We'll tell you that when we first got a chance to
handle Apple's latest generation of the iPod touch on
Tuesday, our gadget-nerd alarms went clanging like there was a really,
really bad fire somewhere. The improvements the company has made in design aren't remarkable, but they are entirely welcome. The new housing is smooth, incredibly thin, and feels like a solid metal brick in your hands. The built-in speaker is a nice addition, as are those volume controls (finally!) -- the screen is incredibly bright (on par with the iPhone 3G), though it also looks like it got the 3G's new color temperature. On the software side,
2.1 is definitely feeling smoother and slicker than previous versions, the Nike+ inclusion is huge if you're a runner, and the implementation is well integrated -- overall, we're leaning towards a thumbs-up on those bug fixes too. Unfortunately, we couldn't seem to get the Genius function working on the device (anyone else having this issue?), though that may be more of a server-side conflict than something funky with the player, as we were getting errors in iTunes when trying to flip the switch. We'll be blowing this out with a full review, but for now you can enjoy the succulent pics in the gallery below!
posted Sep 11th 2008 4:50PM
perhaps they planned on having the plastic back like the iphone but changed to this because of the cracking problem, possibly I don't know but I like the look of the aluminum better
Are you kidding? The polished back looks amazing! (For the first week...)
Just unboxed mine this morning- s-w-e-e-t speaker. It is just like my 1st gen iPhone, -bluetooth, microphone, and camera. I love it!
While the back looks nice in metal (You know, until you actually touch it.), I don't like the edges.
They stand out way too much. The front just blends together much nicer on the first generation iPod Touch.
"They stand out way too much. The front just blends together much nicer on the first generation iPod Touch."
Yeah, but because of the polished back you need a case. With the case on, it doesn't matter what it looks like (it covers it up).
The perfect solution!!!
I mean the actual border around the screen. I think it looks a lot nicer on the 1st Gen iPod Touch.
The shiny silver is ugly. The smooth dark gray was nice.
to answer the authors question, to work the genius on iPod touch, plug it in and turn it on, it works great :)
So uh, might as well ask it here
Should I get this or wait for a 64GB? Anyone with 32GB feeling very... constrained?
@ybd
i have the 16 gig and i hold:
-1 movie
-16 (half-hour) tv shows
-10 pics
- about 10 apps
-800 songs
feelin good man. i just have to switch my tv shows every couple of weeks, its fine :)
@ miothegreat
i am with you 100%, i hate this new silver border so much im actually thinking about getting an older version ipod touch... i used to love how cool / sleek / awesome those sharp dark matte grey edges looked!
@ miothegreat
i am with you 100%, i hate this new silver border so much im actually thinking about getting an older version ipod touch... i used to love how cool / sleek / awesome those sharp dark matte grey edges looked!
@iPhone
You just talked me out of getting the 16gb touch. I had almost convinced myself that 16 gigs would be enough for daily stuff, but that list you just rattled off is ridiculously constrained. I guess I'll just hang out a little while longer and wait for a 32gb price drop.
@ chefgon-ign
Really? I'd say he was able to fit a lot on there, he just chose to install less pictures and apps. My 8gb fits all of my songs (about 200), two movies, all of my pictures (about 600), six tv episodes, and over 40 apps. There is still enough room (300mb) to fit a lot more songs (average size 3-4 mb),, pictures (average size 1-3 mb), and apps (most are under 1mb, but about twelve are around 30-70mb, and there are two around 100mb.).
Hope this helps, I'd save $100 and get the 16gb myself, but if you have the money then go and get the 32gb. Definitly don't bother waiting for a 64gb- something better will ALWAYS be coming out in the future.
I wish it had an aluminum back end. Or plastic.
I sat here for nearly a full minute thinking of an appropriately perverted joke about back ends made of aluminum and plastic...but I got nothin'.
I thought it was already established that the new Touch was (imperceptibly) thicker than the old one? I don't get why everyone says "Oh, it's so thin..." when it's not like we haven't seen it all before.
Not bad.
It's sexy I will give it that. But it still lacks bluetooth. Something i would have preferred then the speaker.
Hey Engadget...am having problems with Genius too. Am getting a "Genius is not available for this song"
Tried it on an itune mp3 and a converted mp3. No luck.
I'm wondering if the sidebuttons can be used to switch tracks instead of just volume control...
When using genius, you have to listen to quite a few songs for itunes to get a feel for your music and piece it all together. It Did that with all the music i recently added or just downloaded. After genius has been out for awhile, and they have more internal information (sending different genius playlists it makes on its own back to the itunes servers, it will be almost instantaneous playlist when you just put in new music.)
Yes, but can it nurture my chid?
Don't you mean, "but can it blend?" =P
Jesus Christ you're unfunny, Totalfixation.
That's what TV is for!
Will it blend your child?
That would be an interesting feature.
the new iPod touch comes packaged turn on. now that's technology.
No. That's Magic.
Does the new earphone with built-in mic work with 2G iPod Touch?
Yes it does.
Dame I wish the iphone 3g had a rear cover like the 2g itouch.
A 'Dame' is the female equivalent of address to Sir for a British knighthood.
@ jm:
You did notice that's Chuck Norris up there, right?! ;-) Just saying....
your too late, Chuck Norris probably already killed him for making fun of his use of grammar.
It just isn't worth upgrading for volume controls and a speaker... Weight wise (since my mom just got one) is about the same, but it is slightly slimmer... Not that a case isn't going to make it thicker!
Now, if they actually enabled bluetooth (with a crap-load of profiles) and FM found on the Broadcom chip that would be a different story...
I'll keep my 1st gen till I see bluetooth!
Actually, it's not "slightly slimmer". According to the Apple website the old touch was 8mm thick while the new one is 8.5mm
I'm not an eco-freak here, but I seriously think that's just a waste of plastic. I'm wondering how Greenpeace could like these bulky plastic cases the new iPods are coming in. It seems to me, that most people would open it once, then toss the case into the garbage. To be fair, I also don't like the bulky plastic cases that Windows Vista comes in either, because there's just a DVD inside. I like the more efficient packaging where it feels both minimal yet awesome to unbox.
I DGAF about greenpeace, damn terrorist.
however, that case is pretty more reusable than the iPhone and previous touch paper boxes.
I hear it's plastic-free plastic. Greenpeace loves that.
I can't wait to get one of these to turn it into a dock like I did with my old cardboard one from the 1st gen! plastic is much more interesting to work with!
i really want one. But its still too expensive and the upgrades are just things that shouldve bene there all along (except the speaker, bad idea imo). 64GB please.
why is the speaker a bad idea?
say you wanted to share a song or video with someone
what about using it as an alarm clock?
or playing games without having to wear headphones?
"Now playing...Misfits. Walk Among Us" A+ for that Mr. Topolsky!
I concur!
not enough to get excited over.
What exactly is ment in this article by iPod Touch 2G V.S. iPhone 3G, are they saying that the new iPod Touch has a 2G cellular connection? Or 2GB storage?
2nd Generation.
Fail. it means 2nd generation.
I hope you're just playing with us Alwin...
The iPod Touch 2G stands for 2nd gen while the iPhone 3G stands for the 3G cellular connection. I know it can get a little confusing.
Oh look, I just found an empty plastic iPod Touch case for you to go play with by yourself over in the corner as us adults are having a grown up conversation.
I think he's trying to make a point, but then you're still pointing out inconsistencies on Engadget you must be new.
Joshua - you didn't mention that the new iPod Touch no longer includes the little plastic stand. Any thoughts on that?
Does this thing have the recessed headphone jack that the orignal iPhone had?
Uhh, no, this isn't the phone.
Personally I prefer the touch's back better than the iphone. Why? Because IMHO the phone back looks cheap.
I installed 2.1 on my old touch yesterday. Genius was not even a choice anywhere on it. Today it's there. It worked very well and extremely fast.
I upgraded my first gen touch to 2.1, and the Genius function works like a charm.
FIX TO THE GENIUS PROBLEM - I was having the same issue on my 1st gen touch. To fix the lack of the icon on the seek/shuffle/repeat drop-down pane, I just had to add a new song - I assume to re-sync my music section. I hope this helps.
Genius is a dumbass.
I hear the fix to the GENIUS problem is to purchase a song from iTunes every day and it will keep working...oh that sneaky Stevey J!
In the review could you touch on the dictionary support outlined in the tech specs on apples website? I'm specifically interested in entering and translating asian characters. Touching on all the new features would also be great, I think we all have a pretty good idea how all the old features work.
Why Does the software version say 2.1.1 I thought they released just 2.1????? Could this mean hidden features in 2.1 for iPhone users?
2.1.1 is shipped with iTouch 2nd generations only. 2.1 is for first generation and iPhones.
The Genius function needs to be registered first through itunes to get it working. Mine works fine....
Marc
I like to suck my thumb...
Marc
Does it have a camera? Why are all the iPhone apps there, I mean who is going to use Maps, mail only when at wirelress connection.
I use mail frequently throughout the day... I'm most likely carrying the iPod, it's much more convenient to send an e-mail when I think of it than to wait to get back to my computer.
It sucks that it has the same fingerprint-loving, scratch-collecting back.
holy crap the back of that thing is going to smudge like crazy.
smudge city with the shiny back.
I wish they'd add a wifi on/off button.
They already have
Wait, did they take it away on the 2nd gen or in a firmware update or something crazy? My 1G iPod Touch with 1.1.4 has a WiFi on/off switch.
He meant button... as in a physical button -- not in the software (a toggle switch to turn Wi-Fi on/off on the side, perhaps?)
Oh, a physical button eh? It would be nice, but not necessary.
I am going to a new local Apple store opening this weekend and picking up one of these, along with a BodyGuardz!
"Solid Metal Brick" is "entirely welcome" & "Nike+ inclusion is huge" don't exactly go together.
A recent enhancement to 2.1 is that upgrading an app from the app store leaves the icon in place. Previous version put the icon in the first available slot and removed the old one.
Did you turn it on and then put it back in the box?
not sure if you're cracking a joke or not... but in case you're not- a paper insert image of the iPod touch screen is inserted over the top of the actual screen.
im kinda dissapointed with the lack of features for a second gen
It would be nice if the would have a bluetooth connection available just for fun things like wireless headphones (there nice if you have long hair in the middle of a high school class :), a camera would be great, BUT gps would have been the complete seller for me. Have a tomtom and an ipod in one would make many people want to buy it but hey... Im still going to buy one (finally)
Do we really need 5 pictures of the outside box? Its just plastic at any angle, guys.
But it's APPLE plastic!!!!
That makes it at least 70% more amazing than any other plastic out there.
My wife and I found the device *very* difficult to remove from the packaging - we both felt like we were going to break or bend it from pulling too hard. Only once we saw that we needed to remove the "tape" holding the Touch in did we have an easier time getting the thing out, though it was still tough.
drop all the G's when disscussin iPod's, maybe iPod Touch V2.
"The Nike+ inclusion is huge if you're a runner..."
Let's face the facts people, nobody wearing something this large on their person while moving their feet should EVER, EVER be considered a runner.
Thats why stereo bluetooth would have been amazing for the treadmill :(
If I bought a Ipod Touch 2 I would use it for running on a treadmill. I would need to get one of those sport arm bands if it isnt too annoying. Does anyone have any recommendations on an armband?
A dock adapter? When there's none with the iPhone? BOO!
When will they add Windows Vista sync support?
The Touch 2G features a Broadcom BCM4325 chip that supports BT2.1 +EDR which means, whenever the software developers decide to get it working there will be A2DP and BT headphones rocking on the Touch...
this is directed at chethan (can't reply directly to his for some reason):
more often than not, you'll just annoy the hell out of others. THey sound like garbage. a fairly good majority of people already use their cells as alarms. as for the music sharing, how often is that going happen?
At first Genius wouldn't work for me on any song on my first gen touch, but after I restored it (calender moved everything back by an hour, and that's just not cool) it works fine.
This very site (Engadget) debunked that myth.
Devices festooned with buttons are exactly what Apple's design philosophy avoids. Even the iPod generation one had far fewer buttons than its competitors, and that was a lot of what made it easy to use.
http://www.learnucd.com/kevlar/why-is-the-iphone-popular
Dumping my Isuck, getting Blackberry Bold...yes, mama is coming home...and getting one of these.
To get genius to work you have to put a genius playlist on your ipod from itunes
That isn't true. You don't have to copy a playlist - the Genius feature is on the iPod Touch and creates playlists for you there on the fly which can be refreshed and such, just like in iTunes. It's really quite nice. I think you probably have to turn Genius on in iTunes and then sync, to get to data it needs onto the iPod Touch. From then on you're set.
Madd props on the Misfits Josh.
Its a beautiful product that cannot be matched by any other product. The sum of all parts makes this the best player out there.
Of course if you want cheap, bottom of the barrel player, you have the Zune with FM Radio. Wow.
Well done, very restrained.
Almost as good as an Archos, but the screen is still too small and doesn't support as many formats, and the Archos can be had for less. This fails in comparison.
Before you reply with your angry drivel about how Archos is horrible and Zune is a "me-too" product, or how I'm a study of contradictions, why don't you try to think of a genuine response- not the manufactured responses that you've become so used to.
Poor confused ZG. First he vehemently defends his "me too" bottom of the barrel of player, The Zune. Then next thing you know, he is now defending Archos.
It's this very reason alone that he is such a great example for explaining an oxymoron persona. Perhaps he can be the lead for a new type of mental condition.