New iPod Touch vs Old iPod Touch: 4 Things to Know

Apple released new iPods yesterday, including a new iPod Touch that received a big upgrade. Here’s what you need to know about the new iPod Touch and how it compares to the old iPod Touch.

The new iPod touch includes more features, a way-faster processor, a better camera, and more storage for the same price as before, starting at $199. For those who have been waiting to buy a new iPod Touch, this new model is a no-brainer.

More specifically, the new iPod Touch comes with Apple’s A8 processor, which is the same one that’s rocking in the iPhone 6, although it’s a bit under-clocked in the new iPod Touch, so it’s slower than the iPhone 6, which really isn’t too surprising, as Apple still needs the iPhone 6 to be the lone superior choice as far as performance goes.

However, it’s safe to say that the new iPod Touch is better than the old model without a doubt, especially since the last time that Apple has refreshed the iPod Touch was in 2012, back when the iPhone 5 was all the rage.

While the iPod Touch still isn’t one of Apple’s biggest products, it remains a cheaper option than the iPhone, and it’s great for those who want an iPhone experience without paying for a data plan. Here are four things you should know about the new iPod Touch compared to the old iPod Touch.

Storage

The new iPod Touch comes in four storage tiers, with the entry-level 16GB option kicking things off at $199. You can also grab 32GB for $249, 64GB for $299 and a new 128GB storage option for $399.

The old iPod Touch didn’t have a 128GB storage option, so the ability to have that much storage space on an iPod Touch is an all-time first for the portable media player.

However, the 32GB option might be the best value, as you’re only paying $50 more for it than the 16GB model, and as you should know, it’s really easy to fill up a 16GB iOS device. Instead, 32GB is the sweet spot for most casual users, and even 64GB is doable, with only a $100 premium over the 16GB model.

Of course, whichever storage size you choose, be sure to look at your usage habits and see if 16GB or 32GB is enough for you. You might even have to get the 128GB model if you have a lot of music, movies, games, etc.

Performance

The new iPod Touch comes with the same A8 processor that’s in the iPhone 6, but the only difference is that the A8 in the new iPod Touch is under-clocked to 1.1GHz instead of 1.4GHz. Still though, compared to the A5 processor that’s in the old iPod Touch, the newer model is several times faster and can handle the latest games like a champ.

The new iPod Touch also has double the memory of the old model, with 1GB of RAM instead of 512MB, and the new model also has Apple’s M8 motion processor that’s perfect for workouts or tracking your steps throughout the day.

The performance upgrades are perhaps the biggest upgrade that the new iPod Touch received over the previous version, so if it’s performance you’re looking for with the iPod Touch, you can’t go wrong with the new model at all.

Cameras

The new iPod Touch now comes with an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera compared to the 5-megapixel camera on the old iPod Touch.

As for the front-facing camera, the new iPod Touch keeps the same 1.2-megapixel sensor as the old iPod Touch, with the capability of only recording 720p video at the most. This lack of an upgrade isn’t really a bad thing, as your selfies will still look relatively good, but it seems like Apple wanted to put more focus on the other camera, with the ability to take better overall photos.

However, the camera strap loop that was a hot feature on the old iPod Touch is no longer present on the new model, which is a bit odd, so if you accidentally lose grip of your iPod Touch, you unfortunately won’t have a failsafe to fall back on this time around.

Screen

While the new iPod Touch is full of new features and improvements, one thing that has remained the same compared to the old iPod Touch is the screen.

The display on the new iPod Touch remains at 4 inches with a resolution of 1136×640. Of course, it would’ve made sense for Apple to bump up the screen size to 4.7 inches in order to match the iPhone 6, but we’re guessing the company wanted to keep the price down, so it was either big performance improvements or a larger screen.

However, the 4-inch screen is still a good size, and as a device that’s great for kids in the first place, the smaller screen size is perfect for them.