Sam Oliver
The component on sale at Taobao, a Chinese online store, was first reported on by MIC Gadget. Like previous pictures that surfaced online, it shows a hole above the LCD display that would allow for a forward-facing camera.
Like the last part pictured, the purported iPod touch front panel is labeled "Apple (c) 2010." It is being sold for 650 Chinese Yuan, or $95 U.S. dollars.
The photos provide more evidence for the assumption that the upcoming iPod touch refresh, expected to be unveiled at Apple's annual media-centric event in September, will sport two cameras like the iPhone 4. The fourth-generation iPod touch is rumored to become the second device from Apple to support the open FaceTime standard for video chat.
Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs said earlier this summer that his company will ship tens of millions of devices compatible with FaceTime this year alone. Currently, only the iPhone 4 is capable of making FaceTime video chat calls over Wi-Fi.
While the iPod touch lacks a phone number to allow people to connect for a FaceTime call, beta releases of iOS 4.1 show that the media player will identify users by their e-mail address.
On Thursday, AppleInsider revealed that Apple is testing iOS 4.1, the next version of its mobile operating system, on numerous unreleased devices, including the next-generation iPod touch.
Malcolm Owen
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
39 Comments
Give it 3G capabilities, as well as a data plan similar to the iPad and I'm sold!
By the end of this year there will be around 20 million+ devices able to run "Facetime". This is the unseen revolution!
Shit, I guess they are not gonna give me the back facing camera, are they.
More importantly it means that this will be a video only cam, and will not take stills. Since I doubt I would use Facetime more then once a month if that, that fron facing cam is basically useless to me.
Hopefully there will at least be a way to hack the cam to take stills. It would be an awkward operation, but if possible will at least give some reason for that camera to exist.
Ok, so now I have to decide if I should get my old iPod Touch fixed and a new battery installed, or to wait until next month to see what's new That's a sad face because I won't have an iPod to use until then.
It comes with me every where. I'm an on the road sales man, and I use the iPod a ton. Mostly because the radio doesn't always work where I'm driving, and because there aren't many stations playing classical music on the east coast. Not to mention the stuff I have loaded to listen to.
Skip
Yeah, face time is cool and all...but very limiting right now. I was already to upgrade my 2nd gen iPod touch when i found out it was going to have a back facing camera that shoots video and stills.
If it doesn't....then I don't plan to upgrade.
Heck....even the nano can shoot video for almost a year already.
Deal breaker for me. But let's wait and see what happens shall we? :-)