New iPods: Same Idea, New Sweet Features
The lineup stayed pretty much the same, with a few exceptions: the iPod touch, classic, nano and shuffle are all still around. However, there are some new features worthy of note… here’s a rundown:
iPod touch
- Price changes: $199 now gets you an 8GB model, and the 16GB has been ditched to make way for the 32GB at the $299 price point. A brand-new 64GB has been added at $399.
- Games, games, games: there are over 21K Entertainment titles in the App Store. (That’s a serious amount of games.) Apple is really stepping up the iPod touch (and iPhone) as a gaming device, hoping to compete with Nintendo and Sony. Cool features include gaming with your iPod music in the background and multiplayer options over Bluetooth and WiFi. Gameloft, a presenter, now ships 35 titles as of today. Another game highlight from EA Sports: Madden NFL 10. (As of this posting, it was not yet on the App Store.)
- Speed increases: iPod touch will run Open GL, a graphics programming interface, which will make the iPod work and render faster.
iPod classic
- More storage: the hard drive is still around, and Apple has gone back to the 160GB model. With a capacity of 40,000 songs, Apple definitely can’t get rid of the iPod with the biggest storage option just yet—flash memory hasn’t gotten cheap enough.
- Thinner form factor: the width measures just 2.4 inches.
- Same price: 160GB for $249.
iPod shuffle
- New colors: Pink, Green, Blue (along with Silver and Black). Plus, there’s a polished stainless steel special edition. (Update: Apple Exclusive only, $99)
- Added capacity: 2GB and 4GB models at $59.99 and $79.99, respectively.
- More headphone options: From Apple: “New headphones will come out and all have the controller for the shuffle.”
- VoiceOver: it now tells you when your battery is full, and when it will close the airlock.
And, perhaps the biggest changes of all…
iPod nano
- Built-in video camera: this is huge!
- Larger display: 2.2-inch display is slightly larger than the previous version.
- Brighter colors: the glossy colors have been updated, with the Yellow and Red models being held as Apple Exclusives. There are nine total: Silver, Black, Purple, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, Red and Pink.
- Built-in pedometer: will work with the Nike+ and is a great addition to runners and hikers everywhere.
- FM radio
- VoiceOver: it will tell you who’s singing without interrupting your music, plus additional voice features.
- Price points: 8GB for $149, 16GB for $179.
