Ipod Touch 2G :Review

[1235Sam]

hi all,this is my first review

I got ipod touch 2g last week.It is not available in India yet.So my friend brought it from US for 11,000/-

I will start from most important aspect of any PMP i.e. sound quality

Sound Quality

How i tested:
headphones used Creative EP-630 and Shure
I chose songs from various genres all encoded at high bit rates:320kbps
Equalizer:Turn OFF

Ipod have been criticized for "poor" sound quality.In my opinion they were OK,if not the best(As compared to Cowon,Creative etc)
1st generation touch had degraded SQ(as compared to other ipods) and it suffered from hissing problem

But all above is history.With new generations ipods(touch 2h and nano 4g),Apple have substantially improved SQ.

The touch 2g has new audio chip and it has been reported as best sounding ipod so far by several experts

after seeing very good feedback from several reviews i was excited to test SQ
my first reaction was WOW!is this really an ipod?
SQ is really good across full spectrum.For me this is best SQ across all PMP(even compared to cowon D2)
Bass is perfect.Treble is crisp.Mid are very good.Sound is very clean and warm.
This really is best sounding ipod ever.This is Apple's huge step forward to satisfy audiophiles.

Comparison with cowon D2
D2 is considered as best sounding PMP.Thats why i compared touch with it.

with creative ep-630,difference between them was minimal,they both sounded great and its hard to pick a winner.However with Shure headphone,diffrence was clearly noticeable.First thing there was slight hiss when pluged to D2.With ipod touch hiss was next to none

D2 has slightly more bass,so indipop sounds a bit better on D2.But i found long listening is tiring.
Touch is more cleaner and netural.SQ is very natural.trance,rock sounds better on touch.I preffered touch as i mostly listen to trance.

Overall,D2 and touch both have very good SQ and choice depends on listeneing preferences

Desing
Damn sexy!new curved design feels really good in hand.Altough scratchy,i really liked shiny metal back which along with glossy front makes really good combo.Iphone 3g's plastic back looks cheap infront of touch.Also touch is really slim and lighter.
overall 10/10 for the design

Display
3.5 inch screen is ultra crisp and on par with iphone.I have never seen any better display on any PMP or cell phone.

Interface
Wow,the gesture based multi is touch interface is so addictive!Exteremely responsive,very easy to use.Apple is light years ahead in terms of UI.

Gaming
multi touch interface,and accelerometer takes gaming to next level.There are many free games and some good free games available for less than 1 dollar.Download is really easy.

Speaker+volume control
speaker is not very lowed but its OK.Atleast it is treblish like we normally see in moble phones
Volume controls on the side is nice addition but they are really hard to press

Other features
many people already know these features so i dont think there is any need to review them again

Safari browser
Wifi
Mail,notes,calender,calculator,world clock
wheather,maps,stock
Nike+
video player

Battery life
Apple improved battery life significantly which is really great thing.Apple claims 36 hours playback life.With single charge i can use it 2,3 days.

Comparison with iphone 3g

iphone 3g
apart from obvious calling features
3g
GPS
Camera

Touch 2g
Faster processor(532MHz vs iphone 3g's and touch 1g's 412MHz)
Slim+lighter+better design(metal back)
Nike+
Slightly better SQ
Better Battery life
Headphone jack at bottom(trust me iphone 3g's headphone jack at upper end really irritating to use atleast for me.The headphone wire annoys me)

Verdict
After dissappointing sales of ipod touch 1G,Apple improved touch 2G in terms of better design,Speaker,volume controls,better battery life,more new features

More importantly they have substantally improved Sound quality and for me it is best sounding PMP.

Last but not least price cut
8GB now costs $229(as compared to last genration touch:$299)
So we are getting many new features at low price
It will realease in India soon with price tag around14k(8GB)

Overall for me touch 2g is best PMP

 

[wishmaster.dj]

dude, by your review it means you own both an iphone and ipod touch...is that so?

 

[utsav]

it would have been better if you would have added some pics of it

 

[1235Sam]

dude, by your review it means you own both an iphone and ipod touch...is that so?

i own touch and not iphone,but i have used my brother's iphone 3g quite a lot,hence the comparison

it would have been better if you would have added some pics of it

here i go

*farm4.static.flickr.com/3282/2986846244_2442b544b9.jpg?v=0
*farm4.static.flickr.com/3282/2985989543_1f2a17f13a.jpg?v=0
*farm4.static.flickr.com/3178/2985990055_181409f91e.jpg?v=0
*farm4.static.flickr.com/3242/2986846714_a9aeab6c82_s.jpg*farm4.static.flickr.com/3242/2986846714_a9aeab6c82.jpg?v=0

 

[IronManForever]

Good review. Few remarks/questions...

1. Are the bundled earphones useless? Worthless? Not even for non-audiophiles? I really hate when such good PMPs come with shitty earphones.

2. Which earphone do you recommend? One within Rs. 1000 and within Rs.250 (backup)? Current cost of Creative EP-630?

3. Is the back very scratchy. Should pretection be taken? What protection can be taken? Scratchguard? Cover?

4. The battery life has been longer due to new firmware and the fact iPod Touch 2G's screen is much warmer in color, even more than that of iPhone 3G which was criticised for beind a tad too warm in comparision to original iPhone. Feels more yellow in comparision to older Touch/iphone. But when you are not comparing it isnt noticeable.

Its considerably expensive here; even I am getting it from US.

 

[max_demon]

iPod Touch is really fatter than iTouch 1G ?

 

[1235Sam]

Good review. Few remarks/questions...

1. Are the bundled earphones useless? Worthless? Not even for non-audiophiles? I really hate when such good PMPs come with shitty earphones.

2. Which earphone do you recommend? One within Rs. 1000 and within Rs.250 (backup)? Current cost of Creative EP-630?

3. Is the back very scratchy. Should pretection be taken? What protection can be taken? Scratchguard? Cover?

4. The battery life has been longer due to new firmware and the fact iPod Touch 2G's screen is much warmer in color, even more than that of iPhone 3G which was criticised for beind a tad too warm in comparision to original iPhone. Feels more yellow in comparision to older Touch/iphone. But when you are not comparing it isnt noticeable.

Its considerably expensive here; even I am getting it from US.

1)Provided earphones are not bad at all for non-audiophiles.They are very clear but they lack bass due to their design(they are normal earbuds and not in ear like EP-630)

2)EP-630 is really good.I would say they are the best within 5k range.I purchased them for 1100/-.You can find it even for lesser cost but make sure they are original.there are lot of fake EP-630's around.So buy from shops like Chroma etc.If you have any trouble identfying original and fake,ask me
And as a backup i think provided earphones would be good option.

3)Yes back is very scratchy,so you might go for protection like crystal case.But it looks rather cheap.The whole feel/looks/slimness of touch goes away.The touch feels so much better in hand so i am not gonna go for any protection.As far as front is concerned its scratch resistant.

4)I dont have old touch for face to face comparison.But i have seen old touch earlier and difference is not noticeable

iPod Touch is really fatter than iTouch 1G ?

Design is curvy.At the edges it is more slimmer.At the center which is the thickest portion its 8.5mm as compared to 8mm of touch 1g

 

[utsav]

0.5mm difference aint that high

 

[IronManForever]

1)Provided earphones are not bad at all for non-audiophiles.They are very clear but they lack bass due to their design(they are normal earbuds and not in ear like EP-630)

Dunno why but I am uncomfortable with in-ear ones. And yeah, as you said none of the out-ear ones have appreciable bass.

2)EP-630 is really good.I would say they are the best within 5k range.I purchased them for 1100/-.You can find it even for lesser cost but make sure they are original.there are lot of fake EP-630's around.So buy from shops like Chroma etc.If you have any trouble identfying original and fake,ask me
And as a backup i think provided earphones would be good option.

EP-630 is available for around 650 (original). One thing is that I tend to sleep with earphones worn. And due to that most of my earphones dont stand a long time with me. How strong is EP-630. Can it withstand everynight tossing around with me?

3)Yes back is very scratchy,so you might go for protection like crystal case.But it looks rather cheap.The whole feel/looks/slimness of touch goes away.The touch feels so much better in hand so i am not gonna go for any protection.As far as front is concerned its scratch resistant.

Crystal Case for the 2G wont be available anytime soon. And yeah; I know it hampers the looks but I donot care about that much. Will need a case when I carry it out with me. Friends may also mess with it. SO a protection is must. Maybe I can make one casing myself?

Design is curvy.At the edges it is more slimmer.At the center which is the thickest portion its 8.5mm as compared to 8mm of touch 1g

0.5mm difference aint that high

Yeah.. But due to the curvy design it actually feels thinner. As I have read online.

 

[1235Sam]

1unno why but I am uncomfortable with in-ear ones. And yeah, as you said none of the out-ear ones have appreciable bass.

2:EP-630 is available for around 650 (original). One thing is that I tend to sleep with earphones worn. And due to that most of my earphones dont stand a long time with me. How strong is EP-630. Can it withstand everynight tossing around with me?

3:Crystal Case for the 2G wont be available anytime soon. And yeah; I know it hampers the looks but I donot care about that much. Will need a case when I carry it out with me. Friends may also mess with it. SO a protection is must. Maybe I can make one casing myself?

4:Yeah.. But due to the curvy design it actually feels thinner. As I have read online.

1:It might be because you are not used to in ear headphones.I doono how many time times you have used but all people feel the same when they are new to in ear headphones.As far as in ear headphones are concerned EP's are one of the most comfortable.

2:As they go inside your ear you can easily sleep with themEP's are pretty durable.Just have some soft pillow....
I am also used to listen lying on bead just before sleep

3:you can also use leather pouch made for iphone which is available in india instead of making your own case.or import one from us along with ipod

4:Yes it feels thinner and better in hand.Practical experience!

 

[IronManForever]

^^ Oh thank you..
Yeah I'm not used to the in-ear types. Some in-ears I used gave a lot of bass which hampered the experience. So stayed away from it.
And good to hear that they are pretty durable.

 

[aryayush]

After dissappointing sales of ipod touch 1G…

Oh really? May I know who told you that?

 

[IronManForever]

^ Dunno about sales but buying iPod touch was/is a risk higher than buying any other similar hardware. One reviewer of the iPod Touch said that only the 3rd iPod they got was working. Many users faced probs with getting replacements done9in US though). Many people faced the problem with conformity in responsiveness of the screen at all areas of the touchscreen. Will search and post sources if required.

But maybe because the product has had fair enough sales and has the hype; therefore the errors are much noticed.. Dunno..

 

[IronManForever]

^^ You have one? just asking for the sake of it.

 

[goobimama]

In-ear earbuds take time getting used to. The sound is totally different. Takes at least a week to get into the zone. After that you just can't go to the normal earbuds.

And the 1G iPod touch was not faulty. If the unit wasn't upto mark, warranty takes care of it. Considering it went up against the iPhone, it did mighty well.

 

[1235Sam]

Oh really? May I know who told you that?

source:review at ilounge
"After initial sales apparently didn’t meet expectations, Apple started to rehabilitate the iPod touch. Applications that had deliberately been left out from the iPhone were added back in, unfortunately in the form of a $20 software update. The company started to pitch the iPod touch as a breakthrough “mainstream Wi-Fi mobile platform,” and later, after another $10 software update, began to highlight its potential as an affordable gaming device. Early adopters complained that Apple’s policy of paid upgrades had fleeced them, but the new software was pre-installed at no charge on newly shipped touch units, undeniably growing the appeal of the device to new customers.
Still, it was obvious that software fixes weren’t enough. With only 8GB of storage capacity at a $299 price, the iPod touch seemed underequipped and overpriced when compared to the newer “$199” 8GB and “$299” 16GB iPhone 3G. It still lacked for a lot of the iPhone’s functionality. And neither its audio nor its video quality was up to Apple’s highest levels of performance."




Sales of Touch 1g were not low,but Apple expected more.Sales could have been even more if it had better feature/price/sound quality

 

[sezchwarn]

Comparison with iphone 3g

Really good, concise review I thought. Thanks 1235Sam.

Personally I heard the iphone 3g and thought Iphone 3g sq >> Sony mp3 sq. Hence my fervent interest in the ipod touch.

Thing is, I read that itouch 2g sq, though good, is not as good as the iphone 3g- much 'flatter', not as lively.

I was wondering how seriously you compared the two? Could you provide a few more details on your thoughts?
Because upon your recommendation that the touch sq really is as good or better than the iphone 3g , I might go all out and order one just like that!! (cant afford an iphone).

 

[1235Sam]

Really good, concise review I thought. Thanks 1235Sam.

Personally I heard the iphone 3g and thought Iphone 3g sq >> Sony mp3 sq. Hence my fervent interest in the ipod touch.

Thing is, I read that itouch 2g sq, though good, is not as good as the iphone 3g- much 'flatter', not as lively.

I was wondering how seriously you compared the two? Could you provide a few more details on your thoughts?
Because upon your recommendation that the touch sq really is as good or better than the iphone 3g , I might go all out and order one just like that!! (cant afford an iphone).

i would say they both sound equally good.With normal headphone,you wont notice any difference at all.I tried side by side comparison only once(as i dont own iphone)and there was no difference using EP-630 and default headphone.Then i plugged my friend's Shure 530 headphone(which costs over 25k!)then there was slight difference in sq between 2.Ipod sounded more cleaner and warmer.But difference was very less.

So in short both have identical sq.Go for ipod touch 2g.If you are are really concern about sq you should pick a good headphone which is the most important factor for good sq.

 

[1235Sam]

*toucharcade.com/2008/11/23/2nd-generation-ipod-touch-faster-than-iphone/

Update:ipod touch 2g faster than iphone 3g!!
"the 2nd Generation iPod Touch had its processor quietly boosted to 532MHz. Meanwhile, the iPhone 3G, Original iPhone and 1st Generation iPod Touch run at 412MHz."