Photo: Apple

After yet another mind-blowingly amazing earnings call, one can’t help but wonder if Apple can do any wrong. Clearly the company has a beat on what consumers want, and how to get consumers to buy their products in droves, which is simply amazing. Having said that, the pricing on two of its primary products – the iPhone 4 and iPod Touch – is different enough that knowing which to choose is quite difficult. Below are simple questions you need to ask yourself to see which of these iOS devices is for you.

Is music and apps all you need?

If all you need is a device that plays music, and a device that plays iOS apps with proficiency, an iPod Touch 4^th generation is sufficient. While the iPhone 4 has other features, some of which augment certain apps, they’re not necessarily worth the additional £200-£300 extra you pay for it, including subsidy fees, over the iPod.

Do you drive a lot?

If you travel often and you are either reliant on GPS systems or do not have a GPS system yet, an iPhone 4 should be the way you lean. Done.

Do you take loads of pictures?

Amateur photographers want to have the best portable camera on them, to augment the DSLR camera they can’t exactly carry everywhere with them. The iPhone 4 is noted for having a markedly superior camera to the iPod Touch 4^th generation. That’s not to say the Touch’s camera is bad, but the difference is very noticeable.

Is money an object?

If money is not an issue, buy the iPhone 4. Simply put, it’s the iPOd Touch 4^th generation plus GPS and a built-in cellphone, with a slightly superior screen and a notably better camera.

If money is an issue, an iPod Touch 4^th generation is no doubt the way you should lean. You still get almost all of the features the current iPhone 4 has (as in the retina display and FaceTime dual cameras) while foregoing features you very well may have on other devices – the mobile phone and built-in GPS.

Ultimately the decision really rests on your finances, and your willingness to carry more than one device. If you don’t mind having a cheap phone to make calls, and a great iOS device for all other things Apple, then the iPod Touch 4^th generation comes highly recommended. It may not be one of the marquee iOS devices, but it’s certainly an iOS device nevertheless.

If at all you fear the 4^th generation Touch won’t do the job, you can read our detailed spotlight on the device here.

Photo: Apple

At the Apple press conference, Steve Jobs finally called the iPod Touch what many of us have been calling it for years – the ‘iPhone minus the phone’, and with this year’s update, that adage proves more true than ever.

What’s new?

The iPod Touch 4th generation’s most notable addition is two cameras – one a rear-facing camera and the other a front facing camera. These were developed specifically for FaceTime, Apple’s built-in video chat service that was introduced with the iPhone 4. The rear-facing camera also allows for 720p HD video recording, while both cameras will function as stills cameras.

The other brand new addition

What’s changed

Aesthetically, the iPod Touch 4th generation keeps the rounded look the squarer iPhone 4 recently abandoned. Apple has however managed to squish down the components, thus being allowed to reduce the iPod’s overall size by 15 per cent. It’s a small, but not inconsiderable change.

Apple has also switched out the old screen and replaced it with their highly praised retina display, also introduced on the iPhone 4. If you’ve seen it in action, with its high 3.5-inch screen, high pixel density and high resolution, you’ll know that this is a pretty big deal.

Be afraid

While watching the Apple press conference, it dawned on me that Jobs & Co. may, in fact, be pushing for a resurgence for the iPod. In recent years, with the iPhone’s meteoric rise, the line of music players that ushered in the new Apple began steadily fading to the background. Now, if this Apple press conference is any indication for the future, Apple wants to target that part of the market that cannot afford the iPhone 4, but still wants the splendours of an iOS device.

Our short hands-on time with the iPod Touch 4th generation confirmed that it is the ‘iPhone minus the phone’, which should be review enough to conclude that it is an incredible device.