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Forget the iPhone, all you need is an iPod Touch
It may not be as glamorous as the iPhone, but the iPod Touch is an underrated force to be reckoned with. With the ubiquity of wifi hotspots, particularly in major cities, it's not difficult to get an internet connection when you need one. In fact, it's the same internet connection the iPhone has. Although the phone has 3G, iPhone users often opt for the faster wifi connection when they're within range. I never have a problem finding a place to check my email or fire off a sassy Twitter post on the Touch. I also never receive bills for $70+ a month from AT&T.
In terms of applications, the iPod Touch is neck-and-neck with the iPhone. Unless an app uses the "phone" portion of the iPhone's capabilities, it's likely just as effective on the Touch. Sure, the new iPhone has GPS, but the iPod can triangulate your location using a wireless access point. I've navigated to many a restaurant by grabbing directions and leaving them open on the Maps app for reference. You don't need an iPhone for that.
That's what it comes down to, really. Do you need an iPhone? The answer may be yes, but if you're only looking to get one because it's the hottest thing out right now, think about whether an iPod Touch might serve you just as well, for what's ultimately less money. Personally, I just need something that can play music, check email, and use IM services on the go: the Touch fits the bill, and it looks just as cool as an iPhone, too.
Comments
32
Subscribe to commentsVIperJPBAug 29th 2008 1:57PM
Wifi spot's not being as prolific as you say aside....do you really want to carry and iPod Touch and a cell phone in your pockets? I don't want any more pockets.
carlosAug 29th 2008 3:00PM
People comparing ATT phone plans to other companies is a little misleading as well. ATT's lowest plan is 450 minutes a month and 5000 minutes weekend/nights. Compare this to unlimited nights and weekends with almost any other company. Example: t-mobile has 600 anytime minutes a month and unlimited nights and weekends for $40.
Can't compare ATT and other plans. You are really loosing out on minutes, unless of course you use the phone sparingly. Just my little humble thoughts.
Richard LeiterAug 29th 2008 2:56PM
This is misleading. Comparing a Touch to an iPhone is like comparing apples to oranges. They're both sweet but for different reasons.... If you want to compare the two, the Touch is a crippled iPhone at best. Otherwise, the Touch is a splendid iPod. The best, in fact, and I love mine. But as an internet device, it's barely usable. When wi-fi is turned on, you can just watch the battery indicator drain. And it drains fast. As others have pointed out, the lack of external volume control, camera and speakers, as well as the general lack of internet connection (outside a hotspot) make this an iPod, *not* and iPhone. Not even close. I'm buying an iPhone as soon as my Sprint contract expires. But I won't exactly be happy about switching carriers. Sprint's been near perfect for me and my family.
kali4Aug 29th 2008 4:37PM
Uhhhmmm, in a way he really is comparing Apple to Apple.... ;)
But I do agree that they are two different products to fill two different needs.
OneiroiAug 29th 2008 3:02PM
I'm excitedly waiting for next month where there are rumors about slight revisions and price cuts to the touch.
That's when you should have released this post ;)
But really, my only concern, is that one day I'll want to switch over to an all in one option like an iphone 30gb that I know must exist one day. Then I'll have this extra "almost" iphone taking up space.
kurisu628Aug 29th 2008 8:15PM
"With the ubiquity of wifi hotspots, particularly in major cities, it's not difficult to get an internet connection when you need one."
The statement is getting beat up enough, but why not add a couple more cents?
Here in Japan, with the exception of one subway line in Tokyo, there is NO ubiquitous wifi. However, 3G was born here; we've had it since it started in 2001. I've already lost count of the number of envious comments my friend with the iPod Touch has made while I'm downloading apps or checking mail right in front of him. The carrier of the iPhone over here has already bowed to the howl of outrage over the "flat rate" data plan and instituted its already-existing "no less than X yen but no more than Y yen a month" plan.
So yeah. Cheap 3G everywhere makes the iPod Touch obsolete.
meAug 30th 2008 11:49AM
I just purchased an iPod touch a couple weeks ago for the same reasons you described. I was impressed by the interface and the possibilities of the App Store. Not only that, it fit rather well into the gap where my old iPod was going to leave. I am still a happy Verizon customer with a simple cell phone that does everything I need it to. The only thing I had to get past was the $399 price tag. (Plus taxes and ten bucks for the 2.0 update.)
I'll admit that most of the time I'm out of free Wi-Fi as I live in a small town, but do I honestly need Internet everywhere I go? No. And it does give me the adventure of testing where the hotspots are. And I'm usually more willing to pay for something once than to pay for it over and over again, and getting a new contract with AT&T wasn't really an option for me anyway.
So basically, the iPhone probably pleases some people, but if you are a happy customer to your current cell-phone service and can live without constant Internet (like we all have for the past 6,000 years) than the iPod Touch is an alternative worth checking out.
tankAug 29th 2008 10:36PM
your post is moot, most people get the iphone so they can get on the internet where ever they can get a cell phone signal. on the bus, on the train, on the plain, on a boat, walking in the park, walking in the mall, on and on and on...
Rob JensenAug 29th 2008 11:27PM
I COMPLETELY agree. I rock the touch/blackberry combo and it has been working well for me. I really do wish the touch had a mic, speaker and camera however with no additional monthly bill I cannot complain.
*note I have a corp blackberry so it is paid for. that means no monthly bills for me, score!
dennisAug 30th 2008 8:02PM
I think one of the biggest benefits of the iPod Touch will be when the app scene heats up. It is a much better candidate for pwnage as well, because it's not actually a $700 device that you want to use as your phone. This may not be a big deal in general, but when it comes to MIDI/OSC control apps, etc. the Touch is a good pick because of the price.
dennisAug 30th 2008 8:02PM
I mean, if you think about it, the Touch can already benefit from streaming music apps, the Simplify Media app to stream your non-DRM iTunes library from home to work, etc.
I also think the iPod Touch in a future iteration could become a full zone controller for an iTunes network, or even an access point for streaming tunes and vids from the iTunes library on wifi. In other words, it could replace an Airport Express for music, maybe stream video as well, and sit in a dock connected to speakers and a TV.
At least, that's what I would do with it.
Atmos42Aug 31st 2008 11:06AM
I was never very interested in replacing my wife's and my Nano's until they came out with the Bookshelf ebook reader for the iPhone and iTouch. Since we are both avid readers who pretty much exclusively read ebooks now, she on her Palm and I on my N800, this new ebook reader is pushing me to replace her aging Palm with an iTouch. I'd look into the iPhone, but I'd rather shoot myself in the face than go back to AT&T. There is also a Bookshelf server that allows me to pull down ebooks I own through WIFI wherever I have a connection. Since I have a Wifi connection at pretty much everyplace I normally go; home, work, gym, kids gym, doctor's office, kid's pediatrician, and kid's school a lack of connection isn't really an issue. So, the Touch is looking better and better. Plus, I hear it plays music too! :)