Apple listing implies iPod touch to eventually gain digital camera
Apple holds aspirations of extending digital camera functions found on its popular iPhone handset to its iPod touch digital media players, according a listing posted on the company's website last month.
Tyler from AppleiPhoneApps pointed us to a March 16th Apple job listing for a Camera Project Manager, which notes that the company's iPhone Engineering Group "is looking for a Camera Engineering Project Manager (EPM) to drive the design, development and integration of camera modules across iPhone and iPod."
"The EPM is the interface between our internal engineering teams and the suppliers of sensors, lenses and camera modules," the listing says. "In this highly cross functional role the EPM will work closely together with the HW, SW and mechanical engineering team to coordinate all aspects of the camera module design, production and integration."
The listing provides some of the most compelling evidence yet to suggest that photo -- and possibly video -- capabilities will soon make their way to the iPod touch. Recent reports have also indicated that the next iPhone will see its camera upgraded from 2.0 megapixels to 3.2 megapixels while also gaining video recording capabilities.
Over the weekend, further evidence was discovered within unreleased builds of iPhone Software 3.0 implying that next-generation iPhone owners will also be able to perform some rudimentary video editing on the clips they take, essentially corroborating an earlier AppleInsider report that predicted the same.
Update: Shortly after our story, Apple changed the text of its job posting to omit the mention of iPods but you can see the original listing in all its glory above.
Tyler from AppleiPhoneApps pointed us to a March 16th Apple job listing for a Camera Project Manager, which notes that the company's iPhone Engineering Group "is looking for a Camera Engineering Project Manager (EPM) to drive the design, development and integration of camera modules across iPhone and iPod."
"The EPM is the interface between our internal engineering teams and the suppliers of sensors, lenses and camera modules," the listing says. "In this highly cross functional role the EPM will work closely together with the HW, SW and mechanical engineering team to coordinate all aspects of the camera module design, production and integration."
The listing provides some of the most compelling evidence yet to suggest that photo -- and possibly video -- capabilities will soon make their way to the iPod touch. Recent reports have also indicated that the next iPhone will see its camera upgraded from 2.0 megapixels to 3.2 megapixels while also gaining video recording capabilities.
Over the weekend, further evidence was discovered within unreleased builds of iPhone Software 3.0 implying that next-generation iPhone owners will also be able to perform some rudimentary video editing on the clips they take, essentially corroborating an earlier AppleInsider report that predicted the same.
Update: Shortly after our story, Apple changed the text of its job posting to omit the mention of iPods but you can see the original listing in all its glory above.
Comments
My only worry here is that it seems late in the game to hire someone to tackle this problem for the next iphone revision. Here's hoping they just are looking to the future.
Yeah I was thinking it was weird timing too.
Hey, as long as the camera is better than the sham that is 3.2 megapixels, that is sooo 2000.
Jimzip
Camera ON a ipod seems a bit odd...
I dont think its gonna happen!!
Camera ON a ipod seems a bit odd...
The touch is an iPod.
I dont think its gonna happen!!
Camera ON a ipod seems a bit odd...
Why is a camera on a handheld device so hard to imagine? The iPod Touch is so similar to the iPhone I can't believe it doesn't have a camera already, and I wouldn't be surprised if on the next iPod revision (to the hardware) we'll see cameras too.
(P.S, why did you emphasize 'ON' like that? O_o )
Jimzip
iPhones, App Stores and Ecosystems
http://thenetworkgarden.com/weblog/2...cosystems.html
Excerpt: What if Apple decided to reinvent the digital camera as a smart, connected, programmable device? It would certainly sync up with some of the features they have recently baked into iLife, such as facial recognition and geocoding of photos.
The main thought process here is that the Flip Video cameras (recently acquired by Cisco) have proven that there is a real market for pocket sized video cameras. If you overlay that goodness on the whole iPhone platform play, what type of software value add might developers plug in on the software front?
Food for thought.
Mark
Yeah I was thinking it was weird timing too.
Hey, as long as the camera is better than the sham that is 3.2 megapixels, that is sooo 2000.
Jimzip
Heck, even 2 MP is a lot. The current iPhone optics resolve about 0.5 MP, if that. The added pixels just make the blur take up more room.
A new lens, please, with better coatings, and a larger sensor. Not more blurry pixels...
It was obviously going to happen eventually.
iPod Touch getting an analog camera would have been a surprise. A digital camera? The number of consumer electronic products without a digital camera seem to be dwindling, it's almost inevitable. If it hasn't happened already, I think the alarm clock is the next CE device to get a camera.
...until you realize it's an "exiting position"
Yeah, I saw that too. We can only assume they meant "exciting" position, or they won't get too many people applying.
Why is a camera on a handheld device so hard to imagine? The iPod Touch is so similar to the iPhone I can't believe it doesn't have a camera already, and I wouldn't be surprised if on the next iPod revision (to the hardware) we'll see cameras too.
(P.S, why did you emphasize 'ON' like that? O_o )
Jimzip
Its a typo bro...
I have to agree with you on a lot of things, this being one of them. In some ways I see MacWorld as showing us something we found very hard to understand. We wanted new products, a new iPhone, a new Mac Mini, but Apple presented something else: life-usable software. iLife and iWork '09 didn't seem like big things but it appears to me like apple was consolidating itself as a "digital solutions provider."
When going to Apple products, you can choose to pick bits to use, like an iPod, and its great. Or you can choose to integrate them into Apple Technologies and you have something new. Everything compliments itself. At times, I'd say its hard to see apple's vision. I'd say right about now, however, that this is it. Bringing media into an integrated form. Much like the iPod integrated video, photos and music for enjoyment, the iPod and iPhone lines can be used as strong lifestyle tools for taking videos, recording a speech, or taking a snap, then taking them back to the mac for more detailed interaction.
I'm interested to see how far Apple goes with this integration, but I'd say video and camera is now the next step, be it iPod or iPhone
Imagine, we have Skype, WiFi and everything, just like an iPhone.
(Missing GPS, bluetooth and camera that I can live without while there are better alternative on GPS and camera.)
We can use iPod touch to make phone call anywhere using Skype (other VoIP be available in near future I guess) over WiFi today. If there is WiMAX, we can all drop the cell phone service. Besides VoIP, if you can surf web anywhere for a fair price (damn cellular providers stealing money from customers), isn't it the best?
That's I call a better world.
... In some ways I see MacWorld as showing us something we found very hard to understand. We wanted new products, a new iPhone, a new Mac Mini, but Apple presented something else: life-usable software. iLife and iWork '09 didn't seem like big things but it appears to me like apple was consolidating itself as a "digital solutions provider." ...
I don't *expect* to see it, but thinking along these same lines ... I don't see why Apple won't introduce a mobile or "lite" version of it's iLife and iWork apps contemporaneous with the new 3.0 software.
Word processing in particular will be common on iPhone in the near future whether Apple does it or not, so why not do it?
The new 3.0 software/hardware provides for file storage space, for file sharing and passing of files between devices, copy and paste, and a faster processor. Given that printing apps are already popping up, everything is there for people to start writing word processing apps. I can't imagine that Apple will be waiting too long before introducing a mobile Pages or Numbers. Why would they let someone else get the jump on them?
I took the MobileMe and iWork integration demo from the last MacWorld to be notice that such plans were in the works. Apple would be foolish not to act on this as soon as they can now that the ability to write these apps is truly in the mix. There are probably devs working on word processors for iPhone 3.0 as we speak.
This makes perfect sense. In fact, I theorized that Apple might look to add "camera re-invention" as another one of their disruptor job targets within iPhone/iPod touch, in my post:
iPhones, App Stores and Ecosystems
http://thenetworkgarden.com/weblog/2...cosystems.html
Excerpt: What if Apple decided to reinvent the digital camera as a smart, connected, programmable device? It would certainly sync up with some of the features they have recently baked into iLife, such as facial recognition and geocoding of photos.
The main thought process here is that the Flip Video cameras (recently acquired by Cisco) have proven that there is a real market for pocket sized video cameras. If you overlay that goodness on the whole iPhone platform play, what type of software value add might developers plug in on the software front?
Food for thought.
Mark
Hey! yes, it will be great to integrate a camera-fun into the iPod touch!
See my previous posting here: http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=670976
also, if you can, post a reply in there, too.
I think this feature upgrade is imminent because, the new CoreLocation has the ability to provide geotagging for the pictures as well gps systems. So I think it is blends in seamlessly!
I would love to a dual-camera (one on front and another on the back) on either iPhone or iPod touch... i know it may too much to ask, but it could revolutionize the way one can communicate on these devices.... imagine video conferencing via the already existing feature in iChat ... coming to think of it... i feel its high time they did it alreay!
I dont think its gonna happen!!
Camera ON a ipod seems a bit odd...
The iPod touch a "Digital Lifestyle" device for people who already have a mobile phone or otherwise don't want/need an iPhone.
Digital cameras are one thing that people carry with them. Phone grade optics and electronics are also very cheap - in some senses it makes sense to incorporate it into the iPod touch to bump up the specification sheet that already includes Digital Music Player, Digital Video Player, Portable Handheld Games System, PDA, and so on.
You know what iPod touch should have build-in, WiMAX!!
Imagine, we have Skype, WiFi and everything, just like an iPhone.
(Missing GPS, bluetooth and camera that I can live without while there are better alternative on GPS and camera.)
We can use iPod touch to make phone call anywhere using Skype (other VoIP be available in near future I guess) over WiFi today. If there is WiMAX, we can all drop the cell phone service. Besides VoIP, if you can surf web anywhere for a fair price (damn cellular providers stealing money from customers), isn't it the best?
That's I call a better world.
Apple had an ad to hire WiMax engineers some time ago, so I have little doubt they'll be ready once WiMax networks have rolled out to a degree worth pursuing.