09 Sep 09 Apple announces 64GB iPod touch, 5G nano with Camera
I must have been living under a rock because I had no idea Apple was having a major event today. The “Rock and Roll” event marked the return of Steve Jobs, who had been gone for nearly a year now due to health-related issues. Apple keynotes just weren’t the same without him, so I’m glad to see him back. Jobs brought some new iPods with him including a 64GB touch (finally!), an iPod nano with a built-in camera and FM tuner, and new colors for the Shuffle.
iPod touch
I’ve been waiting a long time for companies to start putting out 64GB flash players. The touch looks to be the first major player to do so, and it’ll cost just $399. Of course that means the rest of the lineup gets a drop in price. The 8GB now costs $199, and the 32GB for $299. I guess they’re discontinuing the 16GB?
According to Apple, the touch is currently the fastest growing iPod, with roughly 20 million sold to date. They also discussed gaming as a major component of the touch, announcing games like Assassin’s Creed, Madden 2010, and a Sci-Fi shooter that’s being compared to Halo.
iPod nano (5G)‘
The 5th generation nano doesn’t look too different from the 4th gen, but it does pack in a lot more features. The player now comes with a built-in camera, and an FM tuner that allows you to pause live radio.
- Capacities: 8 and 16GB
- Display: 2.2″ LCD
- Built-in Camera - Records video
- FM Tuner with Live Pause/Voice Recorder
- Battery Life: 24 hours for audio, 5 hours for video
- Price: $149 (8GB), $179 (16GB)
iPod Shuffle
The shuffle also got a little update in the form of a new paint job. It’ll come in the same assortment of colors as older iPods including pink, green, and blue. Apple also revealed a limited edition stainless steel Shuffle that’s exclusive to the Apple store. The 2GB model retails for $59, and the 4GB for $79. The sexy 4GB LE model is priced at $99.
iTunes 9
iTunes also received an update today. Some of the changes include:
- “Home Sharing” which allows you to transfer your content to 5 other computers in your house.
- The ability to manage your Apps
- iTunes LP - Provides more info about the artist and album including photos, liner notes, biographies, etc.. (Microsoft is doing similar things with the Zune HD)
- Redesigned store
- Extras for Movies (similar to DVD extras I assume)
To my surprise, Apple did not discontinue the iPod Classic. It’ll now be a little thinner and come with 160GB (instead of 120GB) for the same $249 price. Long live the HDD! Overall, there really wasn’t anything too surprising about this event. I think most of us were expecting a 64GB touch, and a camera on the nano thanks to the never ending pile of rumors about it for the last year.
More than anything I worried that Microsoft would be outdone by whatever Apple was going to announce. Even with the drop in prices, the Zune HD is still priced better than the touch and its unique offerings remain just that. All Microsoft has to do now is release a 64GB model of their own.
Let us know what you think about these new iPods in our comments section.
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