The iPod touch was always a canny marketing move - an iPhone without the phone, enabling Apple to sell the gorgeous touch-screen experience to those who weren't ready for a new mobile contract.
Now, a year down the line, Apple has unveiled the second generation touch. At first glance, little appears to have changed, but the device is now distinctly slimmer - around 8mm deep, as opposed to 12mm for the iPhone. In your hand it feels even thinner, as it shares the contoured back of the iPhone 3G.
It's also gained a few features that were previously iPhone-only. The software-only volume control is finally supplemented by physical buttons on the side of the unit - a long-overdue revision.
What's more, the touch now has an internal loudspeaker, so you can share your music and videos with the world. Steve Jobs did warn at the launch, however, that the speaker was "not for audiophiles", and he wasn't kidding. Sound quality is atrocious, with no bass and resonating mid-range. Surprisingly, it's distinctly worse than the iPhone speaker.
The other major addition is a Nike+ receiver - basically a glorified pedometer that can connect wirelessly to Nike+ running shoes and record statistics about your run. It can also feed progress updates through your headphones (to alert you, for example, when you're half-way through a run), and can skip to your pre-selected "power song" if you need extra motivation for the last half-mile.
Apple has also upgraded the battery: the old touch claimed 22 hours of audio, which now rises to 36 hours. Of course, you'll experience shorter battery life if you insist on frivolities like using the screen and skipping tracks.
Apart from that, it's business as usual for the iPod touch. The interface is still as wonderful as ever - though, as with the iPhone, it's annoying to have to keep switching the screen back on to skip tracks. And sound quality is still a solid B+ (once you invest in some decent headphones).
Naturally, you can still fill up on lovely games and applications from the App Store. And when you're near a Wi-Fi hotspot it even doubles up as a very usable internet and email device.
Unfortunately, one other factor that hasn't changed is the price: £246 exc VAT is monstrously expensive for a 32GB player when the hard disk-based iPod Classic gives you almost four times the storage for around £100 less.
Still, if you're a runner looking for a flash device that'll keep you on track - or if you just want some App Store goodness without getting into an 18-month mobile contract - the iPod touch remains the most sumptuous music player on the market.
System Specifications
32GB flash memory (8GB and 16GB versions also availab;e); 480 x 320 touchscreen; proprietary USB cable; 802.11b/g Wi-Fi; AAC, MP3, Apple Lossless, AIFF, WAV audio formats H.264, M4V, MP4, mov video formats; fixed lithium-ion battery; 110 x 62 x 8mm (WDH); 120g
Verdict
Still gorgeous, and slimmer than ever; but luxury still comes at a price
Author: Darien Graham-Smith
PC Pro Online