What you need to know

• Apple is removing the iPod touch product page from its website.
• The page is no longer available in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and more.
• Going to the URL now redirects visitors to the Apple Support website.

The iPod touch is taking another step into the history books.

Spotted by MacRumors, Apple has started to remove the iPod touch product page from its website. According to the report, the page is no longer available in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and a number of other countries. The URL will now redirect visitors to the Apple Support website.

If you missed out on buying the iPod touch before it sold out on Apple's website, you might still be able to find a model at a third-party retailer or, of course, on the used market.

In the press release from when Apple announced that the iPod was being officially discontinued, the company recommended the iPhone and Apple Watch as alternatives for those looking to purchase the device.

What you need to know

• Apple discontinued the iPod touch earlier this week.
• It is still selling it "while supplies last".
• Some configurations are already starting to sell out.

Update, May 11 (8:40 pm ET): The iPod touch is now completely sold out on Apple's online store in the United States.

Apple's iPod touch is selling out in some configurations less than 24 hours after it was discontinued.

As noted by MacRumors, some configurations including the 256GB model in all colors are listed as sold out on Apple's US website. The (PRODUCT)RED version is also listed as sold out for delivery, however, all models may have some limited in-store availability for in-store pickup.

There is also a dearth in stocks on Amazon, with nearly all configurations sold out.

Apple announced that the iPod touch, and by proxy the iPod as a whole, was being discontinued as of Tuesday this week. The company stated:

Apple says that the legacy of the iPod lives on in all of Apple's music-capable devices like its best iPhone, the iPhone 13, its Apple Watch, iPads, and even the Mac.

Apple's Greg Joswiak said "Today, the spirit of iPod lives on. We've integrated an incredible music experience across all of our products, from the iPhone to the Apple Watch to HomePod mini, and across Mac, iPad, and Apple TV. And Apple Music delivers industry-leading sound quality with support for spatial audio — there's no better way to enjoy, discover, and experience music."

Update, May 11 (8:40 pm ET) — The iPod touch is now completely sold out on Apple's online store in the United States.

Spotted by 9to5Mac, the iPod touch is now completely sold out on Apple's online store in the United States. While there were still some 32GB models available earlier today, all configurations are now sold out and it is now impossible to purchase the iPod touch from Apple's online store in the country.

Of course, Apple may replenish its store if it finds a box of them in the basement or something. If not, "while supplies last" may have only lasted a day.

What you need to know

• Apple is killing the iPod Touch.
• The company says it will only be available while stocks last.
• Apple says the "spirit" of iPod lives on in the rest of Apple's product lineup.

Apple has today announced the end of the iPod Touch.

In a press release the company stated:

Apple's Greg Joswiak, SVP of worldwide marketing said "Music has always been part of our core at Apple, and bringing it to hundreds of millions of users in the way iPod did impacted more than just the music industry — it also redefined how music is discovered, listened to, and shared. Today, the spirit of iPod lives on. We've integrated an incredible music experience across all of our products, from the iPhone to the Apple Watch to HomePod mini, and across Mac, iPad, and Apple TV. And Apple Music delivers industry-leading sound quality with support for spatial audio — there's no better way to enjoy, discover, and experience music."

While stocks last the iPod Touch will remain available to buy, however, it's clear from Apple's release today that the iPod is done as a produc, with Apple focusing instead on the integration of music into products like its best iPhones, iPads, and Macs.

Apple announced the first iPod back in 2001, described at the time as "1,000 songs in your pocket." It went on to become one of the company's most-successful products, and when through a huge number of iterations including the classic, the nano, the shuffle, and the mini, as the well as the Touch, which Apple last refreshed in 2019.

What you need to know

• Apple has made its fifth-generation iPod Touch 16GB obsolete.
• That's because the device stopped sales more than seven years ago.
• It means you can no longer get it serviced by Apple.

Apple's 16GB fifth generation iPod Touch is now obsolete, according to Apple.

As noted by MacRumors:

It means that users can no longer get hardware servicing or source parts for the device through service providers, as Apple explains:

Apple's most current iPod Touch is the seventh generation from 2019, and whilst we're big fans, it's clear the iPod has lost much of its shine thanks to the proliferation of the iPhone, which does everything the iPod does and more. Still, the iPod is a nice gift for young children, and even a handy companion for Android users who want some of Apple's services and features iOS but want to retain the flexibility of having an Android handset.

What you need to know

• The shell of an unreleased iPod touch has appeared in new photos.
• The device is said to be a fifth-gen iPod touch.

Apple designs all kinds of things that never get released and one of them appears to be an iPod touch that looked like an iPhone 5 – complete with chamfered edges.

Leaked by someone with a decent track record in the form of Twitter user Mr.White, the device doesn't have an Apple logo on the back but it does have the telltale shape of one of the best-lookig iPhones ever – iPhone 5. Except this shell has a space for the larger-than-life 30-pin Dock Connector whereas iPhone 5 famously ushered in the Lightning connect we still use today.

https://twitter.com/laobaiTD/status/1402835983788249088

The fifth-generation iPod touch we ultimately received arrived in 2012 and featured curved edges similar to those that ended up being part of the iPhone 6 design a couple years later.

As we reach the middle of 2021, the current iPod touch is almost a forgotten product. It hasn't seen a refresh in more than two years and finding it on apple.com takes more than a few clicks. As Apple moves certain iPhones into cheaper and cheaper categories, the role of the humble iPod touch isn't clear.

The current iPod touch 7 is still a good device for those who want to give juds a way to watch their shows, though. For everyone else, the best iPhone deals are a better option.

What you need to know

• Apple is adding the 7th generation iPod nano to the Vintage and Obsolete list.
• It is also adding the 5th generation iPod touch to the list.
• Both devices will still be able to receive hardware service from Apple and its service providers.

The 7th generation iPod nano was also the final generation of the iPod nano, and it appears that it is finally being welcomed into Apple's vintage list.

According to a new report from MacRumors, Apple will be adding the 7th generation iPod nano to its Vintage and Obsolete products list as a now vintage product. It was originally introduced in September of 2012 with a refreshed model in 2015.

Along with the 7th generation iPod nano, Apple is apparently also adding the 5th generation iPod touch to the vintage list. As a vintage product, both devices will still be able to receive repairs from both Apple and third-party service providers.

Apple introduced the original iPod nano in September of 2005.

What you need to know

• A prototype of a 3rd generation iPod Touch surfaced online.
• The images show that Apple considered a rear-facing camera for the device.
• Notably, the camera was centered on the back, something never featured on any devices.

When Apple was developing the 3rd generation of the iPod Touch, it apparently played around with the idea of a centered rear camera for the device.

Reported by MacRumors, Giulio Zompetti, a developer who collects prototypes of Apple devices, posted images of the prototype on Twitter, saying that it was the "best unit of my whole collection."

The images show off a rear camera at the top of the back of the device, a feature that Apple decided against when it released the final version of the 3rd generation iPod Touch. The 3rd generation featured no camera on the device at all.

Apple saved the feature for the 4th generation of the iPod Touch, which Apple called "the new iPod Touch". The device featured both front-facing and rear-facing cameras, a first for the iPod Touch. The camera on the back of the device, however, was not located at the top center of the device. Rather, it was placed at the top left of the back of the device, a location that Apple has placed all of its cameras for the iPod, iPhone, and iPad.

Seeing the prototype is an interesting look into the world of Apple's design lab, a world in which centered cameras could have been.

Stepping into Apple's ecosystem is generally a costly venture, which is why the latest Apple iPod touch is perfect for anyone looking for a way in without spending over $500. Whether you're looking to subscribe to Apple Arcade or you'd like a dedicated Apple Music player, this iPod touch keeps up with all the latest apps and games for iOS with no issues thanks to its updated A10 processing chip.

Released just about a year ago, today's your chance to score nearly $40 off its full cost by picking up a refurbished model on sale at Woot. The latest, 7th generation iPod Touch isn't the only model on sale today however. You can choose from the 6th or 7th generation models starting at just $94.99 while supplies last.

The iPod touch has always been a nifty device for those who want access to all of the games and apps you can find exclusively on iOS. It can be your dedicated gaming device, or a dedicated media player, or something you hand over to the kids when they're bored in the car. The latest model features a slim, four-inch form factor and even AR support for games like Pokemon Go and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite! However, there's no Face ID or Touch ID, no cellular or Apple Watch connectivity, and no Portrait Mode either. Luckily, the 8MP camera is still capable of taking gorgeous photos without it, and you can choose between using Bluetooth headphones or wired ones with the built-in headphone jack.

To learn more about the iPod touch and why you should pick one up today, check out our review where it scored four out of five stars and a badge of recommendation.

Woot usually charges $6 per order for shipping, though you can score free shipping there by logging in with an Amazon Prime account before checking out. If you've never been a Prime member before, you can score a free 30-day trial to snag free shipping at Woot and Amazon, along with access to Prime's perks like the Prime Video streaming service, exclusive members-only discounts, and more.

What you need to know

• Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has a new report out.
• In it he says that AirPods Pro and iPod touch will be made by a new manufacturer.
• The same goes for Apple Watch Series 6, too.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has a new report out in which he says Apple will bring multiple new manufacturers online, some catering for the company's most popular wearables. The report came in an investment note sent to customers of investment firm TF International Securities.

MacRumors notes that Kuo has Chinese company Goertek set to begin manufacturing AirPods Pro during the first half of the year. Apple already uses Luxshare Precision for AirPods Pro production but it wants to further diversify its manufacturing pipelines to better meet what is expected to be strong demand for the new earbuds.

It isn't all bad news for Luxshare, though. It will be taking over manufacturing duties for the S-series chips that power this year's Apple Watch, likely to be named Apple Watch Series 6.

Finally, Apple will bring Chines firm BYD Electronic online as the sole company tasked with producing its iPod touch. It will be taking over from Quanta, the same company also losing out on the Apple Watch deal.

The interesting product here is iPod touch, a device that many would argue Apple hasn't given any meaningful love to in years. Maybe that's about to change.

What you need to know

• Apple is no longer signing iOS 13.2.2.
• iOS 13.2.3 is now the only version of the software available.
• Users wishing to downgrade are no longer able to.

Apple is no longer signing iOS 13.2.2 according to 9to5Mac, leaving iOS 13.2.3 as the only version of the software that can now be installed on iPhones and iPads. That follows the release of iOS 13.2.3 a few weeks ago. Apple is currently allowing developers to beta test iOS 13.3, too.

By no longer signing iOS 13.2.3 Apple is preventing anyone from installing it on iPhones and iPads. While most people would want the latest version of iOS on their devices, some might not. That could be because of newly introduced bugs or the potential for a new jailbreak that requires a specific version of iOS.

Apple sometimes prevents older versions of iOS from being installed once a jailbreak has been released for it. But in this case it is likely that Apple simply wants to make sure that its most stable version is the one everyone is running on their devices. The release of iOS 13.2.3 brought with it improvements to memory management for multitasking as well as fixes for Mail and Messages.

With iOS 13.3 now in the hands of beta testers it is likely it will be realesed to the public soon. Although how soon that will be isn't yet clear.

The iPod touch 7 features an A10 Fusion chip, immersive augmented reality (AR), Group FaceTime, and more. Despite these key changes, the 2019 version has the same physical measurements as the previous iPod touch model. Weighing just 3.10 ounces, the mobile device measures 4.86-by-0.24-by-2.31 inches with a 4-inch (diagonal) widescreen display, just like the previous iPod touch 6. One benefit of keeping the same dimensions as the previous-generation device is that your current cases will fit your new iPod touch, too.

Other highlights include 8MP camera, 1080p HD video recording (30 fps), FaceTime HD Camera with 1.2MP photos and 720p HD video recording, built-in Siri, a built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery offering music playback time of up to 40 hours and video playback of up to eight hours, iOS 12, Apple EarPods, and more.

The previous iPod touch was first released in 2015. Because of this, there are already lots of cases on the market. Like those for the more popular iPhone, iPod touch cases come in various styles, colors, and price points. These include clear cases, waterproof options, ones with kickstands, and many more.

Apple has announced a brand new version of the iPod touch. It has much-improved performance over the previous-generation iPod touch, which was released in 2015. This new iPod touch is capable of using features like Group FaceTime, and it can take advantage of augmented reality apps.

In many ways, the seventh-generation iPod touch is a mixture of both old and new. Here's everything you need to know about it.

So what exactly is new with the iPod touch?

The seventh-generation iPod touch may look like the sixth-generation model (it's the same size and comes in the same colors, after all), but on the inside, it's a new device. The new iPod touch is powered by Apple's A10 Fusion system-on-a-chip, which delivers up to double the performance of the sixth-generation iPod touch's A8.

Also new is the maximum storage capacity. There is now an option to purchase up to 256GB of storage in your iPod touch.

Does it have a bigger display?

If you were hoping for a bigger display on the new iPod touch, I'm sorry to say you'll be disappointed. The seventh-generation iPod touch features the same four-inch Retina display of the previous model.

What can you do with the new iPod touch?

Because Apple has put the A10 Fusion system-on-a-chip into the new iPod touch, the little device is capable of utilizing the latest features of iOS 12. This includes Group FaceTime, as well as augmented reality apps and system features, both of which are firsts for the iPod touch line.

And thanks to the A10 Fusion, the iPod touch features better graphics performance than previous models. You can now expect up to three times faster graphics performance in the new iPod touch, perfect for all of the great games available on the App Store.

Is there anything new with the cameras?

Like I've said previously, the seventh-generation iPod touch is a mix of old and new, and the camera is decidedly part of the "old" contingent. It's still an 8MP camera with an f/2.4 aperture. It does support iOS 12's auto HDR feature, however.

On the front side, you still have a 1.2MP FaceTime camera with an f/2.2 aperture. It records 720p video with support for auto HDR.

Any new colors for the iPod touch?

The seventh-generation iPod touch retains the colors of the previous-generation device. There are six to choose from in total: space gray, gold, silver, pink, blue, and (PRODUCT)Red.

How much storage can I get in the iPod touch?

The seventh-generation iPod touch comes in three storage options: 32GB, 128GB, and 256GB.

What about price?

Apple has priced the iPod touch to be the most affordable new iOS device you can get. Here's how the pricing breaks down:

• 32GB: $199
• 128GB: $299
• 256GB: $399

When can I get the new iPod touch?

You can order the new iPod touch right now from Apple.com or through the Apple Store app on your iPhone or iPad. It should be expected in Apple Stores later this week.

Anything else?

If there's anything else you'd like to know about the new iPod touch, don't hesitate to ask in the comments.

Apple has just announced a refreshed iPod touch that offers updated internals and support for several of its best new features. This time around, the iPod touch features Apple's A10 Fusion chip, internal storage of up to 256GB, and can now participate in Group FaceTime calls and more. The updated models are available starting today, and prices start at just $199 for the 32GB model and go up to $399 for the 256GB option. It's available in six different color options, including space gray, white, gold, blue, pink and (PRODUCT)RED.

The iPod touch has a 4-inch Retina display, an 8MP camera on the back of it, supports 1080p HD video recording, and can play up to 40 hours of music per charge. Using Siri you can easily run shortcuts from your favorite apps, set reminders, and so much more. The iPod touch still comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack, a home button that lacks TouchID, and it runs iOS 12 out of the box.

Whether you just prefer to keep your media on a separate device, or you aren't quite ready to give your kid their first iPhone yet, the new iPod touch is a great option to consider. You'll be able to use FaceTime and iMessage to keep in touch with them when they have a Wi-Fi connection, and they can still download all the best apps that iOS has to offer from the App Store.

With iOS 12, Apple currently supports every 64-bit processor they've ever made, going back to the Apple A7 and the iPhone 5s, original iPad Air, and the iPads mini 2 and 3.

Rather watch than read? Hit play on the video above.

Rumor has it, though, that iOS 13 may no longer go back quite that far. If it's based on the processor again, well, Apple has already discontinued all the A9 devices. The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. The iPhone SE. The 2017 iPad 5, and the original iPads Pro 12.9 and 9.7-inches.

The A8, though, well. A lot of those are gone too. The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, the iPad Air 2, and just recently, the iPad mini 4. But, others… abide. Like the Apple TV 4, which Apple now calls the Apple TV HD. The year-old HomePod. And, of course, the still available iPod touch 6.

Now, the Apple TV and HomePod run offshoots of iOS, not the proper version like the iPod touch does, so there's probably less to worry about there from a compatibility standpoint.

But what if it's less about processor and more about screen size? What if, Apple and developers, are finding it more than a little painful to keep supporting that old, 2012-era 4-inch display size?

iPhone 5 and iPhone 5c are long gone. iPhone 5s and iPhone SE have been discontinued as well. But that iPod touch 6, again, is still being sold. At least for now.

That could change, though. Maybe as soon as WWDC 2019 in a few weeks. Maybe later this year during the annual September iPhone event. Sure, maybe never, but… there have been some rumors, so…

iPod touch: A brief history

The original iPod touch launched just a few months after the original iPhone, way back in September of 2007. And for a few years, while the iPod touch never quite matched the feature set of the iPhone, it at least received updates of its own, up to and including the 4th generation in 2010 which, finally, you know, got a camera not just on the front but on the back as well.

Then, in 2011, for the first time, Apple decided to skip the year. Things got back on track in 2012, though, because just after the iPhone 5 went to a 4-inch display, the iPod touch 5 followed suit.

And then promptly stayed there, in stasis, through 2013 and the advent of 64-bit, and through 2014 and the introduction of big and bigger 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch displays.

When the iPod touch did get updated again in 2015, despite the iPhone getting 3D Touch, all the iPod touch got was new internals. Well, year-old internal by then.

The product goal, at least as I understood it at the time, was similar to the iPhone SE: Take a device a segment of the market loved and modernize it so that they could keep on loving it for a few years more.

But then 2016 and Portrait Mode came and went. 2017 and the completely redesigned, full-OLED screened iPhone X. Even 2018 and the even bigger iPhone XS Max.

Very nearly 4 years have come and gone. The MacBook Air has been updated. The Mac mini has been updated. Even the 2013 Mac Pro has been announced as getting an updated. And the iPod touch… heh. Nothing. Nadda. Zip. Zilch. The walking dead.

Or mostly dead. Because, there have been rumors. And anything with rumors has to be considered at least partially alive.

iPod touch 2019: The rumors

Rumors of a new iPod touch only really started to surface over the course of this last year. Back in January, Mac Otakara claimed they heard chatter about a new, 7th generation iPod touch in and around CES. The lowest cost, entry-level iOS device, it had always served as a gateway to the App Store for anyone the least bit curious but not at all committed too Apple's ecosystem, for kids who didn't need and whose parents didn't want them to have a phone, as a cheap music player or gaming device, and as an inexpensive way for developers to have an extra device or two around for testing.

But as it's grown older and increasingly outdated, many of those use-cases have become less and less tenable.

Also in January, Steve Troughton Smith tweeted that he found references to a new iPod — iPod 9,1 to be precise — in iOS 12.2, but one that still wouldn't include either Face ID, which, yeah, I guess, maybe, but also not Touch ID. Which is a bit of a head scratcher, given even the budget 9.7-inch iPad still has Touch ID — and Apple Pay because of it.

I mean, unless keeping costs down really, really low is the absolute and only concern for the device, convenient yet secure-enough access be damned.

Now, the current, well, current as 2015 iPod touch is iPod 7,1, so why would Apple skip 8,1 and go straight to 9,1? Probably for the same reason they skipped 6,1 and went straight to 7,1. They chose not to ship whichever models would have come in 2013 or 2014, and again in 2016 or 2017. And just like it caused a jump from an Apple A5 to Apple A8, it'll likely cause a jump again from… what? A8 to A11? Too much to hope for A12?

In February, supply chain exfiltrator extraordinaire Kuo Ming-Chi released a big old list of predictions, including an iPod touch with updated processor.

And, if it's sounding like that's the consensus: A new iPod touch that's not really new in terms of design, screen, authentication, or anything else remotely modern in terms of any other iOS device, than that's because is.

Back in March, when Apple was doing what felt like a week of new products, with new iPads Air and mini, new iMacs, and, eventually, new AirPods, it sounded like the new iPod touch would land that week as well.

But, the month came and went with nary an iPod touch in sight.

iPod touch 2019: The potentials

A spec bump. Essentially the same design and display with a new processor, memory options, and maybe cameras and colors sound like the cautious, conservative update that's rumors to be coming out way. And that's probably all anyone should really get their hopes up for.

If the design goal is, once again, to take that same device that a segment of their customers love, keep the $199 price tag, but update the internals so that those same customers can keep right on loving it for a few more years. That's probably the most any of us should expect.

On the other hand, part of me would love something more. Even a lot more. Sure, we just got a new iPad mini with a really nice, 7.9-inch display and a hella fast processor. And it can run all the really productive and creative apps in the iPad App Store, it's not the same as an iPod touch. Not for kids, not for developers, not for anyone who just wants a super-thin, no phone plan device to stick in their pockets for music, gaming, or testing.

What I'd be super-interested in is something closer akin to an iPhone XR, minus the phone part. 6.1-inch, edge-to-edge Liquid Retina display with an A12 processor and that same single camera system on the back.

That's probably way too aggressive for a $199 price point, but maybe 4.7-inches like the iPhone 8 or… and? 5.5-inches like the 8 Plus.

iPod touch 2019: The release

At this point, it's only safe to expect a new, next-generation iPod touch when you see it. We have WWDC 2019 in just a few weeks, so if Apple wants to position it as a developer device, that's certainly a possibility. The last iPod touch surprised everyone with a mid-July launch, so that has to be a possibility as well.

If, instead, Apple wants to introduce the iPod touch 7 alongside Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade, then maybe September, the birth month of iPod touch and traditional home of the iPod makes the most sense.

We'll only know for sure, though, when Tim Cook announces hit on stage.

Argos currently has the 6th-generation iPod touch listed for just £129, down from the original listing of £159. If you've been holding out to purchase a new player for your library of music, this promotion at Argos may well be the ideal purchase.

The 16GB capacity for your songs is joined by a 4-inch retina display, 1080p recording, 8MP iSight & FaceTime cameras, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and can provide up to 40 hours of playback before needing to meet a power outlet.

Buy the iPod touch for £129 from Argos

Via: Macworld

The iPod may become a second class citizen in Apple's retail stores in the US. A new report claims that beginning August 26, all iPods in those stores will be moved from the main display area over to the accessory shelves.

According to 9to5Mac's unnamed sources:

In addition, the iPad 2-based Smart Signs, which are placed next to Macs, iPhones and the latest iPads in Apple Stores to show things like pricing and product information, will also be removed next week as well. Instead, the products themselves will display that information directly:

Source: 9to5Mac

The new iPod touch 6 has a better camera and faster processor than ever before. It's also slim and light, so you can take it everywhere, and relatively inexpensive, which makes it affordable for kids. With no data contract to worry about, and a million and a half apps in the App Store, it's small screen with big potential. That's especially true in the summer, and with these fun projects!

Learn a language

How we communicate and how we think are limited only by our command of language, beautiful, lyrical, contextual, nuanced, delicious language. And apps like Duolingo make it easier than ever to learn a new language, to do it from your deck or poolside, from your living room or hotel room

• Learn a new language with Duolingo on your iPhone or iPad

Make a movie

No matter how great a vacation is you can never be there forever, nor can you take everyone you love with you. What you can do is bring the vacation home for you and for them! With your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, not only can you take videos and pictures of those magic travel moments, but you can edit and share them right in iMovie

• Make a vacation travel trailer with iMovie on your iPhone or iPad!

Build a book

Whether you're in your backyard, at the local park, at a national park, or hiking halfway around the world, there's an amazing amount of plants and flowers, bugs and birds, rocks and streams to see and enjoy. The Camera app means you really can bring it all home with you, and Photos for OS X means you can have a real book printed and bound on real paper so you can share it with your family and friends.

• Make a nature journal with your iPhone or iPad and iPhoto!

Create your cards

From little league to soccer practice, gymnastics to judo, tennis to skating there are all sorts of sports, team and solo, for kids to have fun with, get healthy doing, and learn valuable skills from. And what better way to keep hold of those memories and share them with teammates and classmates alike than with rookie cards of their very own?

• Make rookie cards for your team on your iPhone or iPad

Your summer fun project?

If your kids are using iPod touches new or old, or even iPads or iPhones, let me know what fun summer projects they're working on!

The new iPod touch 6 has an 8 megapixel iSight camera, much bigger and better than 5 megapixel shooter on the previous generation iPod touch 5. It's also backed by the Image Signal Processor (ISP) in the mighty Apple A8 system-on-a-chip. It remains ƒ/2.4, however, and very small and very thin. So, how well does this new iSight work? We took it out for a shoot and put it up against the last iPod touch, and the 8mp, Apple A8-powered iPad Air 2 and iPhone 6 to find out!

Apple, the camera company

Apple makes the most popular cameras in the world—most of them in the form of iPhones. That same emphasis increasingly permeates the company's other mobile devices as well, first the iPad Air 2, and now the new iPod touch 6.

What makes Apple devices so popular is that they don't just take good everyday photos, they're connected. They run iOS, which means they have access to all the photo sharing and editing apps on the App Store. The iPod touch especially is incredibly easy to fit in a pocket and hold in your hand while composing a shot, and every bit as easy to iMessage, to Instagram, to Waterlogue, to turn into a Photos book, or to do with what you will.

This year's iPod touch 6 should get better, cleaner results than the previous iPod touch 5. That's due to both the increased megapixel count and the huge leap from Apple A5 to Apple A8 processors. That includes the Image Signal Processor (ISP) that reads the data off the sensor, analyzes it, and does all sorts of calculations to make sure the resulting photo is as well balanced, exposed, and focused as possible.

The iPad 2 has an Apple A8X rather than an A8, but the difference there is in GPU so, all other things being equal, it should produce the same results. The iPhone 6 has the same megapixel count and Apple A8 processor, but a better ƒ/2.2 aperture and a bigger 1.5µ pixel size. That should make a difference in low light.

To test them out, I shot multiple sample photos with HDR on, flash off, with the built-in Camera app to see if reality meets expectations.

Still photography

Here's a still, overcast, in order: iPod touch 6 (top left), iPod touch 5 (top right), iPad Air 2 (bottom left), iPhone 6 (bottom right):

• Full size crops

Macro photography

Here are sample macros, overcast, in order: iPod touch 6 (top left), iPod touch 5 (top right), iPad Air 2 (bottom left), iPhone 6 (bottom right):

• Full size crops

Low light photography

Here are sample low-lights, indoors, in order: iPod touch 6 (top left), iPod touch 5 (top right), iPad Air 2 (bottom left), iPhone 6 (bottom right):

• Full size crops

Panoramic photography

Here are sample panoramas, overcast, in order: iPod touch 6 (top left), iPod touch 5 (top right), iPad Air 2 (bottom left), iPhone 6 (bottom right):

The bottom line

Much like 2012 when Leanna Lofte shot our iPod touch 5 vs. iPhone 5 camera tests things played out as expected. The iPod touch 6 is clearly better than the iPod touch 5, about the same as the iPad Air 2, and just behind the iPhone 6.

With good light and the tools available in modern photo editing software, however, unless you intend to shoot a lot of lowlight, any of the 8mp, Apple A8-powered connected cameras will serve you well.

With the release of the brand-new iPod touch, the time has come once again for the folks over at iFixit to open one up to see what's inside. While there have been no real surprises, its an interesting look all the same.

The sixth-generation iPod touch, which retains the familiar 4-inch form factor of the previous generation, features Apple's A8 system-on-a-chip and M8 motion coprocessor, both of which are found in Apple's most recent iPhones. It has radios for 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, along with Bluetooth 4.1. It also has 1GB of RAM, and a 1,043mAh battery, which Apple says is good for 40 hours of music playback and 8 hours of video.

The most recent revision of the iPod touch launched earlier this week, bringing new colors and updated internal components. It comes in four different storage options: 16GB for $199, 32GB for $249, 64GB for $299, and 128GB for $399.

You can get all of the details on iFixit's teardown at the link below.

Source: iFixit

iPod touch has leapt from the distant past—okay, 2012—into the present with a new Apple A8 chipset, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, an 8 megapixel camera, a 128GB option, and a full palette of new colors. It's still 4-inches, though, and still doesn't have LTE. That's where the 7.9-inch, Touch ID and Apple Pay-equipped, LTE optional iPad mini 3 excels. But it's more expensive and doesn't have an A8 or 8mp. But the iPad mini is cheaper, though without the Touch ID or Apple Pay.

It's not about which one is best, but which one is best for you? Here's what you need to know to help you decide!

• iPod touch 2015 review (coming soon)
• iPad mini 3 review
• iPad mini 2 review

Overview

The iPod touch starts at $199 and has the full range of storage options from 16GB to 128GB. The iPad mini 2 starts at $299 and doesn't include 64GB or 128GB options, and the iPad mini 3 starts at $399 and doesn't include a 32GB option.

The extra $100 dollars on the iPad mini 2 gets you a bigger screen and stereo speakers, but steps you down in processor, camera, and Wi-Fi speed. The extra $200 on the iPad mini 3 gets you a bigger screen, stereo speakers, and Touch ID, but steps you down in processor, camera, and Wi-Fi speed.

With the iPads mini, you do get optional cellular networking for an additional $130 (see blow). The iPad mini 2 only comes in space gray, and the iPad mini 3 only in space gray, silver, and gold.

We'll break down all of that, below.

Display and size

The iPod touch has always been something akin to an iPhone without the phone. While iPhone displays have reached 4.7- and 5.5-inches, however, the iPod touch has stayed at 4-inches. That likely helps keep down the price and keep up the display size differentiation with the iPad.

The iPad touch mini is small compared to the full-sized iPad, but big compared to the iPod touch. 7.9-inches big.

Both displays have LED-backlit LCD panels with inter-plane switching for improved viewing angles. Neither are laminated like the iPhones or iPad Air 2, but both have fingerprint resistant oleophobic coatings. They're also both 326 ppi, but because of the difference in size, there's a corresponding difference in resolution.

The bigger screen on the iPad mini can make for a more immersive experience and a more accessible one. It allows for more sophisticated apps and, come iOS 9, Slide Over and PiP video.

As a total package, the iPod touch is 4.86 inches heigh, 2.31 inches wide, 0.24 inches deep, and only 0.19 pounds (3.10 ounces!). Both iPads mini, meanwhile, are 7.87 inches heigh, 5.3 inches wide, 0.29 inches deep, and 0.73 pounds (0.75 for the cellular version.)

They're both good if not great displays, but when combined with the size, the iPod touch is more portable and pocketable, and the iPad mini, more productive and immersive.

Colors

Last year the iPad mini 3 gained an extra color: gold. The iPad mini 2, demoted to second tier status, lost a color: it's not space gray only.

Back in 2012 the iPod touch gained a fuller, almost "nanochromatic" range of colors. This year Apple's standardized the palette, but still kept it more expansive. There's space gray, gold, silver, pink, blue, and—exclusive to Apple—product red.

If Space Gray is what you want, they all have that to offer. If you have your eye on silver and gold, iPod touch and iPad mini 3 are both options. If you want pink, blue, or red, however, there's only the iPod touch. (Or a colored case, of course!)

Processors + Touch ID

For years the iPod touch languished with a 32-bit Apple A5 processor from the past. Now it's vaulted into the present with a 64-bit Apple A8. That's the same processor found in the iPhone 6, iPhone 6s, and iPad Air 2.

Note I didn't mention the iPad mini 3. That's because the latest—for now—iPad mini 3 is doing some languishing of its own: It kept the same 64-bit Apple A7 processor as the previous year's iPad mini 2. (And the iPhone 5s and original iPad Air, for reference's sake.)

Likewise, the iPod touch now has an Apple M8 motion coprocessor, while the iPads mini have the Apple M7.

Because all of them are 64-bit, all of them can use Metal, Apple's new graphics framework for makes everything faster and more efficient. The iPod touch definitely has the edge when it comes to silicon, none of them are slouches.

Conversely, only the iPad mini 3 has Touch ID, Apple's fingerprint identity sensor. It used the secure enclave on the Apple A7 chip to let you unlock your device, authorize iTunes and App Store purchases, and use Apple Pay in apps. (But not in stores.)

So, the iPod touch wins on pure power and the iPad mini 3 on convenience.

Camera

For the last three years the iPod touch has been stuck with a 5 megapixel camera. Now it has an 8 megapixel camera in line with the iPad Air 2. It's not the phenomenal package the iPhones 6 enjoy, but it's much, much better than it had before.

The iPad mini 3 and iPad mini 2 share the same ƒ/2.4 apertures, hybrid IR filters, five element lenses, and backside illumination. They've kept the old 5 megapixel resolutions, however. While that'll get the job done, it won't get it done anywhere nearly as well. At least when it comes to still photography.

For video work, all of them shoot similar 1080p, but only the iPod touch can do slo-mo.

Beyond the sensor, the iPod touch's size makes it much closer to a point-and-shoot camera in terms of portability and handling. The iPads mini do provide a bigger viewfinder, if you need one for video work

Wi-Fi and cellular

The iPod touch is Wi-Fi only. That Wi-Fi goes up to 802.11ac. Both iPods mini, though, top out at 802.11n. In their corner, however, is the option for cellular networking.

For an additional $130 you can equip either the iPad mini 2 or the iPad mini 3 with LTE and that'll let you get online anywhere you have a single.

Who should get an iPod touch

If you value portability and want something that'll fit in your pocket, if powerful hand-held gaming is your thing, if you want a better camera and the fastest possible Wi-Fi, and if you want in on iOS at the lowest possible price, you want the iPod touch.

Who should get the iPad mini 2

If you want a bigger screen and access to iPad apps, and if you want the option for LTE networking, but don't need Touch ID and Apple Pay enough to add an extra hundred dollars to your bill, you want the iPad Mini 2.

Who should get the iPod mini 3

If you want a bigger screen and access to iPad app, and if you want the option for LTE networking, plus you want Touch ID and Apple Pay, then you

Still have questions?

Still not sure whether you get an iPod touch or iPad mini? Check out our hub pages below for reviews, buyers guides, discussion threads, and more!

• iPod touch
• iPad mini 2
• iPad mini 3

Though Rene and I had speculated about Apple revamping the iPod nano and shuffle line to include some sort of Bluetooth authentication for Apple Music, it looks as though the iPod line won't get access to offline copies of Apple's newest streaming service.

When you try to sync offline Apple Music tracks to a nano or shuffle, you're met with this rather disappointing message: "Apple Music songs cannot be copied to an iPod." You'll have to rely on your purchased music for those devices, instead.

Why did Apple do this?

It's probably a record label requirement: In theory, you could sync an iPod shuffle or nano up with Apple Music tracks, then cancel your Apple Music subscription and continue rocking out to those "copied" tracks forever.

Given the small storage space of both the nano and shuffle, though, I think this is pretty dumb. For one thing, you'd at most be stealing a couple hundred to a couple thousand songs; for another, how hard would it have been to perform an authentication check every time you plug your iPod into your Mac? If iPod has expired Apple Music tracks on it, delete said tracks. If not, keep on rocking.

This makes the least sense for the iPod nano, as the device already has Bluetooth built in. You'd think Apple could include a wireless sync-style option for it like it does for the Apple Watch, but no—the nano is doomed to purchased music only, as well.

At its heart, though, this is probably an issue regarding priority and time. Apple needed to write a software update for both the nano and the shuffle to recognize and use Apple Music; instead, they get a new paint job and that's about it. (The nano is still using the iOS 6 UI, which is kind of horrific when you think about it. Jony, you really let this out of your lab?) I suppose there's a small chance that Apple could take the time to update the device's software in the future to allow for this, but I'm skeptical.

The iPod touch, alone

This leaves the iPod touch as the lone iPod in the line that can take advantage of Apple Music's catalog in both online and offline formats. It gets Apple Music because it can run iOS 8.4; Apple doesn't need to create a major software update for the iPod touch because one already existed.

As a result, if you want your kid, friend, or significant other to have access to Apple Music and a new iPod, the iPod touch is the only really viable option.

The sad truth about iPods

Much as I love the delight of the iPod shuffle line, this is the latest in a long line of moves toward making the iPod obsolete. The Apple Watch is the future for semi-offline small devices you want to listen to while on the go; the nanos and shuffles of the world are the elegant, ancient weapons from a more civilized age of wired headphones and purchased music.

Long may they live on our shelves as reminders for what we used to have.

On Wednesday Apple refreshed the iPod touch: The new model touts the same A8 processor and motion coprocessor found in the iPhone 6, along with an improved 8-megapixel camera, 128GB storage option, and new colors.

The iPod touch also retains its familiar four-inch screen design and size, allowing it to fit the same menagerie of cases and accessories designed for the previous model—though the protruding iPhone 6-style camera lens may cause problems for some really snug-fitting cases.

Where the iPod touch is lacking

There's still no Touch ID—perhaps a bit ironic, given the name "iPod touch"—though it's not the only currently-sold iOS device to lack this feature: Apple still sells older iPhones and iPads that don't have Touch ID. For all the company's emphasis on security, Touch ID is still a premium convenience feature used to drive customers to higher-end phones and tablets.

In addition, I've longed for a larger-format iPod touch ever since the iPhone 6 Plus came on the scene—Apple's answer to something like the Nintendo 3DS XL, as it were. Apple customers looking for a larger-format iOS product, however, are limited to the iPhone 6 Plus or an iPad mini.

Bye bye lanyard

It's also interesting to note that Apple has excised the lanyard from this generation of iPod touch. It seemed to be a handy feature to me, as I often sold iPod touches to families looking to outfit younger members with iOS devices without giving them a cell phone; lanyards were a way, at least for salespeople like me, to say "Here's how to secure it to your child's wrist so that they don't drop it and break the screen."

Then again, I see customers come in every day with broken iOS device screens, so that lanyard really didn't help that much—perhaps that's why Apple decided to do away with it. I suspect that many iPod touch customers never got it out of the box. And in fairness, a very small subset of customers are still interested in the iPod touch at all; most are much more interested in the iPhone.

Cost vs true cost

The total cost of the phone remains buried in agreements with their carriers, so they often don't think of the iPhone as a $650 device; they only compare the up-front price of $200. Penny-wise, pound-foolish, as the old saying goes. In fairness, the upgrade plans offered by many carriers gives them an excuse not to care about such trivialities.

To be frank, I'd wondered about the future of the iPod touch. The guts of the previous model were getting woefully out of date for some of Apple's current and future ambitions. The A5 processor in the older touch is the same generation found in the iPad 2, and three years is an epoch in computer time, especially given Apple's constant churn of new products.

The A5 may work okay for the fairly limited performance needed for the current Apple TV model, at least until Apple can move whatever mountains in its way to to get a new one out the door. But for an all-in-one game system, media player, and app handheld, it's getting long in the tooth.

Now the iPod touch is properly outfitted to take advantage of Metal, the graphics performance optimization Apple introduced with iOS 8, which should mean better gaming and more responsive apps, and is poised to take advantage of further enhancements coming to iOS 9 later this year.

Storage woes

Just as with the iPhone, 16 GB is a paltry amount of storage capacity. But unlike the iPhone 6, Apple's first storage bump for the iPod touch is 32 GB for an additional $50 (rather than 64 GB for an additional $100). $399 nets you the 128 GB model—which, even for an iPad, remains a very niche option.

I used to long for such a big iPod touch—something to replace the capacious storage of the venerable iPod classic, which was discontinued in 2014. But after using iTunes Match over the past couple of years and now Apple Music, I'm less concerned about having a portable device big enough to hold my entire library: Everything's in the cloud these days.

Additionally, iTunes Match's biggest liability for me—its 25,000 song limit—seems poised to quadruple this fall, if Apple's own chief music honcho is to be believed. Admittedly, the iPod touch is still hampered by its dependence on Wi-Fi—I'll lose my connection to the cloud if I leave my house or Starbucks, at least until I get one of those fancy new cars with built-in 4G LTE.

The iPod world in brief

So, to summarize: What we got: A faster iPod touch with a much better camera, a 128 GB capacity option, and different color options, poised to take better advantage of Apple's current and future iOS development plans. What we didn't get: Touch ID and a larger screen.

As an iPhone 6 user, none of today's announcements make me want to rush out and buy an iPod touch, especially since Apple has once again spurned my wish for a purple model. But the refreshed iPod touch is certainly a better value than it was yesterday, and is certain to suit a subset of Apple customers who want the benefits of iOS without the larger size of an iPad or the carrier hassles of the iPhone.

Are you ready to buy one? If so, what model and color? Let me know in the comments. If not, I want to hear from you too: Tell me why.

Along with the new iPod nano and iPod shuffle, Apple has refreshed their iPod touch lineup, bringing new colors, along with the touch's first spec bump since 2012. The new iPod touch has colors to match the new iPod nano and iPod shuffle, with new shades of blue, space gray, silver, red, and pink, along with a new gold color option.

When it comes to new internals, Apple has done away with the A5 processor that previously powered the touch, opting instead for a 64-bit A8 processor, which made its debut in last year's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The iSight camera has been upgraded from 5MP to 8MP, and the iPod touch now sports a 128GB storage option.

In addition to this new storage option, there are still 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB options, mirroring the iPhone lineup. The 16GB model will run you $199, with the 32GB model available for $249, the 64GB option for $299 and the 128GB iPod touch costing $399.

Get the new iPod touch from Apple

Press release:

Apple Introduces The Best iPod touch Yet

Featuring New Colors, A8 Chip, 8 Megapixel iSight Camera & Apple Music

CUPERTINO, California — July 15, 2015 — Apple® today introduced the best iPod touch® yet and unveiled a new lineup of colors for all iPod® models, including space gray, silver, gold, pink and blue. The ultra-portable iPod touch features a new 8 megapixel iSight® camera for beautiful photos, an improved FaceTime® HD camera for even better selfies, the Apple-designed A8 chip with 10 times faster graphics performance for a more immersive gaming experience, and even better fitness tracking with the M8 motion coprocessor. With the newly launched Apple Music™ service, members can enjoy playlists curated by the most talented music experts from around the world, stay in-the-know on music culture with a global 24/7 broadcast on Beats 1℠ radio, and comment on or like backstage photos and videos shared directly by their favorite artists on Connect.

"iPod touch gives customers around the world access to Apple Music, the App Store and iOS, the world's most advanced mobile operating system, starting at just $199," said Greg Joswiak, Apple's vice president of iPhone, iPod and iOS Product Marketing. "With big advancements like the A8 chip and the 8 megapixel iSight camera, customers can experience next-level gameplay, take even more beautiful photos and enjoy their favorite music, TV shows and movies."

With the A8 chip, the same used in the revolutionary iPhone® 6, users can play even more immersive games for hours at a time, all the while with great battery life. iPod touch has become one of the world's most loved mobile gaming experiences — its 4-inch Retina® display and rich collection of gaming titles are further enhanced with incredible graphics performance and thousands of Metal-optimized games. With the advanced iSight and FaceTime HD cameras, iPod touch owners, for the first time, can have fun with popular features including slo-mo and burst mode, while capturing memories and everyday moments with gorgeous photos and videos. Three times faster Wi-Fi lets customers stay in touch with friends and family through FaceTime calls, and download movies and TV shows with ease.

The App Store℠ on iPod touch, available in 155 countries, gives users access to 1.5 million apps across 24 categories. iPod touch is also the perfect way to carry your music collection in your pocket. iTunes® boasts the world's largest music catalog, and with Apple Music, customers have access to the revolutionary streaming music service, Beats 1, Apple's first ever live radio station, and Connect, where artists can communicate directly to fans. Apple Music is available on iPod touch through the Music app — users are invited to a 3-month trial, after which a $9.99/month membership fee will apply. There is a family plan providing service for up to six family members available for just $14.99/month.

iPod touch comes with iOS 8 and a collection of powerful built-in apps. Send unlimited voice and video text messages through iMessage® over Wi-Fi, quickly make edits to your photos with the Photos app and keep track of your fitness and wellness with the Health app. With Family Sharing, up to six family members can share purchases from iTunes, iBooks® and the App Store, along with photos and calendars. Parents can also create Apple IDs for children which includes Ask to Buy where parental permission is required for all purchases.

Pricing & Availability The new iPod touch starts at $199 (US) for the 16GB model, $249 (US) for 32GB and $299 (US) for 64GB, and the entire iPod family in its five new colors is available starting today through the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple's retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers. For the first time, iPod touch is available in a 128GB model for $399 (US) through Apple Retail Stores and the Apple Online Store, along with the (PRODUCT)RED lineup. iPod touch requires a Wi-Fi connection or a Mac® or PC; USB 2.0 port; Mac OS® X v10.7.5 or later; Windows 7, Windows 8 or later; and iTunes 12.2 or later. An Apple ID is required for some iPod touch features.

When you combine Twitter, email, forums, and all the other channels, Rene gets sent dozens and dozens of questions a day. Since it's not even inhumanly possible to answer, let alone research, them all, we're starting a new column where he can post answers for everyone. So, if you want to share your questions and concerns, hopes and gripes, send them to askrene@imore.com or tweet them to @reneritchie with #askrene.

Apple Music madness

We've received hundreds and hundreds of questions about Apple Music this week, which makes total sense. Rather than repeat answers we've already posted, however, I'll point everyone to our frequently asked questions piece. We're updating it all the time:

• Apple Music FAQ

Skylake Macs: To wait or not to wait?

My typical answer to this question is: Wait as long as you can possibly wait, then upgrade and be happy with whatever you upgrade to. The longer you wait, the more computing bang you'll get for your buck, but no matter when you buy, there'll always be something better coming down the pike. Such is technology.

The 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display did get a Broadwell update this year. That's better than the 15-inch MacBook Pro which, due to the trouble Intel had with its new 14 nanometer process, stayed on the previous Haswell process.

Intel has said the delays with Broadwell won't affect Skylake, it's next-generation chipset. Skylake won't have another die-shrink but rather an architectural change that could offer significant improvements for power efficiency, and will also support Thunderbolt 3. Intel could be completely sincere about that, but at this point I'll believe it when they ship it.

If everything happens at ludicrous speeds, we could theoretically see Intel show off Skylake as soon as August and Apple ship something with Skylake as soon as October. Otherwise we're probably looking at sometime between next spring and next summer.

And that's if you're the kind of person who doesn't mind jumping on new platforms. Some people prefer to avoid "Rev A" and wait for second generation. That would stretch the timeline out further for you.

Personally, if it were me, I'd try my best to wait. But your needs might be more immediate than mine.

Why are Apple's new VPs of design reporting to Tim Cook?

Alan Dye, new vice president of human interface design (HI) and Richard Howarth, new vice president of industrial design (ID) reporting to Tim Cook means nothing more nor less than where they've been positioned on "paper". (In quotes because Apple never publishes an org chart for the general public.) And who they report to is identical to who all the other vice presidents listed on Apple's company leadership page report to — the CEO.

There are plenty of other vice presidents at Apple who don't report to Tim Cook and aren't publicly listed on that page, but Dye and Howarth do, and so they are.

There are all sorts of theories as to why, from Apple not wanting Jony Ive to have any direct reports so they don't have to disclose his compensation, to Ive not wanting to have any official management duties so he can devote all his time to what he's best at—design.

For a while at Apple Steve Jobs reportedly had no direct reports aside from Steve Wozniak. Anyone think he had any trouble running any division anyway?

Apple isn't like most other companies, so trying to read into the reporting structure is an exercise in futility.

Mail, and the bulk deleting thereof

You can already tap Edit in the mail list, then check off all the mail you want, then tap Trash (or Archive depending on your settings) and banish it from your inbox. Is that the kind of bulk delete you're looking for, or something bulkier?

Will there be any Force Touch magic for the Magic Trackpad?

I'm guessing you mean the external Magic Trackpad? I certainly hope so. I've been using Magic Trackpads for years and the idea that I could access the Force Click and other forms of press-sensitive input on my iMac holds a lot of appeal.

This spring was all about getting the Force Touch trackpad into the Retina laptop line. That's been done. So, it's simply a question of how high the Magic Trackpad is on the priority list. Apple typically wants its new technologies available on all its major products, and it's rumored we'll see Force Touch on the iPhone 6s this fall.

While a Force Touch Magic Trackpad could just show up in the store or in a press release at any time, we could also see it announced alongside the next updates for the Mac mini, iMac, and/or Mac Pro.

Multicolor mail flags in iOS

Apple hasn't announced anything, so odds are Flag remains a binary state in iOS 9.

Will the new iPod touch really be new?

Freak not! While nothing is for certain until Apple shows it off on stage or details it in a press release, my understanding is that the next generation iPod touch will finally leave the A5 processor behind and leap ahead, at least as far as the A7.

The perpetual challenge with the iPod touch is to give it enough technology to maintain platform compatibility, but not so much that it negatively affects the cost. (Look at an off-contract iPhone 6 or iPad Air 2 to see what the latest screens and chipsets do to the price points of iOS devices.)

The A7 (or higher) would get the iPod touch onto Apple's 64-bit platform, open it up to all the same technologies the other A7 (and above) devices enjoy, and yet keep it affordable and entry-level.

That's it for this week! Thanks to everyone who contributed! To get your questions in for next week, email them to askrene@imore.com or tweet them to @reneritchie with #askrene.

Apple's fall 2014 event brought with it an all new iPad Air 2, a somewhat updated iPad mini 3, gorgeous new retina iMacs, and finally, an update to the very long in the tooth Mac mini. Make no mistake, this was no small event for Apple and they delivered on a lot. However, there are still a few things that were either rumored or expected that didn't seem make the cut this fall.

Retina MacBook Air

It's arguable that a Retina Display MacBook Air has been one of the most highly anticipated items of the year. Unfortunately, it's most likely not going to happen until the spring at the earliest. Most of this can be attributed to Intel's continued delays of their new Broadwell chips that would bring power consumption in line with what Apple would expect in the MacBook Air line. A Retina Display draws a lot more power and portable computers are a little more tricky than desktop computers, because you know, battery.

So for now, we have Retina iMacs, which are an amazing upgrade in their own right.

iPad mini 3 performance boosts

One of the only things that disappointed me personally during this event was how much of a shaft the third generation iPad mini got. Not only does it not get the [new A8X chip](http://, it also didn't get an upgraded camera or 802.11ac support. Basically, the iPad mini 3 with Retina Display is pretty much what we got last year with the addition of Touch ID, a gold option, and upgraded storage.

For people that really wanted the power of an iPad Air in a smaller form factor, the iPad mini 3 unfortunately isn't it.

NFC-enabled iPads

The new iPads were rumored by many sources to receive NFC capabilities for use with Apple Pay. While we never really fancied the idea of tapping to pay with an iPad, we know there are some folks out there that for one reason or another, wanted to see an NFC capable iPad.

Looks like we'll have to wait at least another year to witness people dropping their iPads off a Starbucks counter while trying to use Apple Pay. Damn...

iPad Pro

Rumors of an iPad Pro were growing rather persistent as we neared launch, specifically a 12.9" model. If I were to take an educated guess on why, I'd almost certainly think it may have to do with Apple not being able to get battery life where it needs to be for a screen that large. If you remember, the iPad 2 never received a Retina Display for what was believed to be a similar reason.

For whatever reason, it's not going to see the light of day this year. When Apple feels comfortable with the performance, it's probably a product we'll see.

5K Thunderbolt 2 display

This is one thing I know a lot of my colleagues and many designers really wanted to see happen. Considering the new Retina Display iMacs pack a 5K display, it isn't unreasonable to assume that Apple could easily adapt the same technology into a standalone Apple display. However, for some reason they decided not to follow through on that.

However, a 5K display may be something that Apple opted not to devote stage time to. At this point, I wouldn't rule out the fact that we may see it eventually crop up in a press release or just appear in the online Apple Store.

Apple TV

Some people were really hoping for a refreshed Apple TV, even though we had a feeling it wouldn't see the light of day until next spring. When iOS 8 was released in September, newer revisions of the Apple TV received a decent update that overhauled the entire interface. And for now, that's going to have to be enough to hold us over until spring.

New iPod touches

The iPod touch hasn't been updated since the fall of 2012 and is starting to show its age. There's no Touch ID support and even though it supports the latest version of iOS, it can't take advantage of many features simply due to its age. While we didn't expect to see new iPod touches at this event, it's still an item in Apple's lineup that's still biding its time.

Your impressions?

If you tuned into Apple's live stream or followed our coverage live, are there any items you were secretly crossing your fingers for that aren't listed above? If so, be sure to let me know what as well as your opinions on today's announcements in the comments!

In late June Apple rejiggered the iPod touch line, making a consistent feature set across the line, dropping the price and lowering the cost of additional storage capacity. It's probably enough to provoke some short-term sales increases of the iPod touch, but I'm more interested in what comes next. What I'd really like to see is a bigger iPod touch.

Now, we've heard a lot about a bigger iPhone. The rumor has been repeated often enough that many of us take for granted that it's on the way, though Apple hasn't actually said a word one way or the other.

The case for a bigger iPod touch

Assuming, for the moment, that the rumors are correct and that a 5.5-inch iPhone 6 is coming this fall, wouldn't it be great to see a 5.5-inch iPod touch, too?

I play a fair number of games on my iPhone 5S, and I find its 4 inch screen simply too small. As an active game interface, which most games require me to use, the 4-inch screen often gets in my way. Or rather, my fingers get in the way of whatever's going on on the screen. What's more, the screen's just too small to render a lot of game objects with enough detail for me to figure out what's going on.

Stepping up to the next largest device, the iPad mini, is just too big. I don't want a tablet — I just want a larger handheld.

I think there's a significant market for a larger iOS device whose main purpose isn't taking phone calls. If you need justification, look at Nintendo's sales of the 3DS XL - the larger-format version of its popular 3DS handheld game system. It's been out since the summer of 2012 and by the end of last year had sold over 15 million units.

By comparison, the smaller 3DS, which began shipping more than a year earlier in February 2011, has sold 43 million units to date. Obviously 3DS XL sales are a fraction of 3DS sales, but it's still a pretty significant fraction, and a good demonstration that given the choice, many gamers will opt for a larger device.

Gaming, of course, only scratches the surface of what a larger iPod touch could do - they're excellent media consumption devices, fine for messaging, surfing the web and other stuff. But games continue to rank as the number one category of apps in the App Store and they're unquestionably a huge draw for buyers of iOS devices.

iPod touches, in particular, appeal to families looking for systems for their kids without resorting to higher-priced iPhones and iPads.

Faster under the hood?

If Apple is working on a larger format iPod touch, I'd be willing to bet that it's going to have a much faster processor under the hood than the current model.

Today's iPod touch uses the A5 processor - the same processor that powers the iPhone 4S, iPad 2, Apple TV and iPad mini. It's in good company, but even at the time it debuted it was slower than its contemporary, the iPhone 5.

If Apple continues to keep the iPod touch a step behind the iPhone, my assumption is that Apple would stick an A7 processor inside of it, since that's last year's hardware. It makes sense to bring it to at least the A7, though, since Apple's focusing a lot of attention on Metal, new graphics technology that promises to speed up gaming graphics and computational work in iOS 8.

The Bottom Line

I've said in the past that I'd buy one if Apple makes a larger iPhone available. But a few weeks ago on The iMore Show podcast, Rene Ritchie asked me what I'd do if I could get a larger iPod touch instead.

I have to admit that the idea of a larger iPod touch actually appeals to me more than the idea of a larger iPhone. I've gotten quite used to having a small enough phone to slip in my pocket without noticing too much — jumping from 4 to 5 or 5.5 inches would be a pretty significant change. But a larger iPod touch isn't something I'd have in my pocket all the time.

How kids and others would handle it is a different story, though. That's a lot of device to carry around with you when you're 10 years old. But if they can manage their 3DS XL now, I'm sure they'd be able to handle a bigger iPod touch.

Are you looking forward to getting a bigger iPhone or iPod touch? Is games a big draw for you? Let me know what you think in the comments.

The iPod touch is now colorful and camera-equiped across the line, and available for just $199 for 16GB, and just $249 or $299 for 32GB or 64GB. To get to those price points, however, it eschews cutting-edge specs. It's not the fastest processor or highest-end camera. It's simply the least expensive, most portable way way to get onto iOS and the App Store. So what does that mean for the experience? How productive and how much fun is it to use?

To answer those questions we turned to our our ace 5-year old and 8-year old review team — my god children. Both are iPod touch users. Both use the iPod touch to pictures and videos, to share photos and make movies, to stay in touch with their extended families, to keep up with their school work, and to learn more about the world around them. And, in the video above, both of them were gracious enough to take some time and show us just exactly that.

So sit back, hit play, and check out our first kids-on — a day in their lives with the iPod touch.

The iPod touch doesn't always get the attention or consideration it deserves. Some of that is simply a reflection of its current status — it hasn't seen a significant update since it was released alongside the iPhone 5 in 2012. Sure, it has the a 4-inch Retina display like the current iPhones, and the same 5mp iSight camera as the iPad line, but it's using the Apple A5 processor in time when even the Apple A7 may soon be surpassed. Yet, as Apple told us so brilliantly in 2011, technology alone is not enough. It's experience, not specs that matter to most people. And if anyone is the least bit price sensitive, if anyone wants something pocketable but doesn't want the phone bits, then the iPod touch remains one of the best options. So, now that Apple's added case colors and a camera to the 16GB model at $199, and dropped the price of the 32GB and 64GB models to $249 and $299 respectively, how do you know if the iPod touch is for you or yours?

The kid's coolest friend

Both my 5-year old and 8-year old god children have iPod touches. They love them. They don't need data plans. They don't need phones (there's FaceTime for that!). They take photos and videos. They make trailers in iMovie. They practice their French and Italian in Duolingo. They learn about science and math and geography and everything else the App Store has to teach them. They play the very occasional game, watch the very occasional video.

The 5-year old can read and write remarkably well now but before he could, he used Siri to both hear and dictate iMessages. With it, he could communicate with his parents — and his godfather! — as an equal digital citizen. (Siri in general is great for him. He thanks Siri for helping him out and chats with Siri as I imagine he would a robot pal.)

Technology isn't something new or strange to either of them or to any child. It's something that, for them, has always existed. iOS is as natural a tool as a stick and dirt, a pen and paper, a keyboard and display. More natural even, thanks to direct manipulation.

For a kid, and for anyone who doesn't need a phone or want anything as big as a tablet, the iPod touch is the perfect device. Even more perfect now, thanks to the price.

The traveling companion

iPod touches are incredibly easy to take with you. They slip into almost any pocket and can easily fit into almost any pack. They have excellent battery life and don't require high powered chargers. While the iSight camera isn't as good as the iPhone's, the video camera is 1080p so when you're not watching TV or movies in the back seat of the car or during the long hours on the plane, you can can make your own from the most important moments of your trip.

There's no LTE option for the iPod touch but there is Wi-Fi for whenever you're at or on a hotspot (including an iPhone hotspot!), and there's Bluetooth LE and direct Wi-Fi. So, if you're out with the family, you can still AirDrop photos, contacts, or any information you need.

With Passbook your boarding passes, tickets, and gift cards, are all safely collected for you, all in one place. And any time you are online, you can quickly check mail, weather, maps, or anything else you have the chance to catch up on.

While the iPod touch is especially good for kids, for all the reasons mentioned previously, it's also good for adults. Even if you have an iPhone and are online all the time, travel and especially roaming are hard on batteries. Having an iPod touch is a great, light way to do a lot of the things you want to do and save your iPhone for the things only it can do.

The educational assistant

Schools have embraced the iPad but there's something to be said for the iPod touch as well. I have nothing against the iPad as a camera. The large screen makes for a great view finder. However, the iPad isn't as easy to carry around and manipulate as a point-and-shoot. The iPod touch is. Likewise, while the iSight camera isn't as good as the one on the iPhone, schools that don't need the added expense of the iPhone's technology and students that need telephones in the classroom can do almost anything they need to do with an iPod touch.

Equipping a school or club with iPod touches means giving them the smallest, lightest production studios imaginable. Whether they take and edit video or read or make books, the scope and quality of projects enabled by the relatively inexpensive iPod touch is simply unprecedented.

The home automator

My lightbulbs are powered by Hue. My speakers are powered by Sonos. I have the Remote app for my Apple TV and the Panasonic app for the actual set. I've ordered a sous vide machine that works with an iOS app. Thanks to the HomeKit announcements at WWDC, I can easily imagine a time when most of the sophisticated electronic devices in my house are connected and interconnected by iOS 8.

I have all those apps, and I expect will soon have more, on my iPhone. But I also have them on my iPod touch, which sits on the coffee table. I reach for it a lot. On such restricted duty, the battery lasts a long time, and because it only has one job, and always sits in the same place, I never have to wonder where it is or waste time looking for it.

It might seem like overkill, but if you price a fancy universal remote you'll see they're just as expensive as an entry-level iPod touch and not only aren't they anywhere nearly as capable, what passes for software on them is beyond rage inducing. (You can even get IR adaptors for your iPod touch if you're into full-on home theater control.)

The connected iPod

The iPod touch is the only iPod with Wi-Fi. While Apple may one day have smaller devices running iOS, for right now, the iPod touch is the thinnest, lightest, iOS machine there is. That means, unlike the iPods classic, nano, or shuffle, the touch can hook into iCloud. It can hook into iTunes Match and iTunes Radio. It can hook into Beats Music and Songza and Netflix and Marvel Unlimited. As long as you're on Wi-Fi or the service allows caching, the iPod touch can hook into pretty much any entertainment service on iTunes or the App Store.

It's an iPod that's not restricted to local content. It's an iPod you can fully interact with, and one you can use to connect to the vast world of video and audio all around you.

A 128GB option will no doubt be required before the last of the iPod classic stalwarts joins us in the modern iOS era, but for everyone else, for athletes to recent fitness converts, for audiophiles to people who simply want to listen to podcasts on their way to work, for everyone who wants an iPod, the iPod touch is the most capable one to get.

The developer's test subject

Every year at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) the story is the same. Apple announces a new version of iOS during the keynote, and almost every developer in the room whips out an iPod touch to install it on. That's because, like everyone else, developers depend on their iPhones. They need them to stay connected and otherwise handle their business. They can't afford to devote them to testing beta software. But at $199, they can easily afford a dedicated iPod touch to do just that.

Eventually, as release approaches, developers will have to — and will want to — test on every device their apps support, including iPhones and iPads. But for the first couple betas, the iPod touch is often where it's at.

Bottom line

These are only some of the uses for the iPod touch. While the iPod touch isn't for everyone — some will want the bigger screen and software of the iPad, others the always-on connectivity of the iPhone — it's not an option anyone should ignore out of hand. Sure, more people than ever before are moving quickly or directly to the iPhone or the iPad. Yet for many, for children and the classrooms, for travelers and for dedicated activities, the iPod touch remains not only the gateway iOS and App Store device, but the best iOS and App Store device period.

If you or someone you know is using an iPod touch, let me know how. If, given the new pricing, you're considering one, let me know that as well!

Apple has released an updated 16GB iPod touch for $199. While the previous 16GB model featured no rear camera and only came in Space Gray, the new version has a 5-megapixel iSight camera and comes in the same array of colors as the 32GB and 64GB models — space gray, silver, pink, yellow, blue, and (Product) red.

The updated 16GB iPod touch is still based on the 2012 platform, still uses the the Apple A5 chip, and still has a 4-inch Retina display. In addition to the new 16GB model, the larger capacity versions have received a price drop. The 32GB iPod touch now costs $249, down from $299, while the 64GB model is now $299, formerly $399.

Below is Apple's press release regarding the new, low-end model.

Apple Brings Vibrant Colors & iSight Camera to Most Affordable iPod touch Model

iPod touch Lineup Now Starting at $199

CUPERTINO, California—June 26, 2014—Apple® today announced its 16GB iPod touch® is now available in vibrant colors and equipped with a 5 megapixel iSight® camera for just $199. The entire iPod touch lineup features the 5 megapixel iSight camera with 1080p HD video recording, brilliant 4-inch Retina® display, Apple's A5 chip and FaceTime® camera. iPod touch features an ultra-thin and light anodized aluminum design and is available in pink, yellow, blue, silver, space gray and (PRODUCT) RED. iPod touch comes in a 16GB model for $199, 32GB for $249, and 64GB for $299.

iPod touch comes with iOS 7, offering more than 200 features including Camera app filters that let you easily add real-time photo effects. Additionally, the Photos app offers ways to automatically organize your photos based on time and location. With iCloud® Photo Sharing, it's simple to share photos and videos with exactly the people you want to see them and your friends and family can comment and access their shared streams from any iPhone®, iPad®, iPod touch, Mac® or PC at any time. This fall, iOS 8 will be supported on the entire iPod touch lineup.

With the revolutionary App Store℠ on iPod touch, users in 155 countries have access to over 1.2 million apps for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, including hundreds of thousands of games. More than 75 billion apps have been downloaded from the App Store. Customers also have the iTunes Store® at their fingertips, giving instant access to an incredible selection of music, TV shows, movies and books to purchase and download directly to their iPod touch.

Pricing & Availability iPod touch 16GB is available starting in the US today and worldwide in the coming days, in pink, yellow, blue, silver and space gray through the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested price of $199 (US). Starting today, the 32GB and 64GB models have been repriced worldwide, at a suggested price of $249 (US) for the 32GB model and $299 (US) for the 64GB model. iPod touch requires a Wi-Fi connection or a Mac with a USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 port, Mac OS X v10.6.8 or later and iTunes® 10.7 or later; or a Windows PC with a USB 2.0 port and Windows 7, Windows Vista or Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 3 or later and iTunes 10.7 or later. An Apple ID is required for some iPod touch features.

(PRODUCT) RED models of iPod touch are available through the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com) and Apple's retail stores.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.

Wi-Fi. Cellular. Games. The more you use your iPhone, the more you're going to run down the battery. As advanced as the iPhone gets inside, there are still practical limits for the capacity of its internal batteries, and sometimes what comes with it simply isn't enough. That's where a device like Tylt's PowerPlant, a portable battery pack, can really make a difference.

The PowerPlant contains lithium ion battery cells which hold a 5,200 mAh charge - enough to completely charge up your iPhone twice, or to completely charge two devices once, simultaneously. At 2.1 amps and 5 volts, the PowerPlant is technically able to charge up your iPad, too, though the capacity is much less than an iPad can hold.

The PowerPlant integrates a built-in USB connection to charge a device that has its own sync cable, along with either an integrated Lightning, 30-pin Dock Connector or micro USB cable connected on a flexible arm that bends away from the body. I tested the Lightning version.

The universal USB charging socket and the micro USB input socket are both ensconced at one end of the PowerPlant, hidden beneath a port cover made of the same flexible material as the Lightning charging cable. Expect to plug it in overnight to recharge the PowerPlant: It takes about six to seven hours to fully charge after being depleted.

Clad in glossy black plastic with matte lime green accents, the PowerPlant is handsome and even a bit eye catching. Four green power status LEDs are hidden on one end of the device; depress a recessed button and see how much charge your PowerPlant has at a glance. (You also press that button to turn on the PowerPlant once you've connected your device for recharging.)

When you charge up the PowerPlant using the equipped micro USB cable, the power status LEDs will flash as the device tops off. Tylt says the PowerPlant can take about 500 complete charge cycles before it begins to lose capacity. (So if you run it down to 50 percent one day, recharge it, and then use 50 percent the next day, that'd be one full charge cycle.)

The PowerPlant measures roughly three inches long and about an inch and a half wide and deep, making it about the size of 4 AA batteries taped together in a brick. The weight is about 5.4 ounces.

Tylt's stuff is well made and looks great. The small size of the PowerPlant makes it super to stick in a bag or backpack for juicing up my iPhone on the go, though its square dimensions make it a bit awkward for a jacket or pants pocket. I love the integrated Lightning flex cable. It's one less thing to lose in my bag, and one fewer cable I need to keep with me to make sure my phone's at peak power.

Let me know if you have any questions about the PowerPlant - I'll be happy to answer them in the comments.

• $69.95 - Buy now

We're approaching the holidays, and soon you may be looking for cool things to get for that iPhone, iPod touch or iPad owner on your gift list. Remote controlled toys have long been a popular gift for kids and adults alike, and they've gotten cooler than ever now that toy makers have caught on to the idea of using iOS devices as a control system. Here's a roundup of some of my favorites.

BattleTank

Desk Pets makes inexpensive remote controlled toys for iOS and Android. BattleTank is a $30 desktop toy that works in conjunction with a downloadable app - the app sports two play modes, "battle mode," and will slow your tank down as it's hit by an enemy. Best if you buy two so you can play against a friend; buy three and you can put one of them in "drone mode" so both of you can chase down an enemy together.

A flip-down USB connector on the tank's back end lets you plug it into your Mac to charge up when it's not in use. BattleTank comes in three different colors; like Desk Pets' other offerings, this uses a remote control dongle that plugs into your iOS device's headphone jack.

• $29.95 - Buy now

iLaunch Thunder

"If I Had a Rocket Launcher" isn't just a great Bruce Cockburn song, it's a mantra for generations of office dwellers who have fantasized about bombarding their annoying coworkers with artillery. Now you can, with Dream Cheeky's iLaunch Thunder. This foam missile launcher rotates 270 degrees and rises 40 degrees up and down, lobbing missiles up to 25 feet away.

The foam darts are launched on air-powered pistons, and the whole apparatus uses a recharagable lithium battery, so you can put it where you want. It talks to your iOS device using Bluetooth and a free app you can download through the App Store.

• $59.99 ($48.99 at Amazon) - Buy now

Rover 2.0 Spy Tank

Make like the NSA with this remote-controlled spy drone that works over Wi-Fi rather than Bluetooth. It sports built-in night vision imaging so you can see in the dark, and it streams video you can record. You can upload videos to Facebook and other social networking services directly from the app.

The app also lets you adjust the comer angle, listen to audio through a microphone built in to the rover, and turn headlights on or off (so you can give your victims some warning that you're coming). The downside to this one is that it'll only work where you have Wi-Fi signal.

• $119 - Buy now

Sphero 2.0

For the uninitiated, Sphero is a rolling ball of fun, controlled remotely using an iOS or Android device. But that's only scratching the surface. Developer Orbotix and other companies have produced software to play with Sphero - everything from "augmented reality" games to party games, so you get plenty of playability with the little rolling ball of fun beyond just zooming it around the house or in the backyard.

Sphero 2.0 is faster and better than before, with a new engine that goes up to twice as fast, is three times brighter to see (it uses internal multicolor LEDs to change color), and more accurate controls. Sphero 2.0 also ships with ramps so you can make your happy fun ball do tricks. "Nubby covers," available separately, add colorful textures to the outside of the Sphero to make it gripper, like an off-road tire.

• $129 - Buy now

Silverlit Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG

The SLS AMG is Mercedes-Benz's two-seat sports car - the spiritual successor to the legendary 300SL, complete with "gull-wing" doors. It's also almost a quarter of million dollars to buy one. So Silverlit's $129 SLS AMG seems like a bargain by comparison.

The level of detail in this little RC is astonishing, right down to turn signals that light up when you move the steering wheel. When you pop open the gullwing doors and look inside, you'll see a beautifully detailed dash, as well. The app is exceptional - it gives you a virtual cockpit view that puts you behind the wheel of your car, and even lets you pipe music from iTunes directly from the car as well (the doors can bounce up and down in time with the music).

• $129 ($96.61 at Amazon) - Buy now

Anki Drive

This cool kit made a splash at WWDC earlier this year, and now it's available for purchase. Anki Drive isn't a proper remote control toy as much as it is the next generation of slot racing with a healthy dose of Super Mario Kart built in, all coordinated through your iOS device. Anki Drive includes a mat you lay out on your floor that has a race track on it; you get two cars (two more are available for separate purchase). Your goal is to take out your opponents and win the race.

Each car has a different "personality" and uses different offensive and defensive techniques. What's more, the artificial intelligence in the app keeps track of what you're doing and adapts. You can also play against a friend if you prefer challenges in meatspace.

• $199 - Buy now

AR.Drone 2.0 Power Edition

No discussion of iOS-compatible remote controlled devices would be complete without mentioning Parrot's AR.Drone, the quad copter that got a lot of people interested in this technology to begin with. The AR.Drone 2.0 Power Edition is the latest iteration, and it features a built-in 720p HD camera with a 92 degree wide-angle lens and storage capabilities, a more robust design sporting carbon fiber that's more repairable, if you do get into bad situations, better stabilization and better motors. Also comes with two swappable 1500mAh batteries, four sets of colored propellers so you can customize your look.

• $369.99 - Buy now

This is a healthy sample of what's available but is by no means complete - what are some of your favorites, or what do you have your eye on? Post here in the comments and let me know.

Just when you thought the iPhone 5c would be internally, atomically the same as last year's iPhone 5, Apple went and gave it the same FaceTime HD camera boost as the new, flagship iPhone 5s. That means bigger pixels and a back illuminated sensor (BSI) that gets the wires out of the way and - your guessed it! - captured even more photons. The camera itself is still a relatively tame 1.2mp but that's enough - exactly - for 1080p video, and now at 1.9 microns (which is bigger in size, if far, far fewer in number than the rear iSight camera). Tech babble aside, what does that mean for your FaceTime video calls, and your selfies? Let's take a look.

FaceTime camera evolution

The front-facing camera, which Apple has co-branded FaceTime to match their video and audio calling service, was introduced in 2010 with the iPhone 4. It wasn't even a megapixel and was capable of only 480p VGA video, but it was a start. The iPhone 5 got a FaceTime HD camera, at just over a megapixel but with better 720p video. The iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c both keep that resolution but get slightly better optics to go with it, and the iPhone 5s gets a much better image signal processor as well.

FaceTime HD camera daylight still performance

Daylight performance for stills was pretty good, and pretty similar across the board. However, the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c appear to have better tonal range. From left to right, top to bottom: iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5, iPod touch 5.

FaceTime HD low-light still performance

Lowlight performance presented far more obvious differences. Here's where those bigger pixels and BSI pay off, providing less noise and better tone. From left to right, top to bottom: iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5, iPod touch 5.

FaceTime HD video performance

Again, with good lighting, I'm not going to say there's a tremendous difference, though the iPod touch does show its age and relatively lower power levels the most. Low light, as above, is where you'll see the most difference. The iPhone 5s significantly out-performed the iPhone 5c here, even though they have the same FaceTime HD camera hardware. Unless there's something amiss with my device, that might be yet another example of the excellent image signal processor (ISP) in the iPhone 5s Apple A7 chipset.

Bottom line

So is the FaceTime HD camera in the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c as new and improved as Apple says it is? Surely. Will it make a difference for your video calls or self-portraits? Only if you make and take a lot of them in low-light (we don't judge!). It's nothing to upgrade from an iPhone 5 for, but it's one more thing on the list of small improvements that add up to better devices.

If you've been using - or abusing - the iPhone 5s or iPhone 5c front-facing FaceTime HD camera, let me know what your results have been.

• iPhone 5s vs iPhone 5c vs iPhone 5: iSight camera shootout!

If you just got a new iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, or iPad mini, tore it out of its box, turned it on, and... are wondering just what to do next, don't worry -- iMore's here to help. Thanks to the introduction of iCloud whether this is your first iOS device ever, or just the latest in a long line, it's easier than ever to set it up as a brand new gear or restore it from a backup of your old gear, and get going.

"Just works" is just the worst when it doesn't, so instead of wasting time, check out our help and how-to tutorials below, so you can start spending time with your iPhone, iPod, or iPad as fast as possible, including iCloud, Siri, iMessage, Notification Center, and much, much more. (Including the best free apps and games for iPhone and iPad!)

And hey, if you already know everything there is to know about iOS, just bookmark this page and share it with family and friends who don't. We'll do the heavy lifting so you can spend your holidays having fun!

iOS 6

• iOS 6: Complete feature guide
• iOS 6: Device help and discussion forums

iCloud: The ultimate guide

Siri: The ultimate guide

Notification Center: The ultimate guide

iMessage: The ultimate guide

Photography: The ultimate guide

iPhone, iPod, and iPad extras

• iPhone and iPad Accessories, cases, cables, and more
• iPhone and iPad Retina wallpapers
• Best free iPhone apps and best free iPhone games
• Best free iPad apps and best free iPad games

How to get more help with your new iPhone, iPod, or iPad

Still have questions? Need more specific answers? Just want to chat with the best iOS and Apple community on the internet? Here's where you should go:

• iMore forums

Even though the iPod touch 5 doesn't have as great of a camera as the iPhone 5, its camera has been severely updated from what was included with its predecessor. The iPod touch 5 is equipped with a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera with a f/2.4 five-element lens, hybrid IR filter, backside illuminations, and the ability to take both panorama and HDR photos. This camera may have the same megapixel count as the iPhone 4 camera, but the components and build-quality are closer to that of iPhone 5 camera with a five-element lens made from sapphire crystal .

We've already taken the iPod touch 5 camera head-to-head with the iPhone 5, so now it's time take a closer look at the iPod touch 5 camera on it's own. Spoiler-alert: it's probably better than you think!

Hardware design of iPod touch 5 iSight Camera

Since the body of the iPod touch 5 has been designed to be incredibly thin, the camera is too big to be able to sit flush against the casing of the device. Instead, the camera slightly protrudes out of the backside of the iPod touch. The silver ring that surrounds the lens is a tad bit thicker than the lens so at to prevent the lens from making direct content with any surfaces you may place your iPod touch on. It was very strange at first to see the lens sticking out like this, but I've gotten used to it and am wiling the sacrifice the slight awkwardness for an incredibly thin device in return.

Sample photos taken with the iPod touch 5

All of the photos featured in this article have been taken with an iPod touch 5 and have not been altered in any way.

These first few examples are of general photography like landscapes, flowers, children, and more. There's a good mixture between shaded and sunny environments, and bright and dark subjects. As you can see, the iPod touch performed very well.

Just as with the iPhone 5 camera, I was very impressed with how easily the iPod touch 5 locked focus on close-up subjects. Marco photography is one of my favorite types of photography on iOS devices, so this made me smile.

The iPod touch 5 handles HDR photos very well. The improvements made to shadows and bright skies are very noticeable. As you can see in the photo above, turning on HDR made the blown-out white sky look like it did in real life -- blue!

One of the biggest weaknesses of every iPhone and iPod touch camera has been the poor quality of photos taken in low light scenarios. Unfortunately, this continues to be a huge weakness with the iPod touch 5 as well. In medium-low light situations like sunset, the iPod touch does ok, but once your environment is very dark, not only are the photos very grainy, but the colors are also way off.

Notice the green, ugly tint on this extreme low-light photo.

Performance doesn't improve when you head indoors, either. This next photo was taken in poor indoor lighting, and it's grainy with terrible coloring.

When I turned on the flash, I got much better results.

The iPod touch 5 is equipped with a 1.2-megapixel front-facting FaceTime HD camera. This is the same FaceTime camera featured on the iPhone 5, and it does an equally decent job. The quality is clearly not as good as the rear-facing iSight camera, but it's not too bad either. Since it's easier to get a self-portrait with the front-facing camera than with the rear-facing, it will usually be worth giving up some quality to use the FaceTime camera for self-portraits.

With all the attention given to purple flare on the iPhone 5, I had no choice but to investigate if the iPod touch could easily cast a purple flare on its photos. As expected, it wasn't difficult to create a photograph with purple flare with the iPod touch 5. Although easy to produce, purple flare is not a regular problem. As long as you're familiar with why a lens will cast a purple flare on your image, you can avoid these situations and very rarely be haunted by the presence of purple.

One of the exciting new features of iOS 6 is the ability to take panoramic photos directly from the built-in camera app by simply panning the scene -- and it produces beautiful results with the iPod touch 5!

The bottom line

Overall, I am very impressed with the iPod touch 5 camera and think it can easily replace a low-end point-and-shoot camera. And since the iPod touch is also an iPod, you get to do so much more with it than take photos! For many people, investing in an iPod touch will be more useful and satisfying than investing in a compact camera.

To get the most out of your iPod touch 5's camera, be sure head over to our photography page for some tutorials on take spectacular images!

In addition to giving the iPad mini a photo gallery all of its own, we are also excited to present to you a photo gallery that compares the iPad mini to all the other three iPad form factors, the iPhone 5, and iPod touch 5.

Enjoy!

iPad mini vs iPad 3/4

iPad mini vs. iPad 3/4, iPad 2, iPhone 5, iPod touch 5

Equipment used: Nikon D800 with Sigma 50mm f/1.4 lens

We've just given away three new iPhone 5 handsets and now we want to celebrate the release of the new iPod touch and iPod nano by giving some of those away as well. They're funner(erer?) than ever, and totally renanoed, and we know you want them, so here's the deal!

We're giving away two (2) free iPod touches and three (3) iPod nanos to lucky iMore readers!

That's right! Free. No strings attached. All you have to do is be a registered member of iMore and leave a comment below telling us which color iPod touch or nano you want. You have one week to get your entry in, so get to it! We will announce the lucky winner next Tuesday, October 23, right here on the blogs. Right in time for the next big contest!

As for the rules: One comment per person. If we find you trying to cheat and enter multiple times, you will be disqualified. The contest is open worldwide, so anyone can enter. And the prize is just the iPod, any additions or accessories are the responsibility of the winners. Now, while we really do appreciate you reading through to the end, GO ENTER! Good luck!

If you thought the iPhone 5 set a new bar for thin and light, wait until you see the iPod touch 5. Thanks to the miniaturized Lightning connector and the single layer in-cell display, the iPod touch 5 really is entering the realm of ludicrously, turn-it-sideways-and-it-almost-disappears thin.

Unlike previous years, stainless steel on the back of the iPod touch has given way to aluminum. Anodized aluminum to be precise. We've seen that with the iPods nano and shuffle before, and it's nice to see it on the touch now as well. For the first time, you can also choose between black, white & silver, blue, yellow, pink and, at Apple Stores only, (product) RED. We've got blue and silver so far, with more on the way. So sit back, relax, and take a look at the new iPod touch... if you can see it.

All photos taken with a Nikon D800 and a Sigma 50mm f/1.4 lens, macros taken with a Canon 5D Mark III and a EF 100mm f/2.8 L IS USM lens by Rene Ritchie, embedded at HiDPI for iPhones, iPad 3, and Retina MacBook Pro.

The iPhone 5 is the thinnest, lightest iPhone ever, but the iPod touch 5 is almost 2-dimensional. Everything comes at a price, however, and so while the iPod touch 5 is even thinner and lighter than the iPhone 5, it doesn't have anywhere near as good internals. If you don't care about that, however, if all you want to do is scratch the surface and find more surface, then here's how the iPod touch 5 compares to the iPhone 5 is close up. And for good measure, we'll throw in some iPod touch 4 and iPod touch 3 action as well.

While the iPod touch 4 had a decidedly worse display than the iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S, the iPod touch 5 received the same 4-inch, 16:9, 1136x640 326ppi IPS (in-plane switching), in-cell display as the iPhone 5, and that's remarkable.

As you'd expect, the iPod touch 5 looks every bit as good, bright, clear, crisp, and colorful as the iPhone 5 even at macro.

Compared to the iPod touch 4, the difference is far more noticeable. Even at the same 50% brightness level, the iPod touch 4 display has far more "pop" (that's the technical term, I swear!) and IPS really improves the viewing angle. (It's more dramatic on videos than it is on the Home screen, so we'll add some of those shots in soon.)

While the iPhone 5 has a two-tone back made necessary by the large, glass, radio-transparent panels at the top and bottom, the iPod touch goes for edge-to-edge aluminum, albeit with a black, plastic radio panel in the top corner. That's unlike the iPod touch 4 but similar to the iPod touch 3.

The iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S both have 8 megapixel sensors for their rear-facing iSight cameras. The iPod touch 5 has a 5 megapixel sensor, the same size as the iPhone 4. Lenses like depth, however, and the iPod touch 5 has very little of that, so it's impressive Apple got as good a sensor in there as they did.

The iPod touch 5 iSight camera, of course, dwarfs the 720p (as in peashooter) found on the iPod touch 4. (The iPod touch 3 had an even worse camera -- none.)

The iPod touch 5's front-facing FaceTime HD camera, however, is the same as the iPhone 5's, capturing 720p video. (Yes, the front camera this year is as good as the back camera of the last two years...)

And it absolutely embarrasses the the iPod touch 4's embarrassing VGA (480p) FaceTime camera.

Close up, while the iPod touch 5 lacks the phone mic and the same grid design as the iPhone 5, they both now share similar layouts thanks to the iPhone 5 headset jack moving.

Like the iPhone 5, the iPod touch 5 uses the new Lightning connector at the bottom. This lets it be even thinner than the previous, ridiculously thin, iPod touch 4 and iPod touch 3.

It's hard to really tell because of the amount of curvature on the iPod touch 4 and iPod touch 3 -- The iPod touch 5 has a flatter form factor, more reminiscent of recent iPhones than iPods.

But it makes the iPhone 4S look positively chunky.

All shots taken with a Canon 5D Mark III and a Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM and an EF 100mm f/2.8 L IS USM Macro lens, embedded at HiDPI for iPhones, iPad 3, and Retina MacBook Pro.

If you've had your eyes on a new iPod touch, iPod nano, or iPod shuffle, but prefer doing your pre-ordering through Amazon than Apple, you're in luck -- Amazon has just put their new iPod pre-order page live!

It's the same iPod touch, iPod nano, and iPod shuffle you'd get from Apple -- absent the Apple exclusive Product (RED) versions -- and you'll likely get them around the same time as you would if you ordered from Apple, but options are good, and Amazon is one of the best.

• The new iPod touch has the same 4-inch 16:9 display as the iPhone 5, as good a camera as the iPhone 4, along with an even thinner design, and a convenient carrying loop. Comes in 7 colors.
• The new iPod nano has a home button, a wider-screen display, and is even thinner than the touch. Also has Bluetooth at long last. (What will Apple do with that?)
• The new iPod shuffle isn't really that new, aside from matching the new colors of the other two. Still, cheap and convenient.

So, if you want to pre-order your new iPod from Amazon, you can do so via the link below. (iMore is an Amazon affiliate, so you'll be supporting the site at the same time -- win, win, win.)

• Pre-order from Amazon now

Back in July when iMore learned about Apple's plans for a September 12 iPhone event, we learned some new iPods would likely be coming with it, including a new iPod touch and iPod nano. Specifics were scarce, however. Now Mark Gurman from 9to5mac has a few more details:

iMore has learned that the new iPod touch is getting the same 4-inch, 16:9 aspect ration screen as the new iPhone. Whether it's the same exact panel as the iPhone 5, or Apple once again goes for a cheaper panel like the non-IPS one they went with in 2010, however, remains to be seen.

While the iPhone 4S last year got the Apple A5 processor and a bump to 64GB, the iPod touch got no processor or storage bump, only a white option. It seems logical that Apple would rev the iPod touch processor this year, but whether or not it goes to 128GB also remains in question. A 128GB iPod touch could let Apple retire the venerable iPod classic line. However, services like iTunes in the Cloud and iTunes Match have made iOS devices far less storage-constrained than they were in the past.

There have also been rumors about Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi direct device-to-device communications and connectivity. If those have any validity, while the iPhone would no doubt get much of the attention, those features could be even more compelling on the non-cellular iPod lineup.

As for the timeline, it does make sense for Apple to introduce the new iPods at the same event as the new iPhone, like they did last year. That leaves October clear for the iPad mini and whatever else Apple intends to showoff with it. Gurman's information on the iPod nano and iPod shuffle sounds reasonable as well.

Perhaps the biggest wildcard, as M.G. Siegler points out on TechCrunch, is whether or not iTunes 11 is finally good to go.

Some answers, at least, are just a week away...

Not all iOS device Wi-Fi speeds are created equal. If your family has a mix of devices, like an iPhone 4S, iPad 2, and iPod touch 3, it can be difficult to get maximum performance from your Wi-Fi router. The iPad can do fast 802.11n on the relatively clear 5GHz frequency. The iPhone 4S can do fast 802.11n, but only on the more cluttered 2.4GHz frequency. The iPod touch can only do slower 802.11b/g, and only on 2.4GHz. Even if you have a dual-band router, like Apple's latest AirPorts, even as the iPad zips along at 802.11n on 5Ghz, the slower iPod touch or even an iPhone 3GS will force the iPhone 4S down to 802.11b/g on 2.4GHz. So what's a geek to do?

If you have a desktop computer or server that stays on most of the time, you can set up Bluetooth tethering for your older devices, getting them off Wi-Fi and letting your 802.11n devices speed along unhindered. It's a bit of a workaround, and your Bluetooth-connected devices will be limited to 20mbs, but the slower slows will also give you faster fasts on your more modern devices. For me, that's a great tradeoff. If you agree, here's how to do it on OS X Mountain Lion.

On you iPod touch

1. Launch Settings.
2. Tap on General.
3. Tap on Bluetooth.
4. Turn Bluetooth to On.

On your Mac:

1. Launch System Preferences .

2. Click on Network.

3. Ensure that you have a Bluetooth PAN device in your left hand column. (If not, add one.)

4. Go back to the main System Preferences pane.
5. Click on Sharing.

6. Enable Internet Sharing.
7. Share your connection via Wi-Fi (or if wired, via ethernet)
8. Enable the Bluetooth PAN option.

9. Go back to the main System Preferences pane.
10. Click on Bluetooth.

11. Click on the + button to set up a new device
12. Wait for the wizard to discover it, then pair your iPod touch.

Back on your iPod touch

1. Launch Settings.
2. Tap on General.
3. Tap on Bluetooth.
4. Tap on the newly created Bluetooth connection.

That's it. Now your older, slower devices have been offloaded onto Bluetooth, and your newer devices can blaze ahead on fast 802.11n!

If you have any other tips on handling multiple devices, and multiple generations of devices, for your family, let me know!

When iMore first heard that Apple was going ahead with the 7-inch iPad this fall, and at a ~$200 price point, one of the first things we asked was -- what does that mean for the iPod touch?

The rise of the iPod touch

Apple launched the iPod touch in September of 2007, only a few short months after the original iPhone shipped. It was even more limited than the pre-App Store iPhone, and didn't even include basic internet apps like Mail, but it did provide a slightly lower-priced point of entry for iOS.

In January of 2008 Apple added those internet apps to the iPod touch -- for a price -- and in June of the same year, it got iPhone OS 2.0 and the App Store. The rest, as they say, is history.

Apple updated the iPod touch hardware in the fall of 2008, and again in the falls of 2009 and 2010. Year after year, the iPod touch hardware kept pace with the iPhone hardware, adding new chipsets, gyroscopes, FaceTime cameras, and Retina displays as the iPhone added them.

Then, in 2011, the iPod touch hardware was not updated. It got a new color -- a white option -- but that was it. No new chipset, no new optics.

The fall of the iPod market

Apple's iPod business had been shrinking for a while now. Apple sold 15.4 million iPods in Q1, 2012, down from 19 million in Q1, 2011. Apple maintains that the iPod touch accounts for roughly 50% of iPod sales, but 50% of 15.4 million is still less than 50% of 19 million.

The iPad, released in 2010, likely played some part in that. Though more expensive, it also offered a bigger screen and, for some things, a better experience. The $0 iPhone 3GS, released in 2011, may have also been a factor. Though it lacked a Retina display, the lower up-front cost might have convinced more people to more quickly make the leap from iPod to iPhone.

Yet, to this day, the iPod touch remains the cheapest overall way to access the App Store, and one of the most popular portable gaming platforms on the market. Starting at just $200, with no cellular contracts -- indeed, not even the option for cellular data -- its perfect for kids, for joggers, for developers, for those who want a phone other than the iPhone but still want access to iOS, and for those who simply want a tiny, app-centric tablet for home, travel, or work.

The iPod touch in an iPad mini world

With an iPad mini not only rumored to be coming, but rumored to be coming at the same $200 base price the iPod touch currently enjoys, where would that leave the iPod touch then in the lineup?

Apple has several options:

• Cancel the iPod touch. This would replace the iPod touch with the iPad mini as the entry-level iOS device, and keep the product matrix cleaner and simpler.
• Keep the 2010 iPod touch on the market. This makes it the pocketable alternative at the same price, or the budget, iPod shuffle option at an even lower price.
• Introduce a new, 2012 iPod touch. This brings it back up to spec with the rumored 4-inch, 16:9 iPhone 5 and increases its value proposition at the same price.

Let's take them in order.

Canceling the iPod touch

As far as iMore has heard, Apple isn't canceling the iPod touch or replacing it with the iPad mini, at least not yet. Unless we heard wrong -- and it doesn't seem like it so far -- there will still be an iPod touch on the shelves when the iPad mini joins it.

Keeping the 2010 iPod touch on the market

If the iPad mini hits store shelves at $200 or $250, it makes it seem harder for Apple to sell a 2-year old iPod touch for $200. Even though miniaturization can be expensive, and ultra-portability can be a feature, for many customers smaller is synonymous with cheaper.

Apple could try to offset this with more cosmetic changes -- add "nanochromatic" color options like the iPod nano and iPod shuffle enjoy -- to increase the perceived value, but even that might leave the iPod touch as a tough sell compared to the bigger iPad mini.

Apple could drop the price to $150, perhaps less. But the current bill of goods for the lowest end iPod touch 4 is probably just under $150. If Apple can't reduced that to less than $100 or so, and you take into account manufacturing, transport, and other associated costs, they won't sell it for under $200. They're not Amazon or Google. They don't sell hardware at or below cost.

If Apple wants an even lower priced iOS device on the market, and they can get production costs down enough, this is an option. It just doesn't seem like a likely one at this point.

(Apple has announced that the current iPod touch will be iOS 6 compatible, like all current generation iOS devices they sell. Take that as you wish.)

Introducing a new iPod touch

There was no new iPod touch hardware in 2011, so Apple could certainly introduce an all-new, radically improved iPod touch in 2012. If it includes the new internals from the iPhone 5, and the rumored new 4-inch, 16:9 screen, then it will be seem as an even bigger hardware revision than it might have otherwise been.

The iPad mini will be perceived as all new hardware, and the best way to give the iPod touch a fighting chance at the same or similar price point, is to give it all new hardware as well.

If Apple wants to keep iOS as a premium brand, at least relative to the greater iPod line, then an all-new iPod touch 5 seems like the best option.

Conclusion

The iPod touch may get updated and stand its ground, dollar-for-dollar with the iPad mini, or it might stay around as a legacy device like the iPod classic, or it might stay get even cheaper and become the iPod shuffle of the iOS line. Potentially, Apple could even introduce a new iPod touch at the same price and keep the older one around at a cheaper price.

iMore hasn't heard what Apple plans to do with the iPod touch line yet, but we did hear a couple months ago that the iPod touch line wasn't going anywhere.

And that's certainly good news for kids, for joggers, for developers, for those who want a phone other than the iPhone but still want access to iOS, and for those who simply want a tiny, app-centric tablet for home, travel, or work.

Gameloft has announced that it will be releasing its highly anticipated game, The Dark Knight Rises on July 20th. The game is based on the upcoming Batman film with the same name and will be the only official game based on this movie; the information comes from Pocket Gamer.

There are now two trailers showing how the game looks and they're both worth watching; we have embedded them below. If you’re a Batman fan, you are going to love playing this game. There is no information on pricing but we would assume that it will be similarly priced to Gameloft’s last movie-based game, The Amazing Spiderman. That hit the App Store last month for $6.99 and was a universal app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

Sometimes games based on movie franchises don't live up to expectations as they use the name to disguise poor gameplay. Gameloft appears to have addressed this complaint as its last game has an average rating of over four and a half stars from nearly three thousand reviews; hopefully The Dark Knight Rises will be just as good.

Source: Pocket Gamer

Gameloft and Marvel have announced that they are working together to bring the official Amazing Spider-Man game to the iPhone, iPad and Android devices later this year. The new game will be based on the Sony Pictures film "The Amazing Spider-Man" and should deliver full 3D action, missions, rich gameplay and comprehensive battle systems.

The Amazing Spider-Man will hit movie theaters on July 3rd; so the game should be released round about the same time. We don't have any more details at the moment but when we do we will let you know. This looks like being the big movie for the summer and also it looks like an exciting game for iPhone and iPad too.

Source: PR

Complete press release:

For more information about The Amazing Spider-Man mobile game please visit the official website at www.gameloft.com.

About Gameloft

A leading global publisher of digital and social games, Gameloft® has established itself as one of the top innovators in its field since 2000. Gameloft creates games for all digital platforms, including mobile phones, smartphones and tablets (including Apple® iOS and Android® devices), set top boxes, connected TVs and consoles. Gameloft partners with leading international brands such as UNO®, Spider-Man®, James Cameron’s Avatar™, Ferrari® and Sonic Unleashed®. Gameloft also operates its own established franchises, such as Real Football, Asphalt™, Modern Combat 2: Black Pegasus and N.O.V.A Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance®. Gameloft is present in all continents, distributes its games in 100 countries and employs over 4,500 developers.

Gameloft is listed on the Paris Stock Exchange (ISIN: FR0000079600, Bloomberg: GFT FP, Reuters: GLFT.PA).

About THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN™

One of the world’s most popular characters is back on the big screen as a new chapter in the Spider-Man legacy is revealed in The Amazing Spider-Man™. Focusing on an untold story that tells a different side of the Peter Parker story, the new film stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott, Irrfan Khan, with Martin Sheen and Sally Field. The film is directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay written by James Vanderbilt, based on the Marvel Comic Book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Laura Ziskin, Avi Arad, and Matt Tolmach are producing the film. Along with Executive Producers Stan Lee, Kevin Feige and Michael Grillo, in association with Marvel Entertainment for Columbia Pictures, which will open in theaters everywhere in 3D on July 3, 2012.

The Amazing Spider-Man is the story of Peter Parker (Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents’ disappearance – leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Ifans), his father’s former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors’ alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.

About Marvel Entertainment

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing. For more information visit www.marvel.com.

The untethered iOS 5.1.1 jailbreak could be released in a matter of days. Many people have been eagerly awaiting an untethered jailbreak for the latest version of iOS 5.1.1. It has taken a while for it to even look possible never mind become available. Now it appears that the wait may finally be over and it could arrive as early as next week. According to jailbreak developer pod2g.

Update: @MuscleNerd has provided some additional information, which he prefaces by saying is tentative and subject to last minute change:

• the initial 5.1.1 plan used a kernel exploit from @westbaer which unfortunately precluded use in iPod3,1 and iPhone2,1
• @planetbeing stepped up and provided a kernel exploit that covers both of those. Those two JBers are the bomb!
• The 5.1.1 A5 JB is very similar to the A5 5.0.1 JB. @pimskeks has done a tremendous job supporting both 5.0.1 and 5.1.1 in absinthe
• Similar to 5.0.1, there will also be a 5.1.1 CLI "cinject" binary and redsn0w version of the 5.1.1 JB+untether. Absinthe, cinject, and redsn0w will all provide the same JB in different fashions.
• timing is indeterminate. Plans are for this week, but a number of factors can influence that.
• For those wishing to donate, we've set up a new 5.1.1 paypal URL: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=4U6DQGJ2NRVUN -> Please don't pirate AppStore apps (seriously, please do not).

There is some good news and bad news with this particular jailbreak. First the bad news -- the new jailbreak tool will still not support the latest 1080p Apple TV. The good news however is pod2g believes that it should work with the new iPad; whichever version you have although testing has not been done on the iPad 3 Global version. The new jailbreak tool hasn't been tested yet on the just released iPad 2 R2 either but again it is believed to work.

I personally can't wait for this to arrive just so I can update some apps that must have iOS 5.1 like the latest versions of iMovie, Pages and Numbers.

Anyone else looking forward to the iOS 5.1.1 untethered jailbreak?

Source: @Pod2g, Pod2g's iOS Blog, MuscleNerd.com

A new, portable fuel cell charger will be available to buy this year and it claims to be able to recharge your iPhone between 10 and 14 times. The small charging device does not need to be recharged by plugging it in; it works with replaceable fuel cell cartridges which can even be carried on planes.

The charging unit and replacement cartridges will be available to buy online from Brookstone and the cartridges can be fully recycled once depleted. There is no pricing information available at this time however the replacement cartridges are thought to cost no more than a few dollars. The system is being tested with users this year and an announcement on retail availability should follow that.

We've used all sorts of batteries for years, from household brands like Duracell and Energizer to the lithum-ion and lithium-polymer types found in many gadgets. How does the idea of a fuel-powered cell grab you?

Source: Cnet

Apple has released information on the security updates that were covered in the recent release of iOS 5.1.1. When it was originally released yesterday, all that we knew was that there were various bug fixes. This update actually covers some important security fixes too for Mobile Safari and WebKit based browsers in general.

• Available for: iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3rd generation) and later, iPad, iPad 2. Impact: A maliciously crafted website may be able to spoof the address in the location bar.
• Available for: iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3rd generation) and later, iPad, iPad 2. Impact: Visiting a maliciously crafted website may lead to a cross-site scripting attack. Description: Multiple cross-site scripting issues existed in WebKit.
• Available for: iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3rd generation) and later, iPad, iPad 2 Impact: Visiting a maliciously crafted website may lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution. Description: A memory corruption issue existed in WebKit.

If you do a lot of web surfing on your iOS device it is definitely worthwhile upgrading to iOS 5.1.1 just for these security updates. Of course if you are running a jailbroken device you will want to still clear for now.

Given that, with iOS 5, Apple introduced over-the-air (OTA) updates to the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, it's interesting that they're still waiting and bundling security patches into larger software updates. OTA updates are done via bit-differential (delta file), and happen on-device and without the need to backup, re-install, and restore, so they're small and incredibly efficient. Apple could choose to push out security updates far more frequently. It's possible they think more frequent updates could annoy users, or their numbers tell them too many users are still updating over USB with iTunes for it to make sense right now. Hopefully, however, they're moving in that direction.

If you haven't yet updated to iOS 5.1.1 and you're looking f, here’s where to go:

• How to update your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad over-the-air using iCloud
• How to update your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad using iTunes on Mac or Windows
• iOS 5 help and discussion forum

Source: Apple Support

Apple has pushed out iOS 5.1.1, a free software update for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad users. The minor point release focuses, as usual, on bug fixes and performance enhancements.

This update contains improvements and bug fixes, including:

• Improves reliability of using HDR option for photos taken using the Lock Screen shortcut
• Addresses bugs that could prevent the new iPad from switching between 2G and 3G networks
• Fixes bugs that affected AirPlay video playback in some circumstances
• Improved reliability for syncing Safari bookmarks and Reading List
• Fixes an issue where 'Unable to purchase' alert could be displayed after successful purchase

For information on the security content of this update, please visit this website: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222

You can update now quickly and efficiently, on-device and over-the-air (OTA) by going to Settings, General, Software Update on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. Or you can break out the USB dock cable, tether up, and launch iTunes on your Mac or Windows desktop. If you need help updating, here's where to go:

• How to update your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad over-the-air using iCloud
• How to update your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad using iTunes on Mac or Windows
• iOS 5 help and discussion forum

Jailbreakers, as always, will want to stay clear. If you notice any other changes, drop us a line.

At Macworld 2007 Steve Jobs pulled the original iPhone from his pocket, held it up high above the stage, and showed off the app launcher-based Home screen... that's pretty much remained the same ever since.

That's not entirely true, of course. Apple quickly added the ability to create WebClip icons for websites, and to re-arrange and delete them. With iOS 2 (iPhone OS 2) they added native apps to that mix. They increased the number of Home pages. They added Spotlight. They added wallpaper. With iOS 4 they layered in the multitasking fast app switcher. They layered in folders. The iPad, and the iPad alone, got landscape Home screen support. With iOS 5 they layered in Notification Center and Siri.

Is it time for something more?

Familiarity is a feature

To a casual user -- someone who only makes calls, plays music, takes photographs, and runs the occasional app -- the iPhone today works almost exactly as it did back in 2007. Just like a casual Mac OS X user can ignore the Terminal, iOS users can happily ignore Spotlight, the fast app switcher, folders, Notification Center, and Siri, and still fully use and enjoy their iPhone. They can wait years between hardware upgrades (and sometimes, because of that, software upgrades) and still pick up the latest iPhone and use it exactly as they used the first iPhone.

That may not matter to gadget geeks who change their platform as often as they change their jackets, but to mainstream users, to those for whom technology has traditionally been intimidating and inaccessible, that familiarity is a huge feature.

It's why Apple made the iPad work almost identically to the iPhone and said as much -- hundreds of millions of people already know how to use it.

It's why Home screen interface and experience isn't fashion. If you're bored by the iOS UI or UX, consider how little computer UI and UX has changed much over the last few decades. For all its other advances, for all it's design tweaks, OS X still has icons and folders on a desktop, the same as the classic Mac OS had generations ago. For all of Windows 8's Metro skins and finger-friendliness, it will still ship on beige boxes with full mouse and pointer support at its core.

That being said, mobile is moving at a blisteringly fast pace. While the iPhone and iOS were the startling new in 2007, they're now one of the oldest mobile experiences in the space. Interface and experience aren't fashion, but users are fashion conscious, and phones are subject to fashion trends.

Android has a huge marketshare. Windows Phone is getting a lot of attention, not just from AT&T but from designers. BlackBerry 10 may bring a new level of gesture-based interface to the table (if they can solve the discoverability issues).

These Home screen experiences not only look different to iOS and the traditional app launcher, but they function differently as well.

App launchers and information density

iPhone wasn't the first app launcher style Home screen. Not by a long shot. Long before smartphones, Palm Pilots were based entirely on the icon grid. When smartphones came along, the Treo retained the app launcher. Windows Mobile adopted it as well. Even today, you can find app launcher Home screens on webOS, BlackBerry OS, and Android. Some of them also add other layers, like Cards or widgets, but for the most part app launchers are never far away.

That's because they're familiar, as mentioned above. You see an iconic representation of something you want to do, you tap it, and it opens up. Because they're iconic (or supposed to be), and because human brains are great at pattern recognition, they scale well and can (usually) be picked out even among a large quantities of other icons.

What they lack is information density.

With very few exceptions, all an icon on an app launcher tells you is which app will launch when and if you tap it. They're static images and there's typically no information about the current state of the app, or any relevant data beyond the static image.

In the case of Apple's iOS, Calendar will show you the current date on its icon, and Apple created a badging system to overlay the number of outstanding alerts an app has pending. But that's it. With Notification Center, with a little extra effort, you can pull down snippets of those alerts, and see widgets for Weather and Stocks. However, the level of immediately available, glanceable data remains low.

Even if we consider the status bar, which shows carrier and Wi-Fi, time and battery, location and Bluetooth, none of it is actionable. It can't provide additional information or take you to it. (Although it has added persistent color bands for tethering, voice recording, VoIP or telephone calls, etc. and tapping those will take you to the associated app or Setting.)

Widgets and cards and tiles, oh my

There's no consistent Android interface, but stock Google, Sense, TouchWiz, "Blur", and other manufacturer implementations typically offer some variety of widgeting system. With them, you can have social statues, search boxes, clocks, news feeds, and a huge amount of glanceable data available right on the Home screen. They typically take up more space, however, might use slightly more battery and bandwidth as they keep up-to-date, and add an element of chaos to the layout. However, the amount of time they can save makes for an excellent tradeoff. (If that type of data is important to you -- some users simply don't find a use for widgets on computers or smartphones.)

webOS takes a different approach, shrinking entire apps down into "Cards" that stay live-ish on the Home screen, and thanks to more recent updates, can be stacked together. Flipping through Cards doesn't give you an iconic view or a widget-ized extract, but a look at the entire app, in its current state, with its current data. BlackBerry's Tablet OS essentially aped this approach as well. The only drawback is that sometimes some apps aren't as identifiable by their actual screen as they are by their icon (long white list views just look like long white list views). So, it might take a moment to find the exact Card you want, but probably not longer than finding and launching an app.

Both Android and webOS have easily accessible app launchers as well. Both also typically provide more information in the status bar, including the ability to tap into icons to activate drop down menus or initiate other functions.

Windows Phone 7 took an even more radical approach. They threw away the Windows Mobile app launcher and replaced it with a tile-based Home screen. Squares or rectangles represent categories of functionality, and can show a small amount of live content -- a picture, an avatar, a number, an icon, etc. It's not always great, however, since at times they take up the space of a widget while not showing much more data than an icon. (They're not as informationally dense as they could be, at least not yet.) And because they update, they're not as visually persistent, which means they lose the advantage of pattern recognition.

BlackBerry 10, which will only be released later this year, seems to be taking a hybrid approach. In the little they've demonstrated so far, they've shown something akin to a set of four cards, one per corner. Sliding panels also allow access to notifications, messages, and more. (Somewhat like Twitter for iPad. There's likely a lot more to it as well, and we'll hopefully see it as time goes on.

Siri

Siri is and isn't a Home screen. It isn't the traditional implementation of a Home screen -- something you can sit in and navigate around. It demands immediate interaction. But Siri can be used to access data and apps without having to move through the traditional Home screen. Rather than unlock, look for an icon, and launch, with Siri hold down a Home button, wait for a double tone, and speak.

Siri can by no means replace the traditional iOS Home Screen, but it can and does sit in parallel to the traditional iOS Home screen, and can replace its use in a few very specific ways. Yet it's clear Apple put significant work into Siri, not just into the server-side voice and context parsing engine, but the interface as well. Siri got a lot of the widgets that the traditional iOS Home screen hasn't. Depending on what you ask, all manner of clock and alarm and to-do and information snippets pop up. All incredibly well thought out and incredibly well rendered.

Getting a Reminder into iOS using the traditional Home screen, icons, buttons, and gestures is a chore. Getting a Reminder into iOS with Siri is remarkably fast. (Granted, when Siri works.)

Siri is still in beta, it's still not fully baked, Apple hasn't implemented it on the iPod touch or iPad. So, while Siri is no doubt part of the future, how much of the future is still to be determined.

iOS 6 and the Home screen

There's not a lot of low-hanging fruit left in iOS. Over the years, Apple has slowly but steadily added in most of the features that most of the people thought were missing in the original iOS (iPhone OS) -- apps, copy and paste, multitasking, notifications. There's a lot of ways to improve the existing functionality, but not a lot of functionality that's still missing. So on what tent poles will Apple hang its iOS 6 keynote this year?

Sure, Apple's bought 3 map visualization companies (but no map tiles), so a new Maps App could be one. I'd still sincerely love a Files.app repository, now iCloud enabled. Georgia still wants her Theme Store, where users can choose between a small amount of Apple designed iOS skins. But over the years, as iOS has matured, the amount of features truly "missing" has reduced considerably.

That leaves improving existing functionality. And that brings us neatly back to the question asked in this article's title.

Is it time for Apple to revamp the iOS Home screen?

Do you want them too? Do you need them too? If so, how so? Is it as simple as adding a widget layer to the existing multitasking and notification layers? Is it increasing Siri to the point where the app launcher becomes secondary? Or does it require something completely new, something that makes Windows Phone Metro and webOS and the upcoming BlackBerry 10 look old and outdated?

If Apple does make a substantive change to the Home screen, what does that mean for the hundreds of millions of mainstream users who are used to, perhaps dependent upon, the way things work now?

Apple has always been fearless when it comes to driving the future. They obsolete hardware and software often faster than the market itself. Is it time for Apple to apply that fearlessness to the iOS Home screen?

• iOS 6 wants: Files app and documents picker with iCloud
• The 4 inch iPhone
• iOS 6 wants: The opposite of widgets
• The challenge of bringing Siri to the iPad
• iOS 6 and privacy: How Apple should draw inspiration from Android for better app