The new iPod touch
is a more attractive
product than you
might expect. It
doesn’t get any
lighter or thinner
than its predecessor
( from way back in
2012) , but it does
hang onto the same
awesome build
while taking a huge
step forward in raw
power and camera
quality.
We could jump into
a long list of
technical feature
breakdowns ( and
we will cover some
of that) , but that
one question
remains: what the
hell does one do
with an iPod touch
in a smartphone-
saturated world?
When the first iPod
touch launched in
2007, the iPhone
was still a novelty
that was out of
financial reach of a
large portion of
consumers. The
iPod touch served
as a cheaper way to
see what the fuss
was all about. A
gateway product for
future iPhone
owners, somewhat
miscategorized as
an iPod. But today
iPhones, Android
phones and even
some Windows
Phones are in nearly
every pocket or
purse you come
across. The
gateway aspect
died years ago.
The iPod touch
always lacked a
crystal-clear
identity, but today
its purpose is
foggier than ever.
Our best answer is
children. Many
parents aren’t
comfortable buying
smartphones for
their kids until they
become teens ( if
then) , but they may
still want their
children to get in on
the entertainment
( and perhaps
learning or
productivity) that
mobile devices can
offer. So Mom and
Pops are left to
choose between a
tablet like the iPad
mini or a ( slightly
cheaper) portable
media player like
the iPod touch.
In that sense, the
iPod touch is
probably, first and
foremost, a gaming
device. More a rival
to the Nintendo 3DS
than to
smartphones.
Another possible
use is for people
who own Android
phones, but still
want access to the
occasional iOS
game or app ( on
the whole, it seems
like many app-
makers still
prioritize iOS
development) . If
you prefer Android
for most of your
phone needs, but
wish you could dip
your toes into the
App Store from time
to time, then the
iPod touch isn’t a
bad way to do that.
So let’s say you fall
into one of those
two categories:
parent or iOS-
curious Android
phone owner. Is the
new iPod touch a
good buy, or worth
the upgrade?
In many ways, yes.
It has a newer and
better system-on-a-
chip than any iPad
mini to date, and
also costs less. And
while you miss out
on the larger
screens that you’ll
find in Apple’s
tablets, you get a
beautifully-designed
aluminum body
that’s compact,
ridiculously light and
pleasantly thin. It’s
an absolute
pleasure to hold.
Its 4-inch screen
does look downright
shrimpy compared
to today’s flagship
smartphones ( it’s
the same size as
the iPhone 5, 5s
and 5c screens) ,
but it’s a great size
for small kids’
hands. And for
adults, it’s better for
one-handed use
than today’s
humongo-phones.
The iPod touch’s
screen has a
familiar 326 pixels
per inch ( apart from
the iPhone 6 Plus,
every iPhone from
2010 to today has
this same pixel
density) , and looks
good. It has lower
contrast than the
iPhone 6 and 6 Plus
do ( 800: 1 vs. the
6’s 1, 400: 1 and the
6 Plus’ 1, 300: 1) , but
for a device in this
price range, that
isn’t something to
nitpick over.
As a gaming device,
it’s going to be
future-proofed for
several generations,
as it runs the same
Apple A8 chip found
in the iPhones 6 and
6 Plus ( though it is
clocked a bit
slower) . Compared
to the iPhone 6, the
new iPod touch
benchmarks ( in
Geekbench 3) at
85-86 percent as
fast. Again, not too
shabby for a device
that costs less than
one-third of the
iPhone 6’s full retail
price.
In terms of UI
navigation, the iPod
touch is also very
zippy. Though some
of its specs are the
same as the 2012
model, this 2015
model stands head
and shoulders above
it as a significantly
more powerful
device. The 5th-
generation iPod
touch had an early
2011 A5 chip. This
new iPod touch’s
A8 launched in late
2014. That’s three
and a half years
worth of silicon
innovation –
practically an
eternity in today’s
mobile tech world.
The new iPod
touch’s camera isn’t
quite on par with
the latest iPhones’
shooters ( it’s about
iPhone 5 or 5c level
quality) , but this is
another area where
it’s a huge step
forward from the
2012 model. Battery life is good,
but also not
breaking any new
ground. In our
benchmark
( streaming video
with brightness set
at 75 percent) , it
dropped 12 percent
per hour. For
comparison’s sake,
that’s a little bit
better than the iPad
Air 2 ( 14 percent)
but off the mark of
the iPad mini 3 ( 9
percent per hour) .
For a Wi-Fi only
device that largely
serves as a portable
gaming console, it
would have been
nice to see Apple
push some battery
life limits. But
perhaps that would
have meant adding
some grams and
millimeters to that
lusciously light and
thin build. We can
live with that call.
You need to fall into
a certain niche to
even consider
buying an iPod
touch in 2015. If
you don’t see a
clear-cut need to
buy one, then
nothing we can say
about our
experience with it
should change that.
But if you want a
relatively cheap
entry into the world
of iOS, either for
you or a loved one,
then this is one of
the best ways to do
it. You can pay a bit
more for an iPad
mini ( with larger
screen) or pay a bit
less for the new
iPod touch, with
better performance.