Apple iPod Touch – Third generation

Apple iPod Touch is a touch screen portable media player that essentially works like an iPhone without the phone or the monthly bill. It is a bit slimmer than the iPhone since there is no need to cram in the GPS or phone technology but you get the same Wi-Fi internet connection, same Bluetooth wireless audio and the same three and half inch touch screen. Apple is selling three models of the iPod, 8GB version costs you $199, 32 GB model costs $299 and 64 GB version costs $399. They haven’t made a 16 GB model which is a bit surprising for us but looking at the features that the player has to offer, the pricing seems fair.

One thing that is worth noting is that even though the $199 model looks similar to the step up versions, it is running on hardware that is one year old. Some of the new features such as voice control, an accelerated processor, open geographic support, and improved accessibility controls are only available on the 16 and 32 GB models. You might hesitate to pay an extra $100 bucks for these features and you might be happy to save money on the 8 GB touch. But you should know what you are buying.

This has about a dozen killer features out of the box. To start with, there is the great music player with sophisticated features like Genius playlists, search, over the air podcast updating, and a cover flow view that still seems like magic to us. The video player is equally fantastic and integrates seamlessly with the vast library of movies, clips, videos, rentals, video podcasts, which are available from iTunes.

The Safari Web browser is really fast and the improved processor on the 16 and 32 GB models really help a lot. Then there is e-mail, calendars, photos, contacts, stocks, maps, notes, voice recording, weather reports and finally YouTube. Apple could have just kept it there and still have an outstanding product but to really knock it out of the park, they threw in the app store.

You have probably seen ads from Apple which say that the Apple app store has apps for everything. Well, this is quite true but it is a bit monotonous. For instance, when you search for a dictionary, you get tons of options which might overwhelm you. You get all sorts of dictionary ranging from a free Spanish dictionary to a $25 version of American Heritage fourth edition. Mostly the app store is filled up with fun stuff like games, internet radio tuner, streaming video players, absurd gimmicks or the occasional light changing app like the pizza deliver locator.

Every one will have a different take on Web apps that are meaningful to them. But just the mere existence of robust constantly evolving store for apps transforms the iPod touch in to a kind of infinitely customizable platform that can be molded in to whatever you want and that is really the killer feature. So whether you are crazy about games, music or videos, or just want a $200 gadget that can update your facebook profile, or locate a good restaurant, the Apple iPod Touch offers the total package.

When it comes to usability of menu and performance of touch screen, there are not a lot of devices in the market which can compete with iPod Touch. We’ve reviewed the past two generations of the iPod Touch and not one product could come even close to this player. The operation was snappy, fluid and snappy and the capacitive touch screen added to the advantage of the player. For this third generation product, there is bit of competition from Microsoft, Samsung and Sony. They have narrowed the gap in user interface when it comes to interface design and touch screen speed.

Apple is now concentrating on gaming in order to make this product further unique. The speed of the processor and the graphics of the video game has been improved which in turn provides better user experience. The contrast is start and there still are the EQ presets on the iPod. The audio quality is still smooth and balanced and majority of iPod listeners will be satisfied in spite of the limited scope. The supported formats for playback are Apple Lossless, AIFF, WAV, AAC Audible, and MP3. WMA music files aren’t supported but if you want to play them, you can convert them to MP3.

One of the most awaited features for the upgrade to OS 3.0 is iPods capability to stream stereo Bluetooth (A2DP) audio. You can plug the iPod Touch with accessories of Bluetooth like car stereos, speaker systems or stereo headsets easily. The range for Bluetooth is about thirty feet which is standard for Bluetooth. Apple didn’t choose the implement Bluetooth AVRCP control standard, it is some thing that we were disappointed with. Also noteworthy is that if you keep iPod on Bluetooth, it will further reduce the battery life.

If you love watching videos on the go, you will love the iPod Touch. You can load this player with iTunes movies rentals, TV shows, video podcasts or watch endless amount of free video clips using third party applications or the bundled YouTube widget. Viewing angles aren’t as good as the second generation device but it is not that bad either. When tested in our labs, the iPod Touch gave us cooler and more natural balance of color than what we saw on its predecessor.

When it comes to battery life, it is impossible to beat Apple’s products, at least at the moment. Apple’s products have been known for their power efficiency and even their Macbooks give better battery juice than standard laptops. Whatever is the secret of Apple, we thank them for giving us a stellar battery life. Previous iteration of iPod Touch had 36 hours of battery life but this one has been brought down to 30 hours. We think this is because of the inclusion of Bluetooth.

Pros

Superb music player, has Wi-Fi, voice control, improved accessibility, graphics enhancements, faster processor and higher capacity.

Cons

8 GB unit runs on dated hardware, lacks video cameras which we saw in iPod Nano and iPhone 3Gs

Outcome

Apple is the reigning king and has made itself better in portable music players.

Specifications

• Apple iPod Touch (third generation)
• PC interfaces supported – Hi-Speed USB, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi.
• Flash memory installed 8 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB
• Weight – 4.1 oz
• Dimensions (W x D x H) – 2.4 inches x 0.3 inch x 4.3 inches
• Color – Polished aluminum
• Supported digital audio formats – Apple Lossless, Audible, AIFF, WAV, MP3, AAC
• Response bandwidth – 20 – 20000 Hz
• Playback modes – Random play / shuffle, All tracks repeat, One track repeat, Playlist.
• Supported bit rate – 8 – 320 Kbps
• Additional features – Variable bit-rate compatible, JPEG photo playback, MPEG-4 playbac.
• 3.5 inch touch screen, resolution 480×320 pixels.
• Display menu language – Chinese (traditional), Chinese (simplified), Portuguese, Norwegian, Japanese, Swedish, Spanish, Russian, Italian, Finnish, English, Polish, Kazakh, German, French, Danish, Dutch
• Additional features – Battery level indication, USB 2.0 compatiblity, multi-touch interface, upgradeable firmware, Nike+iPod support, Genius technology, Web browsing, Date display, voice memos, phone book, cover flow, calendar, notes.
• Built in speaker
• Binaural Ear-bud with response bandwidth of 20 – 20000 Hz, 32 Ohm impedance.
• Connectors – Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11b/g (Wi-Fi), Headphones Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, Docking station.
• Lithium ion rechargeable battery, estimated battery life – 30 hours.