It's my belief that support for an iPod touch 3G would be a bridge too far for them. But perhaps I'm wrong about this too, and maybe either one carrier perhaps a hungry third-tier company like Sprint will bite the bullet or maybe enterprising hackers will figure out a way to make iPad SIMs work in an iPod expect Apple to make at least a token effort to prevent this, to placate the carriers.
What next? Who's going to buy this? Who needs just data on a mobile device, and doesn't care about voice or text messaging? I think there's less of a market for this mythical device than many people believe.
There are people who already have a phone, of course -- say, folk who are locked into a contract, or have a phone provided by work, but would really like to also have an Apple device with mobile data access.
I can't deny those people must exist, but are there enough of them to justify a device mostly designed for them? It seems unlikely to me. It's not hard to find tech bloggers who will tell you they "hardly use voice calls any more" -- I'm one of them, in fact.
It's a rare month that I use more than 50 of the thousands of free minutes that come bundled with my unlimited data iPhone plan.
So surely ditching the voice and maybe even SMS parts of our plans to save a few bucks makes perfect sense, right? We can always use Skype or Google Voice to make those few remaining calls. I'm not so sure. It's true I rarely use voice but I still need it around for actual emergencies -- in case of car breakdowns, or accidents, or sudden illness, or an airline misplacing my baggage. These are exactly the times when I need the highest level of reliability from my voice service.
However, at no point in my years of using it has Skype ever struck me as a service that has the highest level of reliability. As the Skype website itself notes , "No emergency calls with Skype. Skype is not a replacement for your telephone and can't be used for emergency calling. I can't comment on Google Voice -- because it's only available to US citizens, which is a very good reason that you can't rely on that either. Even if you are willing to trust a VOIP service, it's still no use when you have only a borderline GPRS nine-point-eight-kbit data connection, or if you're traveling and don't care to pay your cell operator's horrifying data roaming fees.
The bottom line here is that I feel that even if for some people voice communication isn't frequently used any more, that doesn't mean it's not important -- any more than house insurance isn't important because your house hasn't caught fire recently. So, that's why I think an iPod touch 3G is highly unlikely, tomorrow or in the foreseeable future. Think I'm an idiot? Hit the comment form below and tell me so.
And whether you agree or not, be sure to join us for our liveblog of the media event where we'll be covering the fun and frolics! And now for the inevitable weaselly footnote where I cover myself in case it turns out Apple is smarter than me. Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news:. Breaking news from Cupertino. Breaking news for iPhone, iPad, and iPod. Be the first to know about product launches, iOS updates, product carriers reports, and competitor analysis.
July 8, Reader Peter from Netherlands sent in a much better translation: It will work just like the iPad; you get a 3G enabled simcard from your provider and put that in you iPod Touch. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter , Facebook , and LinkedIn to stay in the loop.
Check out our exclusive stories , reviews , how-tos , and subscribe to our YouTube channel. A handful of the many online communication apps are compatible with the iPod touch. Here are some to try:. Skype : The oldest of the bunch, it offers free voice calls and instant messaging, along with a long list of features. You can also make international calls at low cost.
Facebook Messenger : Facebook Messenger offers an iPod touch version that enables calls. Viber : With roughly the same features as WhatsApp, Viber offers paid calls to any number worldwide.
This acts like a phone number. Then, download the provider's app and configure as directed. Not all iPod touch devices are compatible with conventional earphones and headphones. You must have the appropriate compatible accessories.
You can use the built-in microphone and speakers of the device; add Apple EarPods or similar ear buds or headphones that incorporate a mic for privacy. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data.
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