With the iPhone (presumably) only a few months away, we compare how Apple's touch screen marvels compare.
The iPhone will hopefully become available in Australia in the next few months, but the iPod touch treads substantially on its toes: compared with other smartphones, the iPhone doesn’t offer much new in terms of phone features apart from its (admittedly fantastic) touchscreen and interface, which it now shares with the iPod touch.
The underlying software is the same; both the touch and iPhone work identically. Even the screens are the same size and resolution, and the two products share the substantial feel in the hand, too. The iPhone is alone with its Bluetooth and camera, though, plus it’s 5mm taller, 0.8mm wider and 3.6mm thicker.
But the biggest difference will be the cost. Elsewhere, the 8GB iPhone costs the same as the 16GB touch, which translates into lots of programmes and tracks in terms of video and music collections. The iPhone will also probably cost you over $50 a month for 18 to 24 months, and lock you in to whichever network Apple chooses as its launch partner. Over the course of just 12 months, you’ll shell out at least $600 in phone plan fees.
Naturally, most of that cash goes towards mobile features. The iPhone has GSM, GPRS and EDGE support, and a built-in email client – all absent from the touch. Also missing are the iPhone’s data-centric applications, so no Google Maps, Stocks and Weather or Notes. The shared applications are sometimes better-featured on the iPhone: the Calendar, for instance, allows you to enter appointments.
It’s likely that when it appears it will be on Telstra because of its far superior EDGE support – something Apple has been picky about. In the UK, the O2 network promised to upgrade its EDGE coverage to secure iPhone exclusivity but only 30% of residents will be reached meaning browsing will slip back to GPRS speeds for many. Or – and this is one of Apple’s defences for not including 3G, which it says will drain the battery too quickly – they can use Wi-Fi and free hotspots that have been provided. A 3G iPhone with useable battery time is pencilled in for late 2008 in the US and there’s a chance that this will be Australia’s first version.
It’s much too early to write off the iPhone, but if you want the extraordinary touchscreen experience and a feature-rich, handheld internet device the touch offers much the same features as the iPhone, plus all that extra storage. Look out for our definitive verdict on the iPhone when (and if) it appears.