Apple Updates iPhone and iPod Touch 316
u-bend writes "With little publicity Apple has released new, higher-capacity models of the iPhone and iPod Touch. The new iPhone boasts 16 GB of storage and is priced at $499 (the 8 GB model remains at $399), and the new iPod Touch has 32 GB, also priced at $499. Although the price is still pretty hefty, it indicates that the capacity/price ratio on these wireless flash-based players is starting to move in the right direction."
Dammit, now I need another excuse (Score:5, Funny)
Dammit, I had said that I didn't want an iPhone, but would like a device that was like the iPhone without the phone part.
Then Apple released the iPod Touch.
So I updated my excuse to be that it didn't have enough storage space, that I wanted at least 30GB of space before I'd make the leap.
And now they've released a 32GB version.
Now I need a new excuse explaining why I'm not going to get one...
(Seriously, though, I do intend to grab one eventually - it sounds like exactly something I'd want - but not quite yet.)
Re:Dammit, now I need another excuse (Score:5, Insightful)
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Well, yeah, that's the real answer. Plus my current iPod still has quite a bit of life in it. When it finally does die, though, at least I have something to replace it with. With luck, the price will have gone down by then too.
But the original intention was more of a joke about all the people (myself included) who posted about how they didn't want an iPhone when it was originally introduced.
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Except that I don't have the excuse of my iPod having life in it - my 3rd Gen, 4.5 year old beast is has the battery life of a mouse. A mouse with no batteries.
Damnit. There goes (AU)$600...
Re:Dammit, now I need another excuse (Score:4, Funny)
Now step aside as I purchase my Panasanyosung TruBlak® KulKolor® 108 inch OLED with 10 HDMI ports*! I must have it, because I can still see part of my living room wall. Well, that and I like inducing motion sickness when I have people over to watch movies.
* I need that many to setup my 360, PS3, upscaling DVD player, HD-DVD player, Blu-Ray player, Tivo, and HD cable converter.
Re:Dammit, now I need another excuse (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Dammit, now I need another excuse (Score:4, Insightful)
The problem with that comparison is that spending $20,000 on a car is one of the stupidest things that young people do. It's already an absurd amount of money, and if they figured out how much it actually cost them in future, if they would instead invest some of that money, then the decision to buy that car is completely brain-damaged.
So then what your argument is saying is essentially "If you're so stupid that you would do X, then how can you not do Y, which is not nearly as stupid."
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So then what your argument is saying is essentially "If you're so stupid that you would do X, then how can you not do Y, which is not nearly as stupid."
Actually, it says "if you're so stupid that you would do X, then how can you consider Y stupid, since it is not nearly as stupid?"
Anyway, I usually rant about a very similar phenomenon: people willing to spend $2000 on a computer, but then picking up the cheapest keyboard and mouse available.
I, on the other hand, don't have a beast of a computer, but I have a decent monitor, a Unicomp SpaceSaver keyboard (basically a slimmed down Model M) and an MX Revolution mouse. I love my arms and eyes dearly and I
whats odd... (Score:4, Insightful)
there is a major difference though. if you dont also pay another seperate subscription fee for the internet and all that crap the iphone is useless. so its not just 400 anymore...
also how often do you really use your cell phone everyday? I use mine in place of a land line, and not counting calls to my girlfriend i doubt i spend 30 minutes on the thing per day. I'm not going to spend 400 on a phone that does crap I don't need it to
do because I have other things that do those things for me. Also the iphone isn't significantly better than many other phones out there now. You are trying to say that the iphone is a bentley to the blackberry curve being an acura and a razr (v3m) being a hyundai. the reality couldnt be further from the truth.
what do you spend so much time on your phone doing anyhow? 'browing the internet?' oh see I have this thing called a computer in the form of a laptop that I use when I'm at work or at home. So i cant check my email while i walk from my office to my car and while i drive home? this is a problem how? "i listen to music" oh see i just listen via my laptop/mp3 player at work and my car stereo when i drive and my home stereo when im at home.
most people Benefit from having a good cell phone more so than a good car? That part is interesting and I might agree; the problem is that you dont define what a good car or a good cell phone is. If you ask me a good cell phone is one that has reasonably good battery life, gets good reception, has plan condusive to my usage patterns, and allows me to use a headset (wired or bluetooth) with it. I don't care if it is color, plays music, makes toast, goes on the internet, plays games, etc. I care that it has good audio quality for phone calls. I would also argue that pretty much every phone out there meets this already. If I didn't have a digital camera, didnt have an mp3 player, and felt like I really needed to engage endlessly in text messages and browsing the net from my phone, sure its a good option. Other than that its just luxury crap. A better analogy would have been comparing someone spending 40K or more on a car. That's the person who should shutup.
Buying a 20K honda accord that will likely last 10+ years wihtout needing a major repair can be a decent investment for someone coming out of college (not that your car is or should be considered as such, its an asset by definition but more often its a liability).
and the difference between a 20K car and a 40k one can be a bit more pronounced. even a 14K car and a 20K car can be significant. you seem to toss those out as trivial and undetectable... i'm pretty sure you will notice the difference between a ford focus and toyota camry/honda accord, and if not today then when the ford dies in 4 years you'll notice the difference.
The other difference is lifetime, the 20K car is expected to live > 6 years, I'd expect it to live more than 8 maybe 10+
the iphone is definately not expected to live that long because a. there is no market for it when you are done with it in 2-4 years and b. because something else will come along and replace it.
I would instead redirect your argument at headphones. You'll pay 400 for iphone, who knows what for your ipod and your music and your stereo, but you wont pay even 50 bucks for a remotely non garbage pair of headphones? (realistically i would say 100$ but I'll start at 50, plus most people are going to want that same pair to be 'bad enough' to be able to use at the gym or running. Or mattresses, you only spend 8 hours a day or more lying on it. But your concern is over a cell phone.
my biggest gripe is "the difference
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First off, every iPhone plan includes internet access and costs not much more than a regular cell phone plan. You could easily pay more for a cell plan with the same features and have a crappier phone that can't make use of those features. Also using cars as an comparison to phones because there are no "subscription fees" (ong
Re:Dammit, now I need another excuse (Score:4, Interesting)
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The iPhone (and I assume the Touch), have the headphone jack slightly recessed the plug won't work, unless it is straight with no excess rubber/plastic around the plug.
Stupid design, all they needed to do was not recess the plug, but right now the hardware design is broken.
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Possibly an incorrect assumption [macworld.com]. (I have no firsthand experience, though, so don't take my word for it.)
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The headphone jack for the iPod Touch is flush with the bottom bezel, right next to the dock connector (visible in this 360 view [apple.com]). You should be able to plug in any set of headphones.
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The headphone jack is fully accessible on the iPod Touch.
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Mine is simple: I have Verizon Wireless (Score:2)
I'm sorry, but until Apple gets out of their exclusive contract with AT&T, the iPhone is a no-go for me. That's a show-stopper. I absolutely, positively, detest AT&T. In the past, they've screwed up my cable service, and they've screwed up my Internet access service twice. I simply do not have any faith that the company can do anything right. Plus, having been on Verizon for several years now, I'm happy to say that I'm not under one of those oppressive contracts, and they treat me rather well.
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"Why Apple would deliberately lock themselves out of a HUGE customer base of other carriers is beyond me..."
Since T-Mobile is about a tenth the size of AT&T in the US, I'm not sure I'd call that customer base "huge".
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That means you can't take notes, or draw things. No handwriting recognition, etc..
I was all set to buy an iPod Touch until I realized that this simple class of productivity app just wasn't included or even really capable of being used. Theoretically, they could use a tap-pad interface to enter notes, but that's clumsy and doesn't allow for free-form entry.
Good job Apple on the 32GB, now how about making it just a tad more useful.
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Seriously though... if there are enough people who want a stylus, presumably that could be addressed with the SDK. All you need is a stylus with a tip that has similar properties to a finger's conductivity and someone to write a version of MacPaint and away you go.
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*Yawn* (Score:2)
easy (Score:2)
And for that kind of money you can almost get a Nokia N95, which also comes with GPS, a 3G phone, and tons of applications.
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The main issue for people is that, although cool, the touch screen gets in the way of basic functionality. iPod in your pocket and you want to turn the volume up? You can't without taking it out, tapping on the screen a few times, then turning it up. Switching songs is the same way. With my iPod 5g, I can just hit the wheel throug
Re:Dammit, now I need another excuse (Score:4, Interesting)
iPod Touch is a good buy (Score:3, Insightful)
I waited for them to update the software so that it was really an iPhone without the phone, instead of crippled. They did that in January. And as luck would have it, my Palm T|X started acting up last week such that it was hard to use the handwriting recognition.
Bought a 16G Touch, got it Friday. I played with an iPhone and thought it was a gre
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Re:Dammit, now I need another excuse (Score:5, Insightful)
2) Which is developed primarily on Linux
3) Which you don't have to employ, but allows you to use the online shop with the most extensive range of products
4) Ogg isn't a popular codec. At best, it is popular container format, which it isn't neither.
5) Works with every store, which provides MP3s or AAC, which contary to Ogg Vorbis ARE popular formats.
6) See 1)
7) For which, for some unknown reasons, exist a very active developer community, and a shitload open source software. Maybe even more than for any other portable player, thankyouverymuch.
8), 9), 10) Point taken, but mainly a matter of taste.
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Also, without hacking the device using firmware from a source who you almost fundamentally can't trust (and who'd want to do that on a device
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Re:Dammit, now I need another excuse (Score:5, Informative)
9) Non-removable battery.
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"Velvet ropes"? It's called "jailbreak" for a reason. And the fact that it can be broken doesn't matter: as long as Apple doesn't open up the platform with no strings attached, a lot of important commercial software simply won't get ported.
Only if you don't want it to.
Oh, stop mincing words. The iPhone falls flat on open standards: no Java, no supported OTA SyncML, no supported and documented communications protocols, no supported and documented disk access, etc.
The las
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3) Is laden with DRM.
No, music bought from the iTunes store is DRM laden. The device isn't laden with DRM at all.
4) Doesn't support popular codecs like OGG.
Ogg is popular?
8) Non-removable storage.
I think that is considered a feature to most portable media player users. One of the main advantages of the players is that you don't have to carry around a bunch of media.
There's more, but you get the idea. It's over-priced Apple crap. You can get a cheaper device that works just as well.
If you find a device with identical features/quality/form factor please let me know. I would like an iPod touch, but the price is a little steep for the amount of capacity. Now, if they offered a slightly thicker iPod touch w
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Actually, even that may be going too far these days.
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I was worried about the storage thing after having a 20GB iPod for years that I kept pretty much full, but after having a 16GB Touch for 6 months I can safely say that storage isn't a problem
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If that's all you want, then there's other cheaper players.
You buy one because it's just a really really cool gadget.
People make lists of what is lacking in iPhones and Touchs, but if you actually use one, you'll understand.
The UI, the form factor... it's just a well designed, lovable, Apple thing.
When this mysterious SDK comes out and people start making quality programs for it then it will really shine.
Re:Dammit, now I need another excuse (Score:5, Informative)
There are 3rd party apps capable of loading music on iPods.
> 2) Doesn't work with Linux.
There are Linux apps capable of loading music on iPods.
> 3) Is laden with DRM.
Only if you purchase music from the iTunes Store, and then only if you purchase the DRMed tracks as the Store includes DRM free tracks.
> 4) Doesn't support popular codecs like OGG.
Contrary to Slashdot believe, OGG is not popular.
> 5) ONLY supports iTunes Music Store and not other, cheaper services.
iPods are able to work with Amazon's online store and any others that sell MP3s.
> 6) Doesn't allow simple drag-and-drop access to copy music.
You can drag any song you wish from the library to copy your music to the iPod or you can use the autosync feature.
> 7) Software is locked down on the device.
There is a Linux distro [ipodlinux.org] available for iPods.
> 8) Non-removable storage.
There are many guides on iPod drive replacement on the web.
> 9) Non-removable battery.
There are many guides on iPod battery replacement on the web.
> 10) Costs $500, much more than cheaper, more open-devices do.
Then please list any sub $499 32GB flash touch screen device that is more cheaper and more "open".
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You always have the option to not put any DRM-encumbered media on it.
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True
2) Doesn't work with Linux.
Also true
3) Is laden with DRM.
Hardly laden with DRM. It plays MP3s, WAVs, AIFF and AAC all without requiring DRM. It just so happens that it ALSO plays DRMed AAC iTunes Store tracks.
4) Doesn't support popular codecs like OGG.
OGG is not a popular codec
5) ONLY supports iTunes Music Store and not other, cheaper services.
Rubbish! Amazon music store and anyone who supports MP3 works fine with it
6) Doesn't allow simple drag-and-drop access to copy m
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1) Requires iTunes.
2) Doesn't work with Linux.
I dunno. Sounds fishie. Whenever I install gnome I get some manditory ipod libs so I do think it works with linux.
3) Is laden with DRM.
And this is different than the wmp mp3 players how? (Even better yet, the Apple DRM is thought to be directly and indirectly the reason for the impending destruction of DRM.)
4) Doesn't support popular codecs like OGG.
I wish for ogg support too. But of course, most mainstream players don't support it anyway. Besides, there are alternative iPod OSes out there that DO play ogg. You could be happy that is does support aac which is a
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This one doesn't hurt me, since I like iTunes. But it's an understandable gripe.
2) Doesn't work with Linux.
I'm sure it will soon. The original iPod didn't work with Linux when it came out and it did shortly after.
3) Is laden with DRM.
Only if you copy DRMed tracks to it. It handles normal MP3s just fine.
4) Doesn't support popular codecs like OGG.
OGG is a popular codec? How come I hardly ever see music encoded in it? How come I have only two ogg files total, which I easily transcoded to MP3
Re:Dammit, now I need another excuse (Score:4, Insightful)
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Re:Dammit, now I need another excuse (Score:4, Funny)
Will you cradle your iPhone in your arms at night?
If love could be sent using SMS, I'd send you some.
Re:Dammit, now I need another excuse (Score:4, Funny)
I make it a personal rule never to trust anyone named Sammy.
Re:Dammit, now I need another excuse (Score:4, Funny)
Hmmm. I bought my iPhone to use as a phone, surf the web, and watch vids. I never once considered sticking it to my forehead. Does the new 16gb version come with some kind of adhesive to make this possible?
TMBG (Score:3, Funny)
32 GB of flash?! (Score:3, Interesting)
You know, when you say "$499 for an iPod Touch" it sounds like a lot, but then you realize: manufacturers are charging twice that for 32GB flash hard drives. It's too bad it's not packaged usefully in the Touch; otherwise I'd cannibalize one for my laptop!
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The $190 one turns out to be a piece of crap if you read the reviews, and the next cheapest is $420. Of course, neither has the right form factor to fit in my 2.5" SATA drive bay anyway -- the cheapest to do that is the RiDATA, at $700.
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Fact is that SSDs have VASTLY higher performance demands than an mp3 player (by orders of magnitues), and sell less.
Thats why they are cheaper.
A better comparison would be a 32Gbyte USB stick. And those are already here for $150
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And there are cheaper and more expensive models available. How about putting these up against a USB drive?
The bottomline is that these prices are all artificial and just comes down to what the customer is willing to pay.
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(If you're curious, here is my car stereo [crutchfield.com]. I love having a USB port in the glove box!)
Re:32 GB of flash?! (Score:5, Funny)
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Typically Apple has priced the iPod line to sell. The cost of the device is often about the same as the retail price of the storage media. Of course Apple contracts these in huge quantities, and is not as picky as they are with the pro machines. I imagine prices are falling, and it might be good to wait a year for a Macbook Air.
As an aside, I hear a lot about newegg.com. I went there to se
Who cares? It's just a product refresh! (Score:4, Insightful)
This isn't a new product, it is just a ramp in the flash. Something EVERY flash based product does several times per year as prices and capacity get better. It is like announcing water is still wet.
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"Has everyone drunk that much of Steve's acid spiked Kool-Aid?"
<Looks around> Yes.
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Software Innovation (Score:2, Offtopic)
Flash memory prices (Score:2, Interesting)
Although this is an unfair comparison - a decent-but-low-end 8 GB SD memory card retails for about $50; 16 GB for maybe $100. I'm not sure how the speed, power consumption, or reliability of the iPod memory compares with that of stock SD cards.
Re:Flash memory prices (Score:5, Informative)
It also indicates... (Score:5, Funny)
What it also indicates is that people are willing to pay extortionate amounts for flashy bits of gadget from Apple. Still.
$500 is ~£250. I'm in the UK and bought a house in October. House prices are high at the moment, and the price of an iPhone is a third of my monthly mortgage! Hmmmm, three iPhones/iPods or one mortgage payment? Oh the tough decisions.
Re:It also indicates... (Score:5, Funny)
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Answer: ONE iPhone/iPod and pay the mortgage late. Duh.
Say what? (Score:3, Informative)
Good alternative to the Touch? (Score:2)
What's out there that's worth getting?
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Re:Good alternative to the Touch? (Score:4, Insightful)
There really isn't a good comparison to the iPod Touch or iPhone because "elegant design" doesn't translate very well to a bullet point on a comparison chart (hence the famous Slashdot article [slashdot.org] about the iPod). It really comes down to whether the Apple touch interface, ease of use, and pretty hardware design are worth the extra cost to you or not.
Is it really that good? (Score:2, Interesting)
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If I Knew the Brand Name I'd tell you (Score:2, Troll)
Then again it's literally one inch square, looks cool in pink aluminum, and allows me to a) copy songs (or anything) to it from any computer and b) play music.
For $30 it's EXACTLY what I need. [community-media.com]
Guess I'm not in Apple's target market?
Right Direction (Score:2)
WTF does that mean? Apple have been shifting these units out the door as fast as they can make them. What previously was "not in the right direction" about that?
SO frustrating Apple..... (Score:4, Informative)
-- No cut and paste
-- No IMAP IDLE support (The best auto-check is every 15 minutes. Gee, thanks Apple. 1995 called and wants their email features back)
-- No task list
-- No way to sync notes
-- No MMS messages.
-- Etc.
OOOO but 1.1.3 added the feature of being able to send SMS to multiple recipients. Yeah. Great. I was really waiting for that feature...so glad that put that higher on the list than any of the above. Now I can spam all my contacts and say generic impersonal things like "Happy New Year!! Best wishes!!". Ugh.
It's such a frustration for me. I want to love this device -- I really do. But until Apple stops prioritizing features for 12-year-old girls over features to make the damn thing usable by a working adult, I will continue to complain and be sad. And the worst part is that EVERYTHING I (and the others like me) want can be done in software -- it's just a matter of someone getting priorities in line.
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Re:I'm waiting (Score:4, Informative)
Re:I'm waiting (Score:4, Funny)
Re:I'm waiting (Score:5, Insightful)
Seriously, how nit-picky do you need to get? Do you remind people that they're not really burning a DVD, but merely heating the dye on the disc?
Re:I'm waiting (Score:4, Insightful)
-b
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Re:I'm waiting (Score:5, Informative)
The iPod Touch and the iPhone is not a device of this class unless such a workaround is installed for the firmware that is already preinstalled onto the device.
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Re:Capacity Isn't The iPhone's Problem (Score:4, Insightful)
My complaint on both products: No A2DP. Why...WHY?!! I'd go get an iTouch today if it had it. I want an A2DP player for the gym but also want an iTouch.
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It's not the size of the iPhone/BlackBerry that inheritly makes it fra
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But I still want an iPhone. I just want one with GPS, 3G, and modem capabilities.
Re:Capacity Isn't The iPhone's Problem (Score:5, Interesting)
i've only had one problem, and that's lockup at a pub i visit often. unfortunately, every iphone user locks up there as well.
An iPhone survived a semi truck (Score:4, Funny)
What were you planning on doing with an iPhone?
And as for bulk, well unless you take your cell phones the way Zoolander [flickr.com] does, the iPhone does pretty well in that regard too. From what I can tell, the only smart phone that is thinner is the Moto Q, and that is only *0.1 mm* thinner.
But you must be right that the only reason people buy an iPhone is to show it off to other people. Thanks for pointing out our vanity.
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What a piece of SHIT.
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