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Leaks of specs for Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) products are becoming par for the course this year. The much-hyped iPhone 4 scandal -- complete with late-night drinking, blog scoops, and police raids -- is winding down. Now, though, UK-based tech blog ElectricPig is claiming to have pre-release details on the next iteration of the iPod touch.
According to information ElectricPig says it obtained from retailer John Lewis, the touch will sport both a gyroscope and an accelerometer. The new multimedia gadget also will have a front-facing camera and the video-calling FaceTime application originally released on the iPhone 4G last month. Video recording and automatic uploading to YouTube will be on board when the device is released in September, according to information the blog site says John Lewis obtained from "suppliers."
The Name of the Game
The gyroscope and accelerometer would be important additions to the iPod touch because they would allow the device to serve as a more fully featured gaming console. While single-function, handheld game players made by Sony (NYSE: SNE) and Nintendo continue to battle for market share in that niche, gaming is becoming "hugely important" for Apple's iOS platform, Josh Martin, senior analyst with Strategy Analytics, told MacNewsWorld.
In a recent survey over eight weeks of the top iTunes App Store apps, Martin found that games were 45 out of 80 of the top free apps and 63 out of 80 of the top paid apps distributed by the store. Thus, "anything that can improve the gaming experience further will only enhance the value proposition" of the iPod touch, Martin stressed.
Indeed, that Apple would continue down its inroads into the gaming realm is fairly predictable, according to Greg Sterling, founder and principal of Sterling Market Intelligence. "I expect that Apple will do a number of things to maintain [the iPod touch] as a very strong gaming platform, including a gyroscope," he told MacNewsWorld.
An iPhone Without AT&T?
However, the addition of a forward-facing camera that can deliver both still shots and video may further cloud the issue of whether the iPod touch is a media device or a communications tool. "Apple has always positioned the touch as a non-communication platform, so I wouldn't expect to see a telephony push," said Martin.
Yet "many adults bought the iPod touch to get the iPhone experience, but [they] were unwilling to change carriers," noted Sterling. Thus, at the other end of the customer continuum -- among adults who buy not only games but also business applications and, more pointedly, lucrative mobile contracts -- the iPod touch may gain loyalty as an alternative to an expensive AT&T (NYSE: T) iPhone monthly bill. Even as the rumors of Verizon picking up the iPhone swirl, users may slowly be migrating away from locked-in contracts with a single carrier just to get the device they want.
For the latest installment in the iPod line to truly become an alternative to other mobile calling options, though, "a built-in mic is sorely needed," Sterling added. In addition, it only makes sense for those with very regular access to high-quality WiFi or a personal hotspot. "Right now you can [make calls] with a headset and mic, using Skype or another VoIP platform," Sterling noted. "It's viable as a phone in that way; however, it can't replace a traditional mobile handset because of the inconsistent availability of WiFi and the still-variable quality of calling over VoIP."
Still, the idea of having something that functions like an iPhone but doesn't require doing business with AT&T appeals to a large segment of users, asserted Sterling. "We'll see how close this new model comes to being the 'iPhone Without AT&T,' which is now what the market is hungry for," he said.
