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Apple iPod touch (4th generation)

8.2 User Score Write Review
Compare It Apple ipod touch (4th gen)

Tech Specs

Hardware

Length 4.4 inches
Width 2.3 inches
Thickness 0.28 inches
Weight 0.22 g
Primary orientation Portrait
Color Silver / White, Silver / Black
Loudspeaker Mono

Display

Screen size (diagonal) 3.5 inches
Technology LCD
Resolution (Y) 960 px
Resolution (X) 640 px
Touchscreen type Capacitive
Multitouch Yes

Connectivity

Wi-Fi Yes
Wi-Fi support 802.11g, 802.11b, 802.11n
802.11n frequencies 2.4GHz
Bluetooth Yes
Bluetooth version 2.1

Processor

Manufacturer Apple
Model A4
Clock speed 800 MHz
Core(s) 1

Storage

Internal size 64 GB, 32 GB, 8 GB
External storage No

Front Camera

Resolution 0.3 megapixels
Video resolution VGA

Rear Camera

Resolution 0.7 megapixels
Focus type Fixed
Video resolution 720p

Software

Notable services supported iTunes
Operating system iOS
Launch OS version 4.1
Latest OS version 5.0.1
Audio codecs supported WAV, AAC, MP3, AIFF, .AA (audible)
Video codecs supported H.264, MP4, M4V, MKV, MOV
Media streaming AirPlay

Ports

Video out Yes
Headphone jack 3.5mm
Data connection(s) iPod

Sensors

Sensors Ambient light, Gyroscope, Accelerometer

Battery

Quoted video time 7 hr
Quoted audio time 40 hr
Removable No
8.2

Average User Review

of 9 total reviews
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  • Design 9
  • Display 8
  • Software 9
  • Speakers 7
  • Performance 8
  • Battery life 8

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  • 8.0
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    Reviewed by pmowery (Currently owns)

    May 5, 2012 12:23 pm

    Recieved this as a christmas gift. This is a great upgrade for any previous generation ipod touch users. While it can be sluggish at times due to its limited RAM, it can handle all but the most strenuous games (infinity blades 2 *cough*) with ease. Apple also managed to throw in pretty decent integrated spreakers. Sould is fairly clear, which is much better than the muddled sound of earlier ipod touches.

    The Breakdown

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    • Design 10
    • Display 8
    • Software 8
    • Speakers 8
    • Performance 7
    • Battery life 8
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  • 8.0
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    Reviewed by objecti (Currently owns)

    April 9, 2012 08:11 pm

    I bought this to replace an old nano that had passed its expiry date. I was impressed by the ultra slim design (not forgetting this was 2010, when most things were still fat and ugly). the screen was beautiful too. i used it mainly to play music (with sennheiser cx300 earphones and later klipsch x10) while running. one amazing thing - one day, it slipped off the treadmill and crashed onto the floor - twice! the thing is still working fine! i expected the screen or processor to be smashed but not a scratch!

    even after almost 2 years, it still stays current, looks beautiful, sounds great.

    The Breakdown

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    • Design 9
    • Display 8
    • Software 8
    • Speakers 7
    • Performance 8
    • Battery life 9
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  • 7.0
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    Reviewed by DaEngineer (Currently owns)

    January 10, 2012 08:20 pm

    I'll step briefly through each one of the criteria, to kind of explain my reasoning.

    Design: 6
    This is not an ugly device...when you buy it. It looks quite good. However, it's extremely delicate. The screen is particularly prone to scratches, and the back is prone to scuffs. Buy a case. Second, the usability of the buttons isn't great. Both the power and volume buttons are small, placed at wierd angles, and aren't comfortable to use.

    Display: 6
    It's a tiny screen with poor viewing angles. The resolution is good, but it doesn't appear as sharp as an iPhone screen.

    Software: 8
    It's iOS. You like it or you don't. I like it, despite my main phone being an AT&T android phone by choice.

    Speakers: 6
    They are quiet, tinny, and sound bad even by mobile standards.

    Performance: 9
    iOS is fast. It still stutters on occasion, but not bad.

    Battery Life: This thing lasts me 2-3 days of use. It's great.

    The Breakdown

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    • Design 6
    • Display 7
    • Software 8
    • Speakers 6
    • Performance 9
    • Battery life 10
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  • 8.0
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    Reviewed by caramelpolice (Currently owns)

    January 4, 2012 09:53 am

    The iPod touch has always been Apple's red-headed step child - the original lacked many of the iPhone's included apps; software updates until iOS 4 had to be purchased; Steve Jobs once referred to the device as "training wheels" for the iPhone; this year, for the first time, the iPod touch was not updated to bring the hardware in line with the latest iPhone. But does the device stand on its own merits when not compared to its thicker, carrier-subsidized sibling? In short, yes.

    The iPod touch packs the same A4 package used in the original iPad and the iPhone 4, but unlike the iPhone 4, the iPod packs only 256MB of RAM. While most software performs admirably, multitasking abilities are slightly limited, and newer games like Infinity Blade II do not perform or look their best.

    The screen is the same 960x640 display as the latest iPhone models, with one caveat - it does not utilize IPS, resulting in slightly poorer color reproduction and significantly lower viewing angles. Black levels are particularly poor, but for most purposes the screen looks quite nice when viewed head-on, particularly video.

    The design is a mixed bag - the device is impressively thin and stylish, but the back of the device still stubbornly uses the same easily-scratched glossy metal as every iPod of the last ten years. The screen fares better for scratches, but a case is recommended if you mind such blemishes.

    The cameras are extremely poor; the front is usable for nothing more than FaceTime or Skype video calling, while the back is passable for video but absolutely cannot replace a dedicated camera or even compete with any model of the iPhone.

    For music, the Music app continues to be best-in-class; it's quick to load, there's a variety of sorting options including Cover Flow, and iOS is as pleasing to the eye as ever. The internal speaker is passable for playing a song or video to a friend, but for personal listening headphones are a must. If listening to music is your primary use case, you'll be happy to hear you can last more than a day on a full charge, as well.

    Of course, the iPod touch has access to the same App Store as other iOS devices, so there is a tremendous variety of games and productivity software available. Some software is limited by the iPod touch's lack of 3G and poorer cameras, but if you have fairly consistent access to Wi-Fi this should not be a dealbreaker.

    All in all, while it can't totally replace an iPhone, there's hardly better options for a dedicated media player than an iPod touch. With its high-resolution display, quality music playback, lengthy battery life, and wide list of software and features shared with its big brother, the iPod touch is probably the best portable computer money can buy for $200 off-contract.

    The Breakdown

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    • Design 8
    • Display 9
    • Software 9
    • Speakers 6
    • Performance 9
    • Battery life 9
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  • 9.0
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    Reviewed by livelifecoke (Currently owns)

    December 27, 2011 06:56 pm

    The ipod touch 4g is brilliant.
    I was upgrading from an 8gb 2g to a new 32gb 4g. im thrilled. sure, the camera is awful, and the battery life pales in comparison to the old one, but, hell, i can run GTA III on it. i used to play that on a gaming computer.

    The screen, while not quite as good as the iphones, is still of a very high standard. colours are good, vibrant and the pixels are indistinguishable because of the high resolution of the display.

    The performance is also very good, people may complain that it only has 256mb of ram, or that it didnt get an A5 processor. these people, obviously have not used it. those are not necessary. it runs incredibly smoothly, and has never crashed on me. now, with the addition of a camera and mic. i never have to worry about loosing features in apps too.

    The design, while beautiful, is impractical at best, WHY DO THEY KEEP USING A CHROME BACK!? it drives me insane. the first thing you should do when you get this, is get a rubber or fabric case/pocket. the plastic cases scratch the chrome. they destroy what they're supposed to protect.

    The camera is either satisfactory, or poor, depending on how your planning to use it. if you want photos with lots of detail, and very little fuzziness, your looking in the wrong place, infact, photos are essentially screen-caps of the 720p video. all said and done, in good light, you can get some decent pictures out of this, but, it could use improvement.

    The software is the centrepiece of the experience, it is always quick and responsive, and, you know your gonna get the next update. (im not biased to apple, either, i own an android as my only phone) its constantly responsive, and the only apps ive had crash are ones like GTA III, for understandable reasons.

    The Battery life is good; depending on what you're doing, if you plan on just consuming media, listening to music and watching video, then its better then the old one, but once you start playing games and editing video (I still cant beleive we can edit video on our MP3 players new, btw) the battery will deplete surprisingly fast, even though it still says '20%, low battery' even though we both know its got another 3 hours left.

    All in all, it is an exceptional device, and it still has no competitors. i havnt used a galaxy player, so im not gonna say its better, but, it'd have to be pretty damn good to beat this.

    (Even though the final score when properly calculated is 8, ive upped it to 9, because i think that more fully represents what is written in the review)

    The Breakdown

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    • Speakers 8
    • Performance 10
    • Battery life 7
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  • 8.0
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    Reviewed by photograph (Currently owns)

    December 20, 2011 06:20 pm

    The iPod touch (4th generation) has been out for a year, but it's still the hottest MP3 player, portable game console and PDA out right now - and with Christmas coming, everyone wants them. Is it any good? Read on to find out.

    The iPod touch looks GORGEOUS. It's very thin and light, it's simple, and, well, it just is sexy. Be careful, as you WILL need a case to keep it protected as it is fragile. My sister dropped hers (even with a case) and the screen broke.

    The Retina display on the iPod touch is outstanding. Colors pop, blacks are black, and you can't even SEE the pixels. It does not incorporate IPS technology for better viewing angles like the iPhone 4 and 4S though, but that was probably for keeping the cost down.

    The iPod touch runs iOS 5. The OS is very smooth, polished, and fast - there is no lag that occurs on this device. There are about a half of a million apps available and the list keeps on growing every day. It is not as customizable as Android, but the user experience of iOS is one of the best in its class.

    The iPod touch comes with headphones, but you can throw them away since they're garbage. The speakers are good, but not as good as something you would find on an iPhone because it's smaller and needs to be a cheaper device.

    Performance on the device is wicked. When you run a game, it runs at its full potential. When you flip through songs on iTunes, you don't see any lag at all. As I said, I think iOS can be why the iPod touch is so fast - because it's a very polished OS. Maybe Apple's walled garden is good...

    Battery life is alright on the device as it can probably withstand a whole day's worth of use. This is probably because of the smaller battery the iPod touch uses, and the cost-cutting efforts. Standby time is great, though. I can go on to the iPod touch one week after not using it and it still has battery life yet.

    Overall, I can tell this is going to be one of the hottest items of the Christmas season, and if you haven't bought an iPod touch yet, do it! You won't regret it, and it will result in fun for everyone in your family, or maybe, just you.

    The Breakdown

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    • Design 9
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    • Software 9
    • Speakers 7
    • Performance 9
    • Battery life 6
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  • 9.0
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    Reviewed by Technacity (Currently owns)

    December 20, 2011 11:42 am

    Exactly, this is my second 4th generation iPod touch. The first, a 32 GB model, was stolen. I ended up being an 8 GB version in White. Delighted to find that, the 8 GB version was able hold all my content.

    Design-wise this device is absolutely gorgeous. It's noticeably thinner than the iPhone 4/4S, but just as sturdy. Though, I would be careful with the screen. I have been using an extremely study case and have seen two other friends crack their screens.

    The Retina Display is gorgeous. Reading on the iPod touch is an extremely joy. As a pixel-density enthusiast, it is great at 326 PPI. I would only wish it was an IPS panel, like the iPhone 4/4S, as IPS provides much better viewing angles.

    iOS 5 is the latest and greatest incarnation of iOS providing useful features like Notification Center. It is stable and there are no noticeable/deal-breaking bugs. Apple has really build a strong OS that will only get better with updates.

    The loud speakers are exactly great and able to heard by the people around 9 ft around you. But, don't take my word for it as I rarely use it.

    The A4 chip despite being a year old is as strong as ever. But, I have noticed with some graphics intensive apps there is initially a slow down. I would of appreciated if there is 512 MB of memory like on the iPhone 4/4S (for multitasking), but 256 MB is more than enough. I have noticed the occasional lag that I attribute to this gaffe.

    Battery life is livable, it gets me through a day of internet and reading use (9 to 5), but by 5 it is close to dead and needs a recharge if you want to use it throughout the night.

    Overall, this is a wonderful device and a great gift for a person first iOS device.

    The Breakdown

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    • Software 9
    • Speakers 8
    • Performance 9
    • Battery life 7
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  • 9.0
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    Reviewed by AndrewYZ (Currently owns)

    December 20, 2011 08:59 am

    Industrial design wise, i think iPod Touch is Flawless. It's thin, it's light, it's just gorgeous. It works amazingly both as a MP3 player and a portable computer. The only shortcoming might be the camera and its CPU sometimes might not work fast enough, but given the big gap of price beteewn touch and iPhone 4 , i think it's not that big a issue.

    The Breakdown

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    • Design 10
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    • Speakers 7
    • Performance 8
    • Battery life 6
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  • 8.0
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    Reviewed by drumsmack (Currently owns)

    December 20, 2011 05:27 am

    Super thin and everything I wanted in an iPhone without the data plan ripoff. The cameras work fine for FaceTime but suck wind for anything else: save only for apps like PhotoStitch that can stitch together a dozen or so shots from the 0.7 mp sensor.

    The built in speaker works surprisingly well.

    The screen resolution is fantastic but is missing something the retina display in the iPhone 4 gives users.

    Performance is great, and it seemed fast until I started playing with a second gen iPad.

    It's my smartphone alternative that I use on free wifi spots for Mobil Internet. It plugs into my car stereo via a dice kit and provides music on the go this way. I use to for notes, shopping lists and other PDA functions. It's great for playing Mobil games like Max Injury or roller coaster physics.

    The audio sounds great and I use this to stream music into my home stereo system from the likes of last.fm and gotradio.

    Nothing really competes with this in terms of overall value. The galaxy player 4.0 and 5.0 seem totally kirfy in comparison and the Zune although cool for Microsoft, really just can't hold a candle/

    With Messages my gf and I almost never use txt on our cell phones any more. FaceTime asleep works great but zaps the battery quickly.

    App selection makes even the android market seem weak. Pair one of these with a dumb phone and free wifi and you get the best of a smartphone without the data ripoff.

    The camera works but almost any point and shoot will do better.

    Perfect for FB and Twitter and pocket friendly random google searches and note taking and games of chess of reading the news on the bus: It's everything to everyone. MID, PMP, PDA, ect. Get the 32gb or better if you have lots of content, cause 8gb is limiting. I went full on to 64gb so I could tow all of my music around and have room for apps and pictures.

    Well done: I had a 2nd gen version but handed that down and it still works daily as a PMP and MID this way!

    The Breakdown

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    • Design 9
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    • Software 9
    • Speakers 8
    • Performance 7
    • Battery life 7
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