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« on: May 09, 2010, 10:23:50 PM » |
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Externally, there essentially is no difference between the iPod touch 3G and the iPod touch 2G models that the 3G line replaced. Please note that "3G" stands for "third generation" and, rather confusingly, the iPod touch 3G models do not support 3G mobile networking. In recognition of potential confusion, Apple quietly refers to these models as the "Late 2009" line rather than use the company's traditional "generational" nomenclature.
Both the iPod touch 2G and 3G feature a "multi-touch" sensitive 3.5" display with 320x480 resolution (163 ppi), an accelerometer, an ambient light sensor to adjust screen brightness, built-in support for Wi-Fi (802.11b/g), "shake to shuffle" support, integrated support for Nike + iPod, and flash memory storage (of differing capacity -- 8, 16, or 32 GB for the 2G and 8, 32, or 64 GB for the 3G).
For all practical purposes, in fact, the 8 GB configuration of the iPod touch "3G" series is a re-issue of the 8 GB configuration of the iPod touch 2G that came before it, just sold for US$199 instead of US$229.
Although they are sold as a single line with 8 GB, 32 GB, or 64 GB of storage -- and marketed with greater emphasis on gaming than previous models touted more as an "iPhone without the phone" -- the 32 GB and 64 GB models are significantly different internally from the 8 GB one.
Internally, the 32 GB of 64 GB models have more in common with the iPhone 3GS with advertised "50% faster performance" -- courtesy of the same 800 MHz Samsung ARM processor that powers the iPhone 3GS -- and OpenGL ES 2.0 support for superior graphics performance as well as 256 MB of RAM. The 8 GB model, on the other hand, uses the same 533 MHz Samsung ARM as the iPod touch 2G models and 128 MB of RAM. The 32 GB and 64 GB models also add "Voice Control" navigation capability and a "VoiceOver" screen reader -- the "world’s first gesture-based screen reader" -- but the 8 GB model is not powerful enough to support either feature.
Third-party teardowns also have discovered that the Broadcom BCM4329 chip that provides 802.11b/g in the 32 GB and 64 GB iPod touch 3G configurations is capable of 802.11n as well, but this is not an advertised capability, nor is it currently supported in software.
Battery life officially has been reduced by the iPod touch 3G models for music playback -- 30 hours down from 36 hours -- but the iPod touch 2G and 3G models all formally provide 6 hours of video playback.
As a more minor point of product differentiation, the 32 GB and 64 GB iPod touch 3G models ship with a pair of "Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic", whereas the 8 GB model simply has a standard set of earbuds. For those really interested in minutiae, the polishing cloth provided by the iPod touch 2G is no longer included with the 3G line.
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