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iPod Touch vs. iPhone - Buy and Save a Fortune!
What Do I Mean?
An iPhone in the UK will set you back on average around £200 plus a 24 month contract at say £35 a month. That works out at well over £1,000. In iPod Touch in contrast, starts at around £175 on Amazon. Over 2 years that is a saving of over £800, and I am sure other countries will be similar.
But I want an iPhone, I hear you say, not an iPod. So let me try to convince you. Read on and if at the end of the hub you are not convinced well fair enough, can’t blame a guy for trying. Lots of people won’t be convinced, but maybe I’ll get some of you on board.
The first thing to note about the iPhone versus the iPod Touch is that they are basically the same. It is true. They run the same software, have comparable memory and you can download all the same apps. They even look very similar, the iPhone is just a bit thicker and clunkier. About the only difference is that one is a phone, the other isn’t. Oh and to access the internet, app store etc. you need to be in a wi-fi zone with the iPod Touch, with a phone you can access anywhere (well anywhere there is phone signal, not quite the same thing). The other major difference is the camera on the iPhone is far superior to the iPod Touch, so if you want to use it to take a lot of photos the iPod isn’t going to be suitable. Otherwise it might be worth a go, particularly if a lot of the time you will be using it either at home, or somewhere else where you have access to Wi-Fi.
Here is a run through of some of the main features.
Music
Podcasts & Audiobooks
Wi-Fi Internet
The iPod comes pre-installed with the Safari web browser for surfing of the internet. You can either view pages with the iPod held upright or turned on its side for a widescreen landscape view. As you turn the iPod the screen rotates to match, so you can’t be looking at the screen upside down. The safari browser is great for viewing most webpages, there are easy controls for zooming in and out of pages, and a full on screen keyboard pops up whenever you need to type anything. Sometimes, if I just want to check out something briefly on the internet, I’ll use my iPod Touch rather than turning on my computer, as it is much quicker and easier and doesn’t take time to load.
Apps
Photos - a Photo album / viewer
Mail - an email program you can configure with your gmail, hotmail account details etc.
Voice memos - using the built in microphone
Calculator
Maps
Contacts
You Tube
If you want any more Apps, you have to download them from the App Store, which is incredibly easy, just tap the App Store icon, then start browsing or searching for Apps. Some Apps cost money - typically only a few pounds / dollars /euros - many more are free. A lot of the big websites like Ebay, Amazon, Facebook, Wikipedia have their own Apps (sometimes many different ones to choose from) which are like accessing them through the internet, but tailor made for the small screen often with added features too. There are may other Apps from games to word processors, dictionaries, tv guides, internet radio and much, much more.
A Word About Games
Games may be just one type of App on the App Store, but I thought I should mention them separately because the iPod Touch is just so good for games. I used to have a Nintendo DS but have now got rid of it as I preferred the iPod for games. There is so much more choice on the iPod Touch than the DS, and games are either free or really cheap. Some of the most expensive games on the App Store are less than a quarter the price of DS games, and many are no more than a Dollar. The multi-touch, tilt and accelerometer controls on the iPod also make for a great experience. The new Games Center allows you to connect with your friends, challenge them to games and compete for the highest score. Games like Sonic and Need for Speed are available along with classics like Pacman and Space Invaders and new mega hits such as Doodle Jump and Angry Birds..
iPod Touch Benefits
Other Features
So the iPod Touch is so much more than an MP3 Player, and there really any similar device to come anywhere close to it. Unless you want to use it a lot on the move when you need internet access, you might be just as well saving yourself the money and getting an iPod Touch rather than an iPhone.
Some more hubs about the iPod Touch
- Should I Buy My Ten Year Old Child An Ipod Touch?
Should I buy my ten year old an Ipod Touch? That was exactly the question I was asking myself, less than a couple of months ago. My son really, really wanted one of these things for his tenth birthday. 'Oh,... - iPhone vs iPod touch.
You walk into the apple store and you have two products in hand. One is the iPod Touch, a sleek and stylish iPod with touch screen and internet capabilities. The other is the iPhone, the first of its kind...
