ipod touch 4th gen or 5th gen for kids ?

carr62

Hi, I have 10 and 11 year old daughters hoping to get an ipod touch each for Xmas, and I would be grateful for any advice as I am really not technical at all. Ive looked at prices and can see theres a really big price difference between the 4th and 5th generation ipod touch. Can the 4th gen do enough for an 11yr olds needs? They wouldnt be overly big gamers but do use the nintendo wii and they also have a Nabi tablet which they play games like Candy Crush and Temple Run on. I guess they would use the ipod touch for playing music at home and also for playing games when out in the car etc as the nabi tablet can be a bit big for carrying about. I don't want to pay out for something that is so outdated to be of no use, but on the other hand they are still young children so I don't assume they need the very latest thing, and by the time Santie adds a couple of books and board games the price can really add up!! I'd be thinking of going for the 4th generation - but before I do I'd be really grateful for any advice as they aren't cheap and I don't want to be regretting my choice by Easter!! Thanks for any ideas and info!!

whiterebel

I got a 4th Gen last week on Amazon for STG£125. It won't run iOS7, max is 6.1.3, but its a hell of a lot cheaper than 5th gen, and does the job its needed to do.

carr62

Thanks for that....it was on Amazon I was looking at them too!! I must admit I really don't understand what ios7 is! I don't even have an android mobile myself!! I'm hoping that if I don't know what io7 is my kids won't either lol!!

whiterebel

It's the latest gen operating system for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

makoten

In the long term, I would say get the iPod touch (5th generation). The 4th generation is decent, but unfortunately it's beginning it show its age, especially with newer apps (i.e. games).

- 5th gen has a larger screen (4 inches) vs 4th gen's 3.5 inches
- 5th gen has a faster processor (called A5) vs 4th gen's older processor (A4)
- 5th gen has 512MB RAM (apps load faster) vs 4th gen's 256 MB
- 5th gen has a 5 megapixel camera (1080p video recording) vs 4th gen's 0.92 megapixel camera (720p video recording)
- 5th gen can use the latest iOS 7 operating system and Siri vs 4th gen's iOS 6 and no Siri
- 5th gen has AirDrop (only on iOS 7), where users can share files (i.e. photos) wirelessly with each other.

It's really a big improvement, considering the 2 year gap between the 4th and 5th generation iPod touch devices, and the differences are noticeable in the long run especially with the 4th gen's lag while browsing or using some apps and the camera's quality is terrible. I assume your kids would be using them for at least 2-3 years so you'll hear less complaints and be glad you got the 5th gen

NOTE: If you do get 5th gen, make sure it's not the 16GB model which DOES NOT have a 5 megapixel camera (also no 1080p video recording as a result) at the back. Only 32GB or 64GB models have it.

carr62

Gosh, there really is quite a difference then! Do apple have the portable music/gaming market sown up, or does anyone know if there are any decent (but maybe cheaper!!) alternatives to the ipod touch 5th generation? Thanks so much for taking the time out to give me your advice guys, its invaluable to someone like me!!

Creamy Goodness

carr62 wrote: »

I'm hoping that if I don't know what io7 is my kids won't either lol!!

Don't be too sure. Remember back when you were a kid and you thought your parents were ancient? Well that's you now.

Just because you don't know what iOS 7 is doesn't mean you're kids won't. They'll have all their other friends to educate them.

I'd get them the latest gen to honest. It's a little extra I know but they'll be supported by apple a lot longer. The 4th gen is already obsolete by apple's time line.

makoten

carr62 wrote: »

Gosh, there really is quite a difference then! Do apple have the portable music/gaming market sown up, or does anyone know if there are any decent (but maybe cheaper!!) alternatives to the ipod touch 5th generation? Thanks so much for taking the time out to give me your advice guys, its invaluable to someone like me!!

I definitely recommend having a look at Apple's Certified Refurbished section (you might want to get them very soon since Christmas is coming up and they most likely won't have much stock left) - http://store.apple.com/ie/browse/home/specialdeals/ipod

The refurbished iPod touch (5th gen) cost only €239, so you can save €90 off the original price. The refurbished products are perfect and just like new. Apple's refurbs come with a new outer shell and new battery, meaning you get same-as-new appearance and performance. Better still, you get the same one-year warranty Apple extends to new hardware. There is literally no downside.

coylemj

makoten wrote: »

In the long term, I would say get the iPod touch (5th generation). The 4th generation is decent, but unfortunately it's beginning it show its age, especially with newer apps (i.e. games).

Creamy Goodness wrote: »

Don't be too sure. Remember back when you were a kid and you thought your parents were ancient? Well that's you now.

Just because you don't know what iOS 7 is doesn't mean you're kids won't. They'll have all their other friends to educate them.

I'd get them the latest gen to honest. It's a little extra I know but they'll be supported by apple a lot longer. The 4th gen is already obsolete by apple's time line.

++1 OP, I have the 4th gen iTouch. What you probably are not aware of is that nowadays more and more apps are being updated for iOS7, what that means is that if you buy your kids the 4th gen model, every time they go to install a new app on it, they will get a message to the effect that 'this app has been updated to run on iOS7, do you want to install the previous version?'

For which they will read or their friends will say to them: 'your Dad is a cheapskate'. Sorry to be blunt but that's how it will pan out, kids being kids.

ablelocks

makoten wrote: »

I definitely recommend having a look at Apple's Certified Refurbished section (you might want to get them very soon since Christmas is coming up and they most likely won't have much stock left) - http://store.apple.com/ie/browse/home/specialdeals/ipod

The refurbished iPod touch (5th gen) cost only €239, so you can save €90 off the original price. The refurbished products are perfect and just like new. Apple's refurbs come with a new outer shell and new battery, meaning you get same-as-new appearance and performance. Better still, you get the same one-year warranty Apple extends to new hardware. There is literally no downside.

+ 1. And if you know of someone traveling from the USA, you can get the refurbed 5th gen. for $219. (not sure on warranty status, though I think it should be covered)

raytaxi

Curry's have iPod touch 5 generation 32 gb for 290 if memory is correct with a free speaker dock, 50 euro cheaper than Apple. If close to the border its 220 stg approx 260 euro plenty of stock in newry at weekend.

scwazrh

Will there be a new model ipod released before xmas?

raytaxi

Hope not was why I waited till after iPad event would have expected it to launch at that if there was to be one.

makoten

scwazrh wrote: »

Will there be a new model ipod released before xmas?

Looks like Apple only plans to release a new iPod touch (and probably iPod nano too) every 2 years, seeing as how there was a 2 year gap between 4th gen (2010) and 5th gen (2012), and since there was no announcement this month, 6th gen will be released in late 2014 which will most likely match the screen size of the redesigned iPhone 6.