Apple iPod touch 32 GB (4 GEN)

The iPod Touch is a fantastic device. Comparing it to the iPhone, it offers almost everything the iPhone does, minus the mobile functions of course. It includes the popular iTunes and App stores, giving you access to millions of apps and songs to download. You can also browse the net with WiFi, take photos, use facetime, play games, and the most obvious function of all; listen to music.

I have owned iPod Touch's since the 2nd Gen Models, and they are incredibly impressive pieces of kit. I have tended to avoid iPhones as I personally thing they are overpriced and I prefer to try other phone brands and OS's. But if you do want or own an iPhone, to be honest there is no point getting an iPod Touch. With the introduction of cameras on the iPod Touch, you can now facetime just like you can on the iPhone. It makes me wonder how many more features Apple can add to this without turning it into an iPhone!!

In the box you get the iPod touch itself, earphones, a dock connector, usb cable and starter guide. The iPod earphones are very good quality and feel compfy in your ears, unlike some of the earphones you get with mobile phones (the cheap plastic ones that hurt!).

The potential is endless with the app store. I also use my iPod touch as an alarm clock sat on a dock i bought for it and leaving an alarm app running over night. I have never been late for work while it has been working :) Youtube is another thing I use on it. The iPod already comes with a YouTube app installed, and it streams really well over most wireless networks without constant stopping and buffering during a video.

Apple have also added messaging to it, which is like their answer to BBM. It means that even on the iPod touch (not older gens like 1+2) you can send messages to friends who have the messaging app too for free. They've also added gamecenter, which lets you add friends and play games online with your friends on iPod touch. You can either do this via WiFi, Local WiFi or Bluetooth.

The design of the iPod Touch is beautiful. The latest generation is incredibly thin. From experience, I would definitely recommend you buy a case for it though, as the shiny silver backing scratches very easily and is prone to fingerprints! I would also suggest getting a screen protector to stop scratches on the screen. These are very cheap and can be bought from a shop or somewhere like ebay (some places give you them with a case).

I would also advise that if you plan to get one of these, it may be an idea to buy a universal charger kit. For me, the car charger is very handy to have, but the main reason is that a wall socket adapter is an invaluable resource. If you dont have one of these, the iPod is USB connected, so you would need a computer to charge it up all of the time. The universal charging kits cost less than £20 and will allow you to charge your iPod up anywhere that has a socket, saving you searching for a computer all of the time!

The keyboard is a pretty good size, although I do sometimes tend to hit the wrong keys. However, Apple have developed the word completion side very well, meaning that even if you do hit the wrong key, the iPod will change the word to what it thinks you meant to put. Being an MP3 player as its primary function, I would expect it to have good sound quality, and it is fantastic. The built in speaker is good and the headphones they give you have fantastic sound quality, but the rubber rings on the earphones may come off eventually (with lots of use!).

The screen is crystal clear, and brilliant for watching films and stuff on it (although i dont tend to watch films due to the large downloads from iTunes) and the battery life is also good with the brightness all the way up (although obviously its better with the brightness lowered. You may get the odd software crash or an app randomly closing on it, but this happens on any device, so I cant blame apple for that! If you decide you want loads of apps, you can also organise them into handy folders to make your app list look just that little bit nicer :)

This product is ideal for anyone and has so many uses. For example, you can use it whilst at the gym to listen to music or use a personal training app, you can use it as an alarm clock, it is also a brilliant games console, good for browsing the net, watching videos, listening to music, taking photos, chatting to friends and so much more. Apple also do regular software updates which improve things like battery life and add new features. If you have Apple TV (which I do) you can even use the iPod as a remote for it!

Although I still think this is quite a high price for an MP3 player, the price simply reflects the fact that this is a PREMIUM product. You are paying for access to the incredible app and itunes stores, and the fact that the apps give you unlimited possibilities with what you can do with your iPod. This is truly the best MP3 player on the market, and with this beefy 32gb hard drive that will take you plenty of time to fill up with music, movies, apps and more. If you want an apple device that does almost everything but isnt a phone, this is the device for you!