iPhone vs iPod Touch

Okay then, so we have had the Apple iPhone 5 event and I am more confused than ever. Well, maybe not that confused because the combination of features and prices are starting to firm up my choice of next iOS device. With the fact that Apple announced the new versions of the iPod Touch at the same event, I could be moving more towards buying that device instead of an iPhone.

The story so far with my iPhone

At the beginning of the summer I bought an iPhone 4. This is because I needed to replace the iPhone 3 which was getting rather long in the tooth. My main use for it was to play podcasts and I needed that to keep me sane during quiet periods at work. I bought the iPhone 4 for €499 and I must say that I have been very happy with the device. With the fact that I use dictation so much, I do find that I miss the ability to dictate in the same way as I do with the iPad. Due to my desire to have an iOS device that I can dictate to and control with my voice using Siri, I would need to get the iPhone 4S. At least I have the new iPad Siri, I can still use Siri with iOS 6.

iPhone vs IPod Touch

iPhone vs iPod Touch – decisions decisions

I was quite pleased to see that the iPhone 4 has come down in price substantially, instead of the €499 that I paid recently, it is now available for €389. I can’t complain about the difference in price because I needed to buy the phone when I needed it. What I might complain about is, that the iPhone 4S has not come down in price a similar amount. If the 4S had come down enough, then I would be saving cash towards buying one of these iPhones. This is because, if it comes to a decision between having the iPhone 4S or the iPod touch fifth-generation, then there is no contest. The extra connectivity available within the iPhone over the iPod Touch is more useful to me than is the larger screen of the iPod Touch.


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Costs and tech comparisons – iPhone vs iPod Touch

So now that I can rule out the iPhone 4S from my buying decision, the next comparison to make it is between the iPhone 4 and the iPod touch. I should say that the reason I need to get another device is because I have promised the iPhone 4 that I have been using during the summer, to pass it on to my wife. I needed the use of it while I was working during the summertime and now she’s back at work and will make better use of it than I will. I have my iPad three available to me here while I am working from home with all of my Wi-Fi connectivity. I actually have very little use for the phone capabilities of the iPhone.

I can’t say that I am particularly looking forward to the idea of using her nearly smart phone rather than the iPhone, but we do have an older iPod in the house that I can use to listen to the podcasts. So I will have to be carrying around a separate phone and an iPod. There is one other reason why I might be better to have an iPhone rather than an iPod Touch, it is for the GPS facilities. Yesterday I went on a bicycle ride of 20 km and I used to the application called Trails. This is a super application which records your journey while you are walking, cycling or with whatever other transport. For this you do need to have the mobile phone connectivity for the data for the maps. Of course having a GPS receiver in the phone is also necessary. My friend who has an iPod Touch is able to get around this to a certain extent by using a Bluetooth GPS receiver connected to his iOS device. Yet another thing to have to carry around.

IPhone 5 Siri

Given my circumstances, which would you buy? An iPhone 4 or one of the new fifth-generation iPad touch’s.

There are plus points to having the iPod Touch such as the faster processor, the better screen, 32 GB of storage rather than only 8 GB and the ability to dictate to it using Siri. It would be nice if I could afford the iPhone5 Siri.

The plus points for the iPhone 4 would be the GPS, the mobile connectivity and to be honest I am having difficulty in coming up with any other reasons. Is it worth to buy this device even though it only costs €70 more than the new iPod Touch.

As I am writing this article the new iPod Touch is becoming more desirable to me. With regards the connectivity, for the most part I am within range of Wi-Fi. For the times when I am out of range, I do have the MiFi product which does at least give me data. It will not turn the iPod Touch into a phone for me, so I will need to take something with me to take phone calls.

Compare specifications between iPhone models  Apple Store  U S 1

One more thing to take into consideration

There are very strong rumours that there will be a new iPad Mini, possibly available in October. On account of the fact that the new iPod Touch is not available until October either, perhaps I would be better to wait and see what happens. It could well be that there will be good reasons to buy such a device which at present is still just a mythical. It is a little hard to see how the iPad Mini will fit into the price ranges that Apple have presented us with. It will probably have to be more than the €319 32 GB model of the iPod Touch. This will be more than the predicted pricing from the Apple pundits, so maybe there will be capability differences that will allow Apple to price it lower. If that happens, then I could still have a conundrum on my hands with regards to deciding which device to get, based upon the relationship between the capabilities and the price. Obviously, like most people I am looking for the best bang for the buck. Look out for a new iPod review. When does the new iPod Touch come out? October 2012. Along with the new iPod Touch release there are new iPod Nanos which have changed shape again. Good to see Apple new iPods even if it has led to my confusion with the iPhone vs iPod Touch debate for me.