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The new iPod touch is undoubtedly an improvement on its predecessor, boasting a beautiful Retina Display screen, a skinny-as-hell “form factor”, and front and back cameras letting you FaceTime your pals and capture 720p video respectively. But that back cam isn’t so hot with stills – it’s less than 1MP. Does that bother you?

Personally this particular tech hack was salivating at the thought of a new iPod touch with an iPhone 4-esque 5MP camera. I’m not an iPhone 4 user but I’m a huge fan of its camera, and the idea of being able to carry a point-and-shoot snapper that good inside my iPod is incredibly appealing.

Sadly, the new iPod touch’s back camera sensor is designed for video first and stills a distant second: at just 960 x 720 pixels, it’s less than a megapixel in size. The new iPod touch is THIN, and that means there isn’t room for the iPhone 4’s camera chip. Also, Apple probably surmised that the added cost of a 5MP camera would put off some potential buyers – people that already own a decent pocket-sized digital camera and don’t fancy shelling out for a feature they don’t need.

So what do you think? Has Apple missed a trick by keeping the new iPod touch back camera so underpowered? Let us know in the comments section below.

Out this week | From £189 | Apple

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  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=866350172 Tom Murton

    Definitely, I am a 3GS user so have no need for an iPod and was close to upgrading to an iPhone 4 but couldnt justify the expense for what to me wasnt really that big an improvment (retina really didnt impress me much) but I think a lot of people out there with an iPod and non apple mobile phone would have ipgraded their iPod if they were going to be able to use it to take good pictures even if they were not up to the same standard as the iPhone 4!

  • http://twitter.com/kevinsbath Kevin Bath

    Definitely a shame. A wi-fi device, that can run apps, with a 5MP camera would have been superb.

  • Chopper

    It bother's me, as I'm sure it's just an excuse to bring out a bigger camera next year, then charge a lot more for it. Why can't one of the other manufacturers come out with something better? It amazes me!

    • maxim

      Check out the Samsung Galaxy 50 and the soon to be released Galaxy YP-MB2.

  • Scott

    I was considering updating my Touch and the camera was a major selling point for me, for both photos and video. Now I'm seriously thinking this over. The latest Touch (released last year) was thin enough for me and I'm guessing everyone else too. So Apple, why the hell didn't you keep the thickness and add a decent camera? My decision now comes down to whether or not I feel I need a capacity increase. Decisions, decisions…

  • James Holland

    Yeow! Wonder how many people will buy a touch and own it for a couple of weeks before realizing the stills look a bit rubbish… is there autofocus either?

  • Curmudgeon

    The question is not whether you already have a camera but whether putting a less-than-toy-quality camera in an otherwise superb pocket computer makes any sense at all?

    Who would want to use such a camera?

    I cancelled my iPod order.

  • http://twitter.com/DJAd Adam

    I would get one if it had the iphone 4 camera.

  • Bfannin13

    I'm not going to buy one only because the camera doesn't even compete with my point and shoot and I already have an ipod touch. The only reason I would have upgraded is if I didn't have to carry around my point and shoot. My “cheapest I could get from verizon” phone takes better pictures than that.

  • FoxPhoto

    Well if it is a cost issue, perhaps it would have been better if Apple offered a higher-end iPod Touch with a higher-spec camera. That way the cost-conscious, or those who don't need it, don't have to cough up for the better camera.

  • crispychris

    I bought the other half an ipod touch 3G. Became an instant apple admirer. When the 4g came, I thought it was going to be an instant purchase for me with HD video and still camera, but sadly video and camera quality is disappointing so no, wont be buying one

  • Mhmichel2002

    APPLE screw up again here, yes should have be at least 5 megapixels ??? of course that will happen on the nest one MONEY AND GREED, they have to keep some “improvement” like for example the IPAD without camera than soon will come with CAMERA, apple has be ome more and more greedy with far to many flaws……….

    • bensillis

      I'm not actually that fussed. Remember that bar the 3G radio and GPs, it's almost the same gadget as the iPhone 4, for half the price. They had to cut corners somewhere, and the way I look at it is: why would you want a PMP that has a better camera than almost any phone on sale today? I know which I'm more likely to be carrying around with me all the time.

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