Phil Schiller Says New iPod Touch 'Too Thin' for Ambient Light Sensor

Since the introduction of the fifth-generation iPod touch last month, a number of observers noted that the tech specs for the device no longer listed an ambient light sensor included as had been the case in previous generations, and users have indeed confirmed that the automatic brightness feature controlled by the sensor is missing in the latest model.

Apple senior vice president Phil Schiller has responded to a customer's email inquiry asking about the lack of an ALS. Raghid Harake emailed Schiller and the executive wrote back, saying that the 5th generation iPod touch lacks the sensor because the device is simply too thin:

NewImage

The teardown of the new iPod Touch shows just how cramped the interior of the device is, and the ALS is one of the components that Apple's engineers were forced to leave out to make everything fit.

Tag: Phil Schiller

Top Rated Comments

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Aluminum213

83 months ago

Classic example of making something thinner for no logical reason

iPhone 5 is thinner then the 4 but if they retained the thickness they could have dramatically improved battery life. I have never met or heard someone say the iPhone 4 was too thick or heavy.

Rating: 42 Votes

WordMasterRice

83 months ago

I don't understand how the thickness of the device is an excuse. Make it thicker then. At what point is dropping features so that it can be thinner going to stop.

Edit: By the way that is a flat out lie, the ambient light sensor is a surface mount component no bigger than the capacitors that are already in there.

Rating: 36 Votes

ltcol266845

83 months ago

No big loss IMO, the light sensor drives me crazy.

Rating: 21 Votes

MasterHowl

83 months ago

I hate it how these days, the high profile Apple employees try to persuade you how good things are (I'm mainly talking about Schiller, Forstall and Cook here).

"It is a remarkable device!"

"Maps are SO beautiful"

"It's just gorgeous"

"We absolutely love this at Apple, absolutely LOVE it"

It just looks desperate?

Steve would have just gone "here it is, it's so cool", end of. Then of course, we would have opened our lovely new Apple gadgets and thought "yeah, this is pretty cool!".

But now it seems that the recent decline in quality of some Apple products (Maps, lack of light sensor on new Touches, no groundbreaking new features in iOS 6 that work properly) has resulted in the top dogs getting desperate, and trying to persuade us that Apple products are really cool rather than just showing us how cool they are. I just think it comes across desperate, and isn't smooth like Steve was.

Just my thoughts...

Rating: 18 Votes

Icaras

83 months ago

Steve said many of those same things on stage himself.

Rating: 17 Votes

pgiguere1

83 months ago

I wonder if one day they'll remove the 3.5" audio jack to make iDevices thinner.

No problem, just use our AirPods Bluetooth headphones!

Rating: 17 Votes

TheRainKing

83 months ago

Next year...

To Phil Schiller

Phil, I can't find the volume buttons on the new iPod touch 6th generation, and I don't hear any sound when playing music. Care to explain why, sir?
Thanks
Raghid from Lebanon

Response from Phil Schiller

Hi Raghid.

Thank you for purchasing the new iPod touch. It's a remarkable device!
The 6th generation does not have any volume buttons or the speaker anymore (it's just too thin!).

PS. We are thinking about removing the battery next year.

Sent from my iPhone

Rating: 15 Votes

dethmaShine

83 months ago

One of the biggest examples why going 'thin' will reduce functionality in our devices.

Form over function Apple DROP IT.

Rating: 14 Votes

Clown Boy

83 months ago

Lol fail again Apple

Rating: 10 Votes