There are some sweet upgrades just announced for the iPod touch, but… no camera. I guess Apple felt that would make it too good. What we have seen is a serious upgrade to the hardware. We’re also seeing a lot of new games coming out, some top-tier titles like Assassin’s Creed: Discovery, as Apple takes a shot at biting a bigger piece of the mobile gaming pie.
And of course there’s the expected price drop: 8GB for $199, 16GB for $229, 32GB for $299, and the brand new 64GB for $399. Plus, the 64GB is “50% faster” — although we know what that means when Apple says it. It does now support OpenGL|ES, which should improve game performance even further. Now, if only it had a D-pad…
I don’t know if I trust Ubisoft to really make something great out of Assassin’s Creed, since that game relied so much on the rich world you inhabited. But hey, it looks pretty awesome for what it is: a sort of simplified 2-D version of the game. Here are a couple screens:
Then you’ve got Riddim Ribbon, which looks like Audiosurf, and Nova, a first person shooter where, in a shocking twist, you play a space marine! And Madden for iPhone, which I won’t dignify with a screenshot.
Here are a couple hands-on shots of the 64GB. 
We’re all pretty surprised at the lack of a camera. It would have been a lot of fun, but maybe they just couldn’t find the space? After all, the iPod touch does have a different circuit layout than the iPhone and it may have been too difficult to incorporate the hardware changes they already were planning as well as a camera.
I’m just going to say it, other than being happy to see Steve back on stage, this is by far the worst Apple event I’ve followed…really nothing about it gets me excited except maybe managing apps in iTunes and thats pretty tiny…
#1 No 16 gb model
#2 No Mic
#3 No GPS
#4 No Voice recognition
#5 No Camera
I am very dissapointed
yeah me too – i am looking forward to a 3g/4g iPod Touch like device with no restrictions. I can only hope some big tech company sees an opportunity to create this!
Sony, Samsung, Nintendo, Microsoft (though they are focused on Zune which seems to be a glorified music player – bah)…
No SH*T !!
The ONLY thing I was hoping they would add was the GPS….but nnoooooooooooo.
To get the GPS I would have to pay a PHUKIN’ 3 year service contract for a phone I don’t need.
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR !!!
Good luck with the GPS on your indoor wifi!
I don’t get this argument. Garmin units somehow managed to provide GPS service without a requiring a cellular plan, why couldn’t the Ipod Touch?
GPS doesn’t need internet. They just need to put the damn chip. Though am more surprised that the camera got the boot too.
There are plenty of apps in the app store that save offline road maps of an entire continent at a cost of a mere 1GB of drive space. This is a very low space cost for users of the 32GB and 64GB models. Putting a GPS in the larger models would be very much practical. The only problem is that the cost of the actual chip is fairly high, and the price of the iPod would need to go up by at least $50 if they were to add it. Since this is a feature that only a minority of iPod users actually need or want, the odds of them biting the bullet and tossing it in are very slim. Apple seems to care a lot more for pricing and accessibility than features. :/
If you’re not opposed to jailbreaking your iPod, and you’re willing to cough up 75 bucks for it, you can pick up the iGPS360 dongle from Orange Gadgets.
http://www.orangegadgets.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=1
There’s a package on Cydia that tricks your device into thinking it’s an onboard GPS unit like the iphone’s, so you can use it with app store gps apps like Mobile Navigator. All while offline.
I as well. Thinking about trading in my touch for a nano!
Look at it from an Apple Store timeline perspective:
9AM EST:
8GB iPod Touch (2nd Gen with 3.0): $189
- No Open GL ES
- No Camera
- Slower Processor
2PM EST:
8GB iPod Touch (3rd Gen with 3.1): $199
- No Open GL ES
- No Camera
- Slower Processor
The 2nd Gen you bought at 9AM can be updated for FREE to 3.1 and be EXACTLY THE SAME as the 3rd Gen you can buy at 2PM.
And you can now buy the older iPod Touch for just $149, if you’re OK with a refurb. No reason to get the new one, really.
You are so right!whats the difference? if only there were another SMARTER company with the resources to make a better device with its own app store.
Camera on nano but not on ipod touch = APPLE FAIL.
I WANTED A CAMERA. The real joy is taking a photo, then uploading it instantly (ok, instantly if I am near WiFi) to Facebook/Flickr/etc. Ugh.
Most boring event ever. No camera on iPod touch ..that is a serious bummer.i am not upgrading.
I have been waiting to buy the Touch with camera. I keep waiting.
Real, deep disappointment.
I am extremely disappointed with the lack of a camera on the iPod Touch. It just doesn’t make any sense to add a camera to the Nano without adding it to the Touch.
The only reason I can see is there must have been some technical issues with adding a camera to the iPod Touch. Regardless, it is still extremely disappointing and makes for a boring announcement by Apple standards.
On the apple website it says the 32 gb model got faster performance, too!
It makes sense to me NOT to include a camera on the Touch. They still want to create some differentiation between the iPod and the iPhone, and adding a camera to the Touch would basically make it a WiFi iPhone without AT&T’s $h!tty network. Granted, it was 90% of the way there anyway without a camera, but still, I think adding a camera to the iPod Touch would have hurt iPhone sales in the long run.
The only differentiation needed between the iPhone and the iPod Touch is always-on internet access. I still find it sad that there’s a camera on the Nano but not on the Touch. Uber fail.
Being able to send and receive calls over a cellular network IS a pretty big differentiation. Not adding a camera AND a microphone to the touch is STUPID. Apple could have sold millions more of the devices if they did include these obvious features…and it follows that they would have made many millions more dollars in app sales with a much larger install base.
Apple blew a big big opportunity here. I’m baffled right now by their blatent stupidity.
I was all set to by a touch but no longer. Can’t believe they chose to add a camera to the Nano but neglected the touch.
Bob,
I’m with you. I’ve been dreaming of an iPod Touch since June and waited to buy it for the camera that was rumored to be coming. Now I’m not sure if it’s worth it to me. I’m not going to buy the 50% SLOWER model, so is it worth it to me to pay $300 for the 16GB? I’m really not sure it is!
Back to the drawing board. Apple blew it.
A camera in the nano, but not in the iPod Touch? I can’t believe how stupid that is. I would have upgraded my Touch just for the camera. Wouldn’t even consider buying a nano.
Touch w/out a camera and gps? Steve keeps listening to those stupid MBAs. Make a damn Touch with a camera, GPS and mic. What’s the problem Apple? You waiting for Microsoft to eat your lunch again? IDIOTS.
Sad ~ very, very sad! Maybe that magic Newton is just around the corner.
Can it play mp3HD?
Are the earphones any good?
Does it support A2DP?
1. What the hell is mp3HD? It can surely play MP3s of any bitrate, just like any other iPod.
2. No, Apple headphones have and always will be garbage. It’s just not worth it for them to blow their budget on something so easily replacable.
3. The 2nd gen supported A2DP, so there’s no doubt this one will.
This makes sense business wise.
Apple sell PLENTY of touches without a camera
I don’t have an iPhone but all the features plus a camera I may buy one, I am happy with my current phone on Verizon but have / am considering an iphone (see point below)
I am planning on on getting a new ZuneHD, had the touch come with a camera I almost certainly would have bought the 32gb or 64gb, not the zuneHD and then would have probably never bought an iphone.
For me, a camera in the iPod Touch would have almost guaranteed I would not become an iphone customer, I would have had everything I need without it. If I decide to not wait for an iphone on verizon then I will probably have the zuneHD become my new media player.
I am not a fanboy toward apple or m-soft. I have a macbook pro that I like (i run both os X and windows on it) but my primary machine is windows, I manage a mixed network of OS-X servers, *nix and windows servers. I have a Zune80 as my preferred media player but a nano and touch for daughter and wife.
Camera in Nano opens the nano up to people who may have bought a Flip for the same price and already had a Nano or other player (or people that do not have have a smallish player already
I’ve heard this argument alot but just don’t agree. What differentiates the Iphone from the Ipod Touch is just that… the phone part.
With out the phone feature customers will always be required to carry another device on their person which is motivation enough to purchase the Iphone even if you own an Ipod Touch.
i gonna keep using & lovin my ipod touch 1st gen 16GB for another year i guess. no big deal. :)
You can enter for a chance to win a new 64GB ipod touch here: http://www.stylerdesign.com/products/istylist
You guys have it all wrong, only MS would make an evil business decision like not giving you a camera on the Touch so you buy an iPhone.
Apple doesn’t do business like that, they are warm and fuzzy.
I assume that’s sarcasm. Apple “warm and fuzzy”. Apple are a lot of good things and a lot of bad things, but “warm and fuzzy” they are certainly not.
FAIL. No camera. I am very disappointed.
I want an iPod Touch with a camera on both sides – one for pictures and one for my Skype client. Give me that and I’m done with at&t because I’ll use Verizon’s network with my Mifi for ubiquitous wifi. I’d have to test performance, but in theory this would be a pretty good solution for me.
Apple should have listened to their buyers…
for not doing that they fail
haha apple FAIL.
ipod? more like ipos: i PIECE OF SHIT
I was waiting to buy my ipod touch with camera. No camera, big fail for apple. I will buy a zune hd.
I really don’t know why they evan bothered making a 3g model that lacked all the capabilities that the buyers wanted.
Personally I wanted it to be a tad bigger and higher screen rezolution. Also some colors to it. I absolutely hate the Mirror back that they have. They get scratched way to easily…
I liked how you could tell between the 1st and second. You can’t now between th 2nd and 3rd.
just here to say…
APPLE FAIL
You guys are cheap, not the customer base Apple had in mind. Stop whining and get a iPhone.
The US economy is in the toilet, and Apple expects me to get on a $1900 contract for a phone with a shitty battery when I can get an 32GB iPod touch with all the same features for $300. No thanks, Apple.
I was all set to order my new iPOD TOUCH with camera today. Oh well, I just saved $400 bucks. I wonder how many others feel the same way.
I am an electronics engineer and I can tell you that I wish I had a million buck so that I can develop a device that everyone want. Since I have already develop these portable devices for WinCE.
WIFI, 3.5″ LCD touch, GPS, MIC, and camera. These device can easily be design to have Android OS and to use their google APP store as well.
There is absolutely no technical reason why Apple did not design Itouch with Camera besign trumping the Iphone sale.
Why don’t I just buy Iphone, well for a very good reason, I like my phone to be as simple as possible with a keypad and it does not crash nor unlike to run out of battery when I am in an emergency.
why don’t you just buy a camera. oh wait, you probably ALREADY own one
Looks like I need to find a plan B. Was waiting to order my shiny new 64GB touch with camera on launch day. Not sure what to get now but it isnt going to be a 64GB with no camera. poor show Mr Apple
It is clear ZuneHD for me just compare the list below:
32G ZUNE HD 32G ITOUCH
720P video playback/ video out NO
OpenGL ES 2.0 (for gaming) YES
Multi touch Yes
3.3″ OLED LCD (less eff)
HD Radio NO
$289 $300
Can someone tell why the hell should I buy the ITOUCH
Apps and Jailbreaking.
What the fuck, I just sold my 2g 16gb ipod touch to a mate for a cheap price because I expected a new version with a camera. I’v been online every hour to get news on the launch. And now 11:00pm I read this, I actually feel physically sick.
I hope Apple is keeping their special edition a secret and will actually release it tomorrow! Because I’m certainly not gonna get that 64gb version just because it’s bigger and “faster”.
Someone please tell me why Apple is so Lazy and Greedy? Lower income folks like myself can only look at pictures of these devices. If nothing really changed with the 3rd gen touch- why is it more expensive? What a major let-down.
Sorry low incomer, Apple got fail once, they work hard and not that they are successfull, they can just be Lazy and Greedy and milking on all the stupid none technical consumer out there think that their product are still the best.
just look at their PC and laptop, it is on average $300-$500 more than a PC with the exact hardware specification. Oh wait their wireless mouse is $60, when you can get a wireless mouse and keyboard for less $50 these day.
OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD THESE AMAZING NEW PRODUCTS!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!
ONE HAS A CAMERA, AND THE OTHER HAS SOME MORE STORAGE SPACE!
THIS IS BREAKING FRICKIN’ NEWS! APPLE, OMG SO AMAZING!!! !!!
YOURE LIKE A GOD COMPANY APPLE!!! EVERY YEAR IT JUST GETS SLIGHTLY BETTER AND BETTER!!!
FAIL. WTF. I promissed my 6 year old an iTouch with a camera, She just loves taking pictures on my iPhone. Thanks Steve, you have dissapointed another child that will not get x’mas gift from Santa. This makes me sick. Steve you better introduce iTouch with a camera by X’mas or will sell my iPhone and go with hm.. Blackerry.
FAIL. FAIL… FAIL and oncce again FAIL.
DISSAPONTED….
What a major let down. I was so ready to upgrade my iTouch and now all I can look forward to is just moving up from 16g to 32g. Slightly better but not what I expected, really looking forward to that camera. FAILURE
Just get a Zune HD everyone, apple doesn’t care about the consumer.
well i know everybody want to see a camera in tha ipod touch but one thing that i likeit is that the ipod nano has now a camara and thatz really cool but u cant touched jeje
I am very impressed by new updates of iPod touch. It’s not all thumbs. With games on iPod touch, you’re tilting, tapping, and turning — completely immersed in the action. Games for iPod touch are made to take advantage of its built-in technologies such as the Multi-Touch, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.
Like many others, was waiting for an ipod touch with camera. Guess I won’t be bothering now.
wat come on apple u have 2 put a camara on the itouch or just a mic to have more fun im dissapointed