Teardown of 'New' iPod Touch Reveals Few Changes, If Any

I wonder how apple can make the iPod touch so cheap without subsidizing yet the iPhone cost so much more unsubsidized. Same thing with thickness how can the iPod touch be so thin? Does adding a cell phone chip really increase the size that much?

Apple may well take smaller margins, but also:

* The iPod has a lower-quality screen. Same retina res, but worse viewable angle. (The iPhone hardly shifts colors at all when you tilt it quite far, as when it's lying flat, say.)

* The iPod has half the RAM of the iPhone 4 and 4S, as well as a smaller battery, I believe.

* The iPod has a much lower-quality rear camera (really dedicated to video, much like the iPad).

* The iPod lacks a cell radio/antennas, SIM slot, GPS, vibrator, noise-cancelling second mic, mic/remote built into earbuds, rear glass, camera flash lamp, mute switch, proximity sensor, and magnetometer/compass.

So, lots of small factors add up!

As for thickness, I believe one issue is that the lower-quality iPod camera is smaller. I believe the terrific camera defines the minimum thickness of the iPhone. (And compare the awkward camera “humps” on some phones—always a design challenge.)

I found the whole keynote kinda funny. Apple sits there and tells us that the ipod touch is the #1 mobile gaming platform in the world or w.e. Then proceeds to show off the new iPhone 4s and the new games it can play. So basically apple is saying you cant play the latest and greatest games on the #1 mobile gaming platform because we dont want to change its internals and give it the a5.

I wonder how apple can make the iPod touch so cheap without subsidizing yet the iPhone cost so much more unsubsidized. Same thing with thickness how can the iPod touch be so thin? Does adding a cell phone chip really increase the size that much?

I wonder how apple can make the iPod touch so cheap without subsidizing yet the iPhone cost so much more unsubsidized. Same thing with thickness how can the iPod touch be so thin? Does adding a cell phone chip really increase the size that much?

The iPod Touch uses much cheaper components, as for the thickness not only does the iPhone have the 3G chip it has to have a much beefier battery to make it last. The iPhone wouldn't last very long using the battery from the iPod Touch.

Lame

No big surprise, here. A shame, though.

I think Apple is not upgrading them because the price would be the same anyway and there is no competition for them anyway. It sucks. Companies get lazy when there is no one to compete with. Look at MS and Windows. Vista and windows 7 are the same with the User annoying messages turned off. :(

why are people even asking these questions about the difference in price between the iPod Touch and the iPhone?? The reason there is such a price gap is simply because Apple CAN... The iPhone is targeted at wealthy adults who want the best phone regardless of price; fundamentally the iPod Touch is targeted at kids and people who like watching their portable movies on a big screen. iPhone competes with other $500+ phones; iPod Touch competes with the 3DS and PSP, as well as other more conventional portable music players to some extent.

If you can shift 4 million phones in your opening weekend and your demand exceeds your supply pretty much all year round why wouldn't you make a killing with a huge profit margin???

I think they should have added 3G support and A5 maybe a better camera. Perhaps that's for next year?

The big one is missing out A5.

Well, describing Oct 4th release festivities as "disappointing" would be the understatement of the year.

Read this disclaimer before you hit the downvote button:
I'm not saying that iPhone 4S or iPod touch are inferior or bad products (just got a 4S myself)... they're superb products, but they're no iPhone 5/next gen iPod touch.