If the rumors are to be believed, then cameras and the iPod are getting it on lately, because in about nine months (or whatever the
gestation period is for gadgets -- you're welcome for that mental image) we'll be seeing lots of iPods with lenses in them. First up is the fine folks at iLounge, who claim they've seen the newest iPod nano, and
it's got a camera right where your finger usually is. They also say the new version has a lower click wheel and a smaller action button. You may laugh (it does look pretty silly), but on the other hand, I just saw the nanos during a trip to the Apple Store the other day, and I held it by its corners... while I was watching video. Add that to the rumor that Apple is
adding in video recording to the iPod lines, and it becomes slightly more credible.
In fact, we're not the only people who've seen that line of reasoning:
Computerworld's Seth Weintraub follows the same path, speculating that not only is Apple beefing up the camera capabilities on their iPod lines, but they're set to branch the iPod touch off into a digital HD camera/"photography computer": "Imagine an iPod Touch with a good camera and lens. That's about it." All rumors, of course, but he says it's very easy to see happening, and we have to agree.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
NutMac said 2:52PM on 5-26-2009
Aside from design refreshes (both UI and physical), last few batches of nano didn't offer new compelling features to get more discriminating users to upgrade. New nano will attract those considering a low-end digicam or Flip camcorders.
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Brassen said 2:54PM on 5-26-2009
That's an ugly iPod.
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superberg said 3:31PM on 5-26-2009
I'm ready to jump to a new iPod, since my 80GB Video is beginning to reach the breaking point.
I'm really hoping they do something new with the Classic, or significantly increase the memory in the Touch. An HD Cam would be nice, but if it's iPhone camera quality... ugh.
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required said 3:49PM on 5-26-2009
It's all so damn silly. Seems like it was just yesterday that Apple was preaching against such jack of all trades, master of none thingamajigs (yet they did make their iphonepodtouch betwixt it all). Turd polishers I tells ya. All it takes is some glossy plastic and what they use to call asinine they now call wondrous.
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cdm said 3:57PM on 5-26-2009
i'm going to go out on a limb and say that's a sliding switch, and not a camera.
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milkmage said 5:49PM on 5-26-2009
that's what I thought too, but.. for what?
Jash Sayani said 4:46PM on 5-26-2009
"Introducing the iPod Photo.
Now capture memories without worrying about taking your camera with you...."
REASON: We think this is more important than a netbook or tablet computer...
Damn silly (but u can say nothing abt Apple) !!
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Tony said 7:40PM on 5-26-2009
Can't call it the ipod photo.. that already exists (or did) - it was a 60gb ipod released just before the video ones came out.
agr said 9:27PM on 5-26-2009
"REASON: We think this is more important than a netbook or tablet computer..."
It is you fool, the netbook market is tiny apart from a bunch of loud mouthed nerds on the net. And the tablet market is even smaller
mabhatter said 11:21PM on 5-26-2009
people need something good and easy to get their media into all the cool iApps on their Macs. Build in 3 Megapixel camera that can take pics and short videos. Everybody has a phone or a music player now. Apple is smart enough to realize that iPhone isn't for everybody for a variety of reasons.. but media is where they're at and THEY don't market anything other than iPhone to the young, YouTube/flicker generation.
Most people don't use all the space on their Nanos as it is... if it takes good pics it would be a welcome feature. Personally, I'm looking for a larger screen Touch with a camera and Bluetooth enabled. The Touch would be the perfect "field" preview tool for quick edits of pics and blog posts via WiFi if they'd just add an SD reader (or other input method) so you could put something ON IT while you were out.
Rudy said 4:50PM on 5-26-2009
ipod announcements are usually made in september/october... i dont think there will be any ipod talk at wwdc. the focus will be snow leopard and the new iphone.
and even so, i dont think apple would integrate cameras into ipods.
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Nick said 5:32PM on 5-26-2009
why would they have the FCC seal, Copyright Enhanced seal, and that other tiny writing on a unit that wouldn't be in production until late summer/early fall? I remember those prototype iPhones not having any important writing on the back, just maybe the logo, and those were made months before the actual release.
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Stephen Lang said 5:58PM on 5-26-2009
This is a just a mockup from iLounge, based on their source. They are a pretty credible source, they specifically mentioned they had a strong tip on this one.
DJFriar said 5:48PM on 5-26-2009
Actually, I think this would be a great idea. While most cellphones have cameras nowadays, if they actually put a decent camera on it, and had it sync via iTunes this would be pretty cool. I hope it happens.
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Adnium said 6:35PM on 5-26-2009
Pretty sure there should be an extra comma after 'cameras', as it looks like there are rumours about an iPod, and about cameras expecting offspring!
I personally think that the multi-media devices should be the iPod touch and the iPhone. The iPod line should remain the premium music player line; no one needs another crappy camera needlessly built into a device.
Unless there is a compelling implementation of the camera + iPod, it seems a pointless gimmick.
P.S. @Jash Sayani, wasn't the iPod Photo was their brand name around three revisions ago?
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Tony said 7:49PM on 5-26-2009
If they did the camera well it could be an interesting selling point. Most people these days carry around camera phones & they're getting quite sophisticated (the high end ones being easily on a par with digital compact cameras) - simply because it's less bulk than carrying around a separate camera.
Apple have traditionally gone with the pinhole camera beloved of a few years ago.. the camera being a throwaway addon rather than a core feature, but if they changed that there's a huge market to tap.
Sinister Joe said 11:55PM on 5-26-2009
Pretty bad fake. If the lens was on the bottom your hand would cover it when you were trying to use the scroll wheel to take a snapshot. I don't really understand why people who take the time to make (and promote) fakes screw up such stupid details.
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Unknown said 11:46PM on 5-26-2009
A camera-toting iPod could be huge. It already outsells the iPhone, as announced by Apple itself last quarter.
Look at Flickr stats on photos taken with different cameras: http://www.flickr.com/cameras/
The iPhone (with its lowly 2 MPx sensor) already out-shoots all other cameraphone by an apparent factor of 5 to 1 (no scale on that graph). If Apple puts a camera in the hands of every iPod owner, Flickr's going to need more servers soon.... or wait, what was that news about Apple building a $1 Bn data centre in Georgia?
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Maddy said 3:33AM on 5-27-2009
Most people don't use all the space on their Nanos as it is... if it takes good pics it would be a welcome feature. Personally, I'm looking for a larger screen Touch with a camera and Bluetooth enabled.
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Paul said 6:58AM on 5-27-2009
I received an Apple Market Research email today inviting me to do a survey on the iPod.
It had a couple of questions about how you use the space on your iPod, and also had a bit of a slant towards camera's on some of the questions as well. I got the impression that they were testing people's responses to the idea of adding a camera, and then I read this, so I think they could be onto something with this rumour.
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