Expert’s Rating
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
For a while , Apple has been selling two generation of iPod pinch side by side : the 16 GB and 32 GB , 3.5 - column inch , Retina display fourth - generation edition and the 32 GB and 64 GB , 4 - inch , Retina 5th - multiplication role model . That confusion finally ended when Apple recentlyintroduced a 4 - inch 16 GB iPod touchand in the process killed off the older 4th - propagation for good .
Did I say the confusion ended ? Well , sort of . In most slipway , the$229 16 GB fifth - multiplication iPod touchis identical to the 32- and 64 GB fifth - generation exemplar released in October 2012 . It has the same 4 - inch Retina display , the same dual - core A5 central processing unit , the same front - present FaceTime HD camera ( with its 1.2 - megapixel photos and 720p video capability ) , the same bundled Lightning cable and distant - less EarPods , and the same proportion . The 16 GB model is in fact noted only for what it lacks : It declare oneself no rear - front iSight camera , no strap spot ( and therefore no strap ) , and no choice in colouring ( this model come only with a black typeface and ash grey back ) .
give that it has no new or improved capableness over its high - capacity sibling , your buying choice is nicely narrowed down to just a few factors : Money , storage blank , and what you want from an iPod touch ’s camera .
The colorful 32 GB and 64 GB model ( left ) and the novel 16 GB modelling ( right ) .
The money serving of the equation is simple enough . This iPod is $ 70 less than the next framework . If your iPod budget does n’t track down to $ 300 but you still need a ( very up to ) iPod touch , this is the one you ’ll get .
How much capacity you need depends on how you intend to apply a equipment like this . If you plan to stream — rather than store — a lot of media and are n’t the variety of serious gamer who hopes to load countless storage - sucking diversion on your iOS twist , the 16 GB it offers may touch your needs utterly . If you ’re more of an “ I need a lot of medium and apps with me all the clock time ” person , you ’d be better served by the 32- or 64 GB model .
And then there ’s the lack of a rear - face camera . The front - face camera is majuscule for FaceTime and“selfies,”but the presence of just that undivided camera is going to put a serious dent in your Instagram , YouTube , and Facebook lives . We increasingly share videos and images over social networking services , and that requires a camera that grant you to frame your subject . For the most part , a front - facing camera does n’t allow that — unless you ’re the kind of person who shares picture and video of yourself almost exclusively .
And that introduces the dilemma of the 16 GB iPod touch as a gift , particularly for vernal masses . Its price makes it a natural . But , for many , the inability to use that gift for a favorite social bodily function intend it wo n’t be most as welcome as the higher - priced iPod touches . While this is hardly a “ buyer beware ” caution , those considering this iPod as a gift will want to be mindful of just how much the recipient uses social medium .
Bottom line
The fifth - generation iPod touch is the greatest iPod of its kind that Apple ’s made . But the somewhat stripped - down 16 GB model make some definite via media to offer the same screenland sizing and processing mogul as its higher - capacity comrade at a more entry - level price . For many people the lack of color choices and carpus strap wo n’t be that crucial . The neglect rear - look iSight camera , with its 5 - megapixel pic and 1080p video , may give you intermission , however . It ’s cracking that Apple has again more or less array the glasses across its touch air , but for $ 70 more than the 16 GB simulation , the full iPod touching experience awaits — along with twice the computer memory capacity , to kicking . As long as you make out what you ( or your recipient ) is getting into , the $ 229 16 GB example is a nice summation , but it might not meet the needs of some spot user .
