will likewise be fitted with a retina display
As great as that would be I think we are years away from that reality. If they go with 2x the resolution (4x the pixels) like they did with the iPhone, it will still be under what could be called a Retina Display but would still be the best display on the market for a ~10 display? and by a very wide margin. I?m not even sure it?s feasible to go with 2x the resolution in the next iPad based on the known display tech and costs for that size display.
If there is only one camera on the iPod Touch, I guarantee you it will be a front-facing Facetime camera. And we will not see the "old" rounded back iPhone design. Ridiculous.
I doubt we will see retina cause personally I don't see much of a difference. Please don't hate me too much Retina fans.
Except then developers will have to choose...create a low rez screen that will look poor scaled up on an iPhone or create a high-res screen that won't scale down well, or at all, to the touch. Sure, Apple could tell developers to create screens/graphics for both resolutions, but that makes it that much more work.
Apple wants to encourage as much iOS development as possible. A Retina display on the touch would mean a single set of graphics would display well on iPhone, iPad, and the touch.
I thought facetime for touch was to be baked into the next point iOS release. If official it could mean you could use a rear camera to do chat. It would be awkward but possible.
I doubt we will see retina cause personally I don't see much of a difference. Please don't hate me too much Retina fans.
I can easily see the difference, even without my glasses. EASILY.
Your argument is like someone saying "I doubt we'll see lossless playback in iTunes because 128MP3 sounds just fine to me".
(And I predict a retina display—but not on the bottom model.)
As for future iPads: I predict a res-doubling, either in the next model or the one after that. The resulting DPI would be about 264, vs. 286 as the alleged threshold for perceiving pixels at 1 foot with 20/20 vision. So, not quite a “retina display”... except that’s only a marketing term anyway. Change the name or justify the old name... either way, it’s just marketing, and wouldn’t stop the device being built. (And being worth the wait! I hope it comes within 6 months because I’m dying to get an iPad.)
We'll See Soon Enough...
And how is it a "clear departure from the iPhone 4"? It looks like last year's iPod Touch, with a camera 'shopped in. The iPod can't "depart" from something it didn't look like.