The New Apple iPod Touch - What's it All About?

Just when the online community was abuzz and wondering what would become of the iPod, Apple has gone ahead and broken the silence on the future of the popular mobile music device. With all of the news regarding iPhones and the iPad, which can also play music, it was questionable as to whether the iPod was still relevant. In answer to all of the curiosity, Apple has recently announced some new devices, including the iPod Touch.

On September 1^st, 2010, Apple held its traditional music event. The annual get together resulted in the announcement of new and updated technologies from Apple, including video rentals, and a new iTunes based social network. Rounding out the event was the announcement of some siblings in the iPod family including updated the updated Nano, Shuffle, and Touch.

While the Nano and shuffle maintain themselves in a micro-sized device, the Touch keeps with the familiar iPhone form factor. The latest model, however, is thinner than its predecessor, and includes update technologies similar to those found in the iPhone. Being called an "iPhone without the phone." by Steve Jobs, the newest flagship iPod, is also reportedly the number one portable game player in the world with Jobs stating that "The touch outsells Sony and Nintendo's portable offerings combined."

Common to the new iPod touch models (3 to choose from), are the following improvements. Apple's newest retina display (a technology that allows for even more pixels on a screen to enhance clarity) has been included, as well as the new A4 chip (a CPU - central processing unit, and a GPU - graphics processing unit which offers outstanding performance along with power efficiency. The internal 3 axis-gyro mimics the technology found on the iPhone, and offers realistic physics for an improved gaming experience. Shipping with IOS 4.1, the iPod also includes the Apple Game Center.The new Touch also supports and includes Apple's FaceTime video conferencing technology, by use of an internal front facing camera. Last, but not least, the iPod Touch can be used as a point and shoot camera for HD video with editing capabilities available via an iMovie app found at the iTunes store.
The iPod touch will be available at three different price points based on storage memory alone. An 8GB has a suggested retail price of $229, the 32 GB model has a suggested retail price of $299, while the largest - the 64 GB model will be available at retail with a sticker price of $399.

All Things Digital (Digital Daily): Apple Unveils New iPods, iTunes Social Network, Video Rentals