IPod Touch

Features

Software

Main article: iOS}}{{See also, iOS version history

The iPod Touch ran on iOS, the same operating system as the iPhone. It included Safari, Google Maps, a Mail app, apps for Music and Videos, and several more. Users type on a virtual keyboard displayed on the screen. Apple operates online stores, allowing users to buy and directly download music, videos and third-party software. From launch, the iPod Touch was described by journalists as an "iPhone without the phone," and each succeeding iPod Touch model was introduced with the same release of iOS as the contemporary iPhone model.

On April 8, 2010, Apple announced iPhoneOS 4.0 in the Apple Special Event, covering seven main new features, such as multitasking, folders, mail enhancements, iBooks, better enterprise features, Game Center, and iAd. It supports both the iPod touch second, third and fourth-generation models, and this marks the first iOS release that drops the iPod touch first-generation. Prior to the release, iOS 4 was mostly criticized for the second-generation iPod Touch for not having multitasking and Home Screen wallpapers due to poor performance and lagging icon animations, while both the third and fourth-generation iPod Touches fully support all of the main seven and other hidden features covered in the Special Event.

iOS updates to iPod Touch models prior to iOS 4 were required to be purchased by their owners. Apple received criticism for this decision and for excluding certain iPhone features from the iPod Touch software. Apple's position was that they could add features for free to the iPhone because it realizes revenue via subscription, rather than as a one-time payment (as iPhones at the time were typically sold with a carrier contract). At WWDC in June 2010, as of iOS 4, Steve Jobs announced that Apple had "found a way" to make subsequent OS upgrades available free to iPod Touch owners.

In June 2011, iOS 5, the fifth major release of iOS software, was announced at Apple's WWDC 2011, adding notification, messaging, and reminder features. Apple limited some features, such as the voice control system Siri, which was only exclusive to the iPhone 4S on launch, and like the iPhone 4 and 3GS, it was absent for both the third- and fourth-generation iPod Touches.

The following year, iOS 6, which was released on September 19, 2012, for the fourth- and fifth-generation iPod Touch models, contains 200 new features, including Passbook, Facebook integration, and Apple Maps. The fifth-generation iPod Touch gained the ability to take panoramic photos, a feature shared with the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5.

On June 8, 2015, it was announced at the WWDC that the fifth-generation iPod Touch would support iOS 9, along with other A5 chip devices, becoming the first iPod Touch to support four major versions of iOS.

Setup and synchronization

iPod Touch units running iOS 4 or earlier were required to be connected to a Mac or PC for first-time setup. Downloading apps or media from the iTunes Store and App Store does not require a computer, though media not purchased through the iTunes Store still has to be added through a computer.

iPod Touch units produced since October 12, 2011 have iOS 5.0 or later preloaded; they can be set up wirelessly, without the need of a PC or Mac.

Purchasing content

To purchase content on the iPod Touch, the user must create an Apple ID or have an existing account. With this account one may download music and videos from the iTunes Store, apps from the App Store, or books from the Apple Books Store. An Apple ID account created without a credit card can be used to get free content, and gift cards can be used to pay for apps instead of using a credit card.

Third-party applications

The only official way to obtain third-party applications for the iPod Touch is through Apple's App Store, which is a branch of iTunes Store. The App Store application, available in all versions of iOS from 2.0 onwards, allows users to browse and download applications from a single online repository (hosted by Apple) with the iTunes Store.

Sideloading apps outside the App Store is done through the Xcode application. It is intended for developers and enterprises, though tools for sideloading outside of Xcode exist, and are mainly used for applications not allowed in the App Store.

Design and hardware

The iPod Touch is generally similar to the iPhone models prior to the iPhone 6. Compared to a same-generation iPhone, an iPod Touch is thinner, lighter, and less expensive, while lacking some hardware and software features. Steve Jobs once referred to the iPod Touch as "training wheels for the iPhone."

All iPod Touch models lack biometric authentication, 3D Touch, NFC, GPS, an earpiece speaker, and a noise-cancelling microphone. Depending on the generation, the iPod Touch may have a smaller or inferior display and camera(s) compared to the iPhone. Newer models (fifth, sixth, and seventh generation) lack the ambient light sensor that makes automatic brightness available. The first-generation iPod Touch lacks a built-in speaker, and all iPod Touches prior to the fourth generation lack a microphone, a camera, and a flash. Starting with the 4th generation iPod Touch, a camera and microphone were added, and starting with the fifth-generation iPod Touch, an LED flash was added.

The iPod Touch has no cellular modem, and therefore cannot directly make phone calls on the public switched telephone network. However, it can make VoIP calls such as FaceTime, and send iMessages to other iPhones, Macs, iPads, and iPod Touch models with an Apple ID. The fifth-generation iPod Touch and later can forward and receive standard phone calls through a separate iPhone (a feature introduced in iOS 8), with the Wi-Fi Calling feature. The two devices must be linked to the same Apple ID, and the iPhone's carrier must support this feature.

Connectivity

Main article: Dock connector#Apple 30-pin dock connector, Lightning (connector)

The iPod Touch can communicate with a computer through Wi-Fi or USB using a cable and a dock connector.

iPod models released before 2012 feature a 30-pin dock connector (known colloquially as the iPod dock connector), which carried analog signals.

The fifth, sixth, and seventh generations of the iPod Touch feature a new digital dock connector, called Lightning, which was introduced alongside the iPhone 5, fourth-generation iPad and first-generation iPad Mini, and the seventh-generation iPod Nano models. This new connector is smaller than the previous one allowing for a slimmer form factor, and is reversible. Various accessories are available to connect the Apple Lightning connector to the older 30-pin dock connector or USB, although not all old accessories will work, because the Lightning connector cannot handle analog signals.

User-made modifications

Like all of Apple's iOS devices, the iPod Touch is a tightly controlled platform. Communication between apps is limited and controlled, and Apple is the only authorized software vendor for firmware and applications. Hackers have attempted to "jailbreak" all iOS devices to enable forbidden or unsupported features, such as multitasking in iOS versions before 4.0, themes for the home screen, and enabling the battery-percentage indicator (limited to the iPhone prior to the seventh-generation iPod Touch). Jailbreaks for the iPod Touch first surfaced a month after the original model was released in September 2007, when hackers released JailbreakMe 1.0 (also called "AppSnapp") to jailbreak iPhone OS 1.1.1. This allowed users to install third-party programs on their devices before Apple permitted this with iPhone OS 2.

Apple's warranty statement implies that, after jailbreaking or other modification made by unofficial means, an iPod Touch is not covered by Apple's warranty. Jailbreaking is a violation of the terms and conditions for using iOS. While the jailbreaking process can normally be undone by performing a restore through iTunes, there is a risk of rendering the device unusable.

Models