Don’t Buy an iPod Touch This Summer.

by Josh Rubenoff May 19, 2010

And I mean that in the literal sense. Why? Well, a few reasons:

1) Apple's notorious disregard for breaking compatibility can dramatically decrease the amount of time your device is officially supported depending on the time of year in which you purchased it. With the announcement of iPhone OS 4.0 in March 2010, Jobs announced that it would not run on the 2007 EDGE iPhone/1G iPod touch, and some features would be disabled on the iPhone 3G/2G iPod touch's slower hardware. Think about it: those who bought an iPod touch in August 2008 had 22 months to use the device before it became effectively obsolete, while those who bought one in October 2008 will presumably have 32 months. That's a 45% difference.

2) The upcoming iPod touch generation will likely inherit the latest iPhone's features, and break app compatibility in the process. Think back to June 2009, when Jobs announced the iPhone 3GS, and the details of the upgrades that came with it—among them, support of the OpenGL ES 2.0 specification for better gaming and 3D graphics. It was clear from that point on that app developers would have to make a choice—simultaneously develop for both the OpenGL ES 2.0-equipped phones and older models, or dump the legacy support altogether. So once the iPhone came out, there was a three-month period (the summer) where consumers could purchase an iPod touch that was unable to run the newest applications. In my opinion, it's better to wait for the fall than purchase a device that's already feature-crippled.

Apple's products have always been prone to this phenomenon, where those who purchase them towards the end of the company's development cycle are inevitably disappointed by the release of the new model with the latest features a few weeks afterwards. So why did I devote an entire post to the iPod touch in particular? The iPhone OS is enjoying colossal growth, and Apple is responding to that growth by accelerating its development at a rate far greater than iPod or Mac users ever had to worry about. And while the iPhone enjoys features that will keep it useful for years beyond the relevance of its hardware specs (GPS, a persistent 3G data connection), the iPod touch is so feature-limited by design that something as simple as the time of year in which you buy it can determine whether or not you get your money's worth.

Comments

  • Ahem…. I fail to see the problem. The car I bight two years ago did not have an iPod dock, blue tooth or an audio auxiliary jack. The current model does. However, that does not prevent me from getting to work in comfort and safety. What features of the current iPod touch will stop working when iPhone OS 4 or a new iPod touch is released?

    Khürt Williams had this to say on May 19, 2010 Posts: 45
  • What a load of rubbish.
    ALL iPhones and iPods can run software from the Apps store as long as the device has OS 3.
    Just because you can’t install OS 4 does not make your device obsolete.
    When people bought those devices, they had no idea they would get continual updates and masses of features every year from Apple.
    They are still supported, they just don’t have the latest features, just like many other devices that are updated year on year.

    Parky had this to say on May 19, 2010 Posts: 51
  • With Dell or HP, every month computers evolve slightly. Wait a month, get a better computer.

    Apple is different. They release much further apart, with a jump in capability at the same price. So buying in the first few months after release is a better idea than buying a few months before the new ones (if you can predict when they’ll come out).

    The iPhone and iPod Touch both make a leap. Yes, the old models continue to function - but an iPhone bought today and an iPhone bought 11 months ago both have the same hardware and will both be “too old” at the same time (whenever that is). 

    Wait 3 weeks for the new iPhone for sure.
    Wait 4 months for the next iPod Touch? Yeah, I would probably. Certainly wouldn’t buy the 8GB iPod Touch!

    Greg Alexander had this to say on May 20, 2010 Posts: 228
  • I am looking forward to the app compatibility of the new version of the iPod Touch.  I’m not forking over the money for the new iPhone, so I will be buying the Touch simply because I love my music and I know that it works with Apple’s facebook app development so I can check my profile and post updates while on the go, all without paying the extra money for the new iPhone.  The Touch is the right pick for me.

    jovilabon23 had this to say on Mar 16, 2011 Posts: 2
  • to the app compatibility of the new version of the iPod Touch.  I’m not forking over cruise ships the money for the new iPhone acne treatment all the comments, news, and opinions, great to read all the responses-hopefully more people will contribute.
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  • e new ones (if you can predict when they’ll come out).

    The iPhone and iPod Touch both make a leap. Yes, the old models continue to function - but an iPhone bought today and an iP


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  • Thanks for the tips. I agree, I never buy a new apple product right away. I usually wait a while till all the bugs are fixed. casual summer dresses

    wyld187 had this to say on Apr 03, 2011 Posts: 6
  • that 8 GB iPod touch (4 th generation - late model) can store up to 1,750 songs overstock coupon code .

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