September 06, 2010, 2:19 PM — The latest batch of iPods unveiled by Apple earlier this week are about to begin shipping, and this latest generation brings some pretty big changes across board. The sixth-generation iPod nano looks like something Dick Tracy would wear, the iPod shuffle got its buttons back, and the iPod touch is even closer to being an iPhone 4 without the phone. (Sadly, the iPod classic was excluded from the upgrade party, although it remains--begrudgingly, it seems--in the iPod lineup.)
Having a hard time keeping all these changes straight? We outline what's new, what's improved, and what's missing while tackling all your questions about Apple's revamped iPod lineup.
What are the capacities and prices of the new iPod models?
The fourth-generation (4G) iPod touch comes in 8GB, 32GB, and 64GB capacities, priced at $229, $299, and $399, respectively. The latest iPod nano--the sixth generation (6G) if you're scoring at home--is $149 for the 8GB model, and $179 for a 16GB version. It's also available in all the colors of the rainbow, assuming your version of a rainbow features graphite, silver, pink, blue, yellow, green, and red (as part of the Product Red project). There's just one capacity of the new fourth-generation iPod shuffle (2GB) and one price tag ($49). But it does come in blue, pink, green, yellow, and silver.
When will the new models be available?
At Wednesday's press event, Steve Jobs said the new models would each be available next week. For what it's worth, Apple's online store lists the ship dates for the assorted iPod models as "1 week."
Does the iPod touch have a built-in microphone? If so, what's stopping me from using it as a Wi-Fi iPhone?
Yes, there's an omni-directional microphone on the back, next to the camera. But even with a built-in microphone, the touch still doesn't have a speaker just above the top of the display, where you would expect to find one on an iPhone--the speaker is found on the bottom of the iPod touch, to the left of the dock connector port (as you face the iPod's display). As a result, you won't be able to hold and speak into a new iPod touch like a traditional phone. But as with the previous iPod touch model, you can plug in a pair of headphones with a built-in mic and place phone over Wi-Fi calls with an app such as Skype. And because the iPod touch now has both a built-in microphone and speaker, it's possible that you'll be able to use a VOIP app to make "speakerphone" calls that don't require a headset.
Can I use the microphone built into the iPod touch's included headphones?
Given that the iPod touch now includes a built-in microphone and speaker it would make sense for its headphones to include a microphone. Regrettably, not only do the included earbuds not offer a microphone, they also lack the play controls found on some Apple headphones. If you have Apple headphones that do include play controls and a microphone, they work with the new iPod touch.
So what's new with the iPod touch, then?
The new model is as close to "an iPhone without the phone" as we've seen, gaining a Retina display, the microphone, two cameras--one on front and one on the back--and a few other features we'll get to below. It's a little bit sleeker than the last generation, measuring 4.4 inches tall, 2.3 inches wide, and 0.28 inches thick (compared to 4.3, 2.4, and 0.3 inches, respectively, for the previous model). It's also a little bit lighter: 3.6 ounces compared to 4.1.
What are the iPod touch's camera specs?
As with the front-facing camera on the iPhone 4, the iPod touch's front camera promises "VGA quality"--that means a resolution of 640 by 480. The rear camera shoots 720p video up to 30 frames per second and captures still photos at the same resolution (960 by 720, or seven-tenths of a megapixel), far lower than that offered by the 5-megapixel rear camera on the iPhone 4.
Does the iPod touch have a camera flash, like the one on the iPhone 4?
Sorry, no.
So does the front-facing camera mean the iPod touch now supports FaceTime?
