Like most people who’ve had an iPhone 3GS in their hands, we’ve been extremely impressed with the video capabilities of this little device. Not only Does it take near-HD video, it has excellent basic editing software and video can be uploaded to YouTube over Wifi or the cell networks. Among other things, it is the most useful video camera in the world today. No wonder the video camera market is shaking in its collective boots.
Thank God those iPhones are so expensive, and Apple will only sell 20 million or so of them in 2009. If Apple added cameras to its line of iPods, there would be another 3+million of them hitting the market per month, and the low end of the digital video camera market could be crushed.
Uh oh.
That’s exactly what we’re hearing is going to happen. One of our sources in Asia say that Apple has placed an order for a massive number of camera modules of the type that they include in the iPhone. These are inexpensive cameras, in the $10 range. And the size of the order, our source says, means they can only be used for one thing – the iPods.
Update: Macrumors features two images of cases that are supposed to be designed for the upcoming iPod Touch and iPod Nano, and suggest that the next generation of said devices will indeed include a camera.
Putting a camera in the iPod touch, which uses the same operating system as the iPhone, is a logical next step for Apple. But the order size is supposedly so large that some people in Taiwan are speculating that Apple may be planning to put cameras in the lower end of the iPod line, too. “Everything but the Shuffle may have a camera in it soon,” says our source.
We don’t have even close to enough information to speculate that the Nano and Classic iPods could be video-ready anytime soon. But I could easily see these lower end iPods include the camera just for taking pictures. Apple never turned video on in the iPhone 3G, but lots of people were using it via unlaunched apps from Qik, Ustream and others anyway. They could be planning the same thing for the Nano.
But back to video: The iPod touch starts at $229, and if they add the camera module, turning on video is a no-brainer, particularly since the software, already working on the iPhone, is ready to go.
That’s exactly the same price as the high end Flip Mino HD that we gush about so often. The Flip will take marginally better video, but it doesn’t have on-device editing and uploading to YouTube. Nor does it support Internet browsing, email and the thousands of games and other apps available for the iPod Touch. And we haven’t even mentioned the iPod’s primary purpose – music.
Guess which one wins?
Everything but the Shuffle may have a phone in it soon
Shouldn’t that be ‘camera’?
indeed. typo is fixed. however, i would certainly buy a nano if it had a phone in it.
i read the post till end..
why dint apple launch vid 2 years ago with iphone1? did it fear it may be ahead of time, or camera cost was too much??
Because like all things cutting edge, it’s not really cutting edge since they choose not to make a perfect product the first time around…how would they continue to get the customer to keep buying that 1st gen product? Add a button here, a whistle there and violá
cutting edge at 2 MP camera
Yes, they need more Dumb ‘Slaves’ & Beta Testers who Pay Apple for testing their products.
I think the answer is … the companies always monetize their firsts products with low features to squeeze the product in a first stage, for example I’m pretty sure at this time there’s another source of energy better like the gasoline for cars but for now, the gasoline is the today’s business, why change it! … later would be that new source of energy that would be a lot better.
John
http://www.encu...ntry/JobUsa.htm
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USA Online Job Seeker
“firsts products” yeeah that’s the key, 3 years on, we still are on first productS!!!
in fact, nothing has changed in iPhone at all, just the bells and whistles.
Apple is a company who will not let users record video even if their phones have a video camera… otherwise who will switch over to get their “ALL NEW iPHONE”
Apple is a company who will NOT allow independence and choice of freedom to use their phone on any other carrier!
Apple is a company who do not have enough testers and rely on the paying beta testers who will pay apple for shyietyiy phones!
Oh, only lame people upgrade to 3GS, those who cannot jailbreak… and In America, you have got many of such people over and over again.
No wonder, Apple phone products are NOT the HOT selling gadget here in Europe.
Jailbreak came out for the 3G(S) 2 weeks after the launch.
I also am friends with at least 5 people who own 1st and 2nd gen iPod touches, as well as one who owns a 2G iPhone, and NONE of them know how to jailbreak. They think QuickPwn is a dirty picture site.
iPhones not the ‘hot’ selling gadgets in Europe? On every venture into a city or even town, I am guaranteed to notice at least one iPhone user.
Let me put it this way: Do you know anyone who does NOT want an iPhone?
I’m from Europe and I’m better than the rest of the world! Up yours buddy.
How ’bout for fear of crippling the then Cingular/now AT&T network?
The only reason why video isn’t enabled on older iPhones is due to processor speed. According to those who have jailbroken and hacked Edge/3g (not 3gs) to reccod video, it only does 15 fps and at low quality. The added resources in the s allow it to take somewhat decent video without buffering or jittering.
I’ve been using QIK for months after JailBreaking my phone. It’s ridic!
shuffle is small good idea
“Nor does it support Internet browsing, email and the thousands of games and other apps available for the iPod Touch”
and, uh, MUSIC.
right. that too.
Damn –
I got my other half an ipod touch (I have a zune) and am impressed by it overall, I have been very excited for the new ZuneHD, I like both devices after using her iPod Touch I can see what all the gushing is about.
If they put a camera in it, and it is going to come out anytime close to the zuneHD I will probably be waiting to see which I get.
damn you apple, you fan boi’s piss me off, people that follow you incessantly without reason bug me, but you build nice devices
“people that follow you incessantly without reason bug me, but you build nice devices”
Has it occurred to you that the reason some people follow them incessantly is that they build nice devices?
Good point. For the record, I’ve been on Apple and only Apple since 1984…I believe that was the Macintosh 128K.
Knew this was coming already.
As far as I know they’re actually 5mp, not 3 like the 3GS.
i haven’t been able to get specific information on the camera specs. And for video the chips matter, too, for video quality. But the interesting thing here is that the order size suggests that Apple is moving these down the iPod line to the Nano’s too. That will move a lot of units.
This would jar loose a saturated market. Upgrading your iPod from the last model to the most current due to a new form factor isn’t too compelling. Adding a camera would make it the next hottest thing to buy this holiday season and reinvigorate the iPod line. Still cams on the Nano and iPod classic and video capture and editing on the Touch would certainly move units.
Ever think of the fact that apple may just be expanding the ipod touch line? it does seem to make any sense for them to spend anymore time in the old ipod space (i.e. the nano) when expansion of their software and mobile platform is their main priority.
My guess is that they will introduce a new high end ipod touch (one with ultra fast processing) and redesign the low end touch, both with video capabilities.
You mean to say that there will be 5 mp cameras?
My samsung Omnia is 5.0 Mp, and that’s the highest quality i have seen in a camera
I kind of hope you’re being sarcastic, given that phone cameras will be moving to 12mp at the high end this year, with 8mp as standard.
mp != quality. But I have yet to see any true “quality” photos shot with a mobile phone. For reference and fun, 2 mp is good enough, everything above is a nice extra.
Um… MP, does NOT = Quality. Take a 12 MP Casio Elixim. Picture Quality gets absolutely creamed by a 8 MP Canon SD1 100. A lot of other factors = actual quality. Actual size of the Sensor, lens, and processor. A lot of companies are using on board software to digitally “up” the MP count as well, it isn’t really actual pixels of light being captured. A good analogy for MP’s, AND computer MHZ is always the automobile. More HP does NOT equal a faster car. Weight, distribution, exhaust etc… all play a key factor in its overall top speed. A 750 HP Camaro, can not keep up with a 500 HP Porsche.
MP may not always equate to Quality is true.
but do you realize that there have been technological advances with nano electronics that have smaller sensors that do far better than the old 1980’s sensors? please, this is 2010 we are talking about.
Larger sensor does not always equate to quality pictures either!
Those who believe having a larger sensor means better quality are absolutely wrong.
New technology has now enabled engineers to make sensors as sensitive as DSLR’s of 2000 with 1/5 of the size as of today!
Exactly.
My LG Renoir that I purchased LAST YEAR has an 8mp camera.
As well as everything Apple just brought out on their “new” iPhone e.g. the Touch-to-focus, geo-tagging, etc.
Apple are trailing so far behind with this.
maybe someone needs to clarify the “mp myth” lol
My iPhone that I purchased TWO YEARS AGO had a 3.5″ *capacitive* screen, an amazing web browser, and a full-featured iPod interface.
LG is trailing so far behind with this.
What others said …
higher megapixels is not equal to better quality
I am sure there are people who can take better pictures with a 2 MP camera than me with my 8 MP samsung i85
Looks like an interesting new world is going to emerge soon. I wonder if Microsoft will develop VideoSynth just like they have PhotoSynth.
To explain my comment a bit. Photosynth can create unique browsing experiences and can create synths based on millions of photos that people have put on the Internet.
Well, there will be so many videos uploaded now, so could there be some jaw-dropping merge of videos of the same subject or event?
My mind just exploded
I’ll take two.
This would be a great step from Apple. The iPod having a cam would rule out all those lesser-known MP4 players which come with all-in-one features and 2mp cams. I feel iPod having a cam would be simply awesome.
How does it compare to the flip in terms of sound and video quality? How about the normal video cams that sony makes? I am locked into bb so the iphone is out.. but an itouch that has a cam..and records good sound would be money…
Did anyone notice you can use an external mic using the ear phone jack? That is one of the most exciting parts of this camera, try to find a low end consumer camera with external mic for less than $400.
This will destroy the Flip Video’s market share and finally pull iPod sales out of their recent plateau. Apple does a nifty job at waiting for markets to prove themselves viable before diving (hand held video devices like the Flip) in while also fearlessly pioneering new technology. I definitely see the new iPods coming during the usual November special event where Apple usually announces new products for the holidays. Anyone disagree?
I disagree on the date, Apple usually announces new iPods in September.
Lets not forget who owns the Flip these days. Cisco, the King of Networking with a huge presence in wireless networking as well. Didn’t they pay around $550m for Flip? I dont think they are just going to sit back and watch their entire market pulled out from beneath them. With the R&D and wealth resources from Cisco, I’d imagine they have something interesting in the works as well. Throwing in a wifi chip is not rocket science, nor is having a “upload to youtube” button. Now think about the amount of Cisco gear that google most likely purchases to run their ever expanding networks. It’s not hard to imagine a ’special deal’ where the Flip gets some exclusive youtube love while Google gets some exclusive cisco networking love.
Not sure that Cisco will be that unhappy with this development. The reason behind buying Flip was “the more online video the merrier” as more video=more routers.
“I dont think they are just going to sit back and watch their entire market pulled out from beneath them.”
Yeah. And didn’t someone say the same thing about Palm, Nokia, and Samsung? Or Sony and Nintindo, for that matter?
Ehm… don’t Nintendo have the number one selling console right now? Their market was only pulled temporarily
not only that Cisco shares the brand “iPhone” with Apple.
http://blogs.ci...hone_trademark/
The video aspect is great. But i assume this means photos as well?
If so, say good bye to the crappy compact photo cameras too.
I still fail to understand why Apple has barred the iPhone3G from video capabilities. I’m not sure how the video from the new ustream client bars against the iPhone 3GS videos, but nonetheless, it is video. And like the other 3G owners, I’d like to be able to upload them to YouTube without going through the Pixelpipe hack.
Again, the question is, WHY? Battery life? We can click on the “I understand video eats up battery life like crazy button”, so please give us a hack free solution Apple, pahlease…
Hmmm, nice to see this happening. Actually speaking this was the next step, Apple could have taken in improving the iPod touch Series.
Unbelievable! How people can be impressed by the iPhone 3G S video when the Nokia N95 of several years ago, and several recent Samsung phones shoot video of higher quality. What is the point of taking video footage that may well be used or archived for viewing by future generations, if it is sub DVD quality? Apple have done great when it comes to the usability of the iPhone, but if anyone thinks $10 camera modules (if anything like the 3G S) are going to offer anything more than Standard definition YouTube quality video, they are wrong. Go shoot some video with a Samsung ToccoULTRA or even an N97 and you’ll see better quality video. Even then, it is far better to wait for stereo sound recording 1080P that is the only format to offer quality that is worth archiving and viewing on a larger screen.
Stop the hype already and remain rational!
The point isn’t really the video quality (the article says this as well, read it again). Yes, for some it’s a big deal, but for MOST of the market just being able to take close to HD video is huge. The fact that it’s on the iPhone makes it a game changer.
It’s not hype, it’s just the facts. It’s already happening. See the latest Youtube stats for an example.
The iPhone’s video quality isn’t close to HD unless you’re smoking crack. It’s OK, but nowhere near HD (and nowhere near Flip Mino HD, even)
I don’t think the hype here is so much about the quality of the vid, but what this development would mean for Apple, the market, and users.
It’s not unusual for an Apple competitor to do one or two things better than Apple. Or for Apple to be second or third to market w/ a function.
What is unusual is how Apple continues to package just the right components in a way that appeals to a broad audience (not just technophiles) at just the right time for mass adoption.
Plus, I think users have come to trust Apple on the overall experience. IE “if it’s in an Apple product, I know I’ll be able to figure out how to use it.” I think fear of new technology is greatly underestimated.
you said it yourself
“Apple have done great when it comes to the usability of the iPhone”
that’s why I’m holding out.
You remind of people stating that they don’t understand the big deal about iPods when they were first introduced. Of course there were other players out way before the iPod. That is not the point.
It’s the whole hardware+software package Apple offers that was the game changer back then and it its now the game changer with video on the iPhone.
Seriously, how many phones out that lets you EASILY shoot videos, lets you EASILY edit them on the fly, and lets you EASILY upload them seamlessly to youtube …all without touching a single key on your pc?
@Vision – No, I believe you are missing the point. I don’t think anyone is terribly excited about the quality of the video coming from the iPhone / iPod Touch. It’s the convenience of having that capability readily available because you already carry the device around with you for another purpose.
Let’s face it, nobody that’s interested in quality video would use an iPod Touch, a Nokia phone or even a Flip video device. The reason Flip is in trouble is because it’s a one trick pony that sells for a similar price. Flip will be pressured not just by devices like the iPhone or Nokia phone, but from still cameras that now take video at better quality.
Finally, whether you agree or not, it’s a YouTube dominated world out there now. Quality is not as important as just being able to take video at any point in time. Further, video editing on the Flip is horrible and unlike the Nokia phones, Apple actually makes rudimentary video editing (which is all that’s needed for YouTube) very easy on the iPhone.
i wonder if the new ipods with camera will change colors… the white iPhone 3GS blushes…
Could they possibly be putting them in the new Macbooks instead? I believe it would be a step up from the iSight cameras currently installed in their laptops.
They just refreshed the Macbook lines and they would not be anticipating massive sales of notebooks.
The iPod line hasn’t changed much in a while, and they sell MUCH faster then notebooks (for obvious reasons, price is lower and the market is larger).
Why would you film stuff with a laptop?
Pretty soon it is going to be impossible to sell a device that is devoted solely to one purpose. I realize the trend to merge devices has be going on for a long time now, but it is still weird to think that probably in 5-10 years time no one will be able to buy just a camera, just an mp3 player, or just a phone.
If they add the phone function, it will be perfect.
get an iPhone if you want a phone!
I hate to burst everyone’s video iPod bubble, but unnamed sources just confirmed that the massive order of cameras is actually not for consumer electronic devices (iPod or any other for that matter). Nope, in fact all cameras were purchased to retrofit Apple’s Cupertino, California-based headquarters–the walls, cubicles, bathrooms, break rooms, and parking spaces in an effort to curb industrial espionage. After all the new H/W manufacturers “suddenly” emerged with capacitive touchscreens, Apple decided the best way to fight this was not in the court system, but rather from the inside-out; catching employees selling trade secrets red-handed.
2 million cameras will still be left over after the Cupertino retrofit–some for spares, and some (many speculate) for placing in discrete places around Microsoft’s and Google’s R&D labs.
The cost, is small compared to patent enforcement and legal battles. Apple is now the all-seeing-eye!
Did I miss something? I thought video on the 3GS was 640×480, scince when is VGA near-HD? Also the overall quality is still not as good as videos taken with for example N97 (or even N95/N96 and some other Nokia Phones – btw, most of them even support in-video-zoom and pause/resume) and there are ways to upload those videos to youtube from the phone, too.
Still, with the power the iPhone has in the market (if not in real numbers at least through mentions in the media), it could really disrupt some parts of the market.
the phones are supposedly 720p capable, you’re in HD territory then.
Phones? You mean cameras, or iPods, no? Because the iPhone just isn’t 720p-capable.
Whenever you guys write about hardware it is just terrible. As puja says, the video is VGA – that is nowhere near HD, Not “near HD”. Even if the iphone “supposedly” shoots is 720 capable that is not what it is *actually* shooting in. That is aside from the glass still being, by the nature of its size, shitty.
I read those news about it beeing 720p capable, but they kinda don’t make sense, they just state that a 3.2 Mpx chip would be capable of shooting one image at 720p, so theoretically it would be possible to shoot 720p video if you could squeeze out 30 of those high-resolution shots per second, but this is (as with most phones and webcams) not possible. Also quality is drastically dependent on lens size and quality.
Nevertheless, most people are just fine with VGA and as youtube’s standard-resolution videos are still state-of-the-art in webvids, I guess it doesn’t matter. It’s ok for interviews and short clips (especially on blogs), but it’s nothing compared to even a moderate DV-Cam.
I was waiting for someone to say something about this incorrect claim.
Near HD – let’s see.
iPhone = 640*480 = 307,200 pixels
720P = 1280*720 = 921,600 pixels
iPhone records 1/3 the number of pixels as 720P. We could talk about frame rate (720p = 60fps while iPhone = 30fps).
I think the author should correct the original post.
I pretty much agree that iPhone 3GS does a great job with video and is significant not because it was first (hopefully, that will shut up all the folks who think being first is the most important thing) but because a number of features on the iPhone tend to be used far more than the same features on other phones (e.g. Web Browsing, Pictures uploads to Flickr, etc.)
Cameras into iPods would be good.
Personal anecdote: I was at a friend’s house (older woman, not a techie) and I was showing her my iPhone 3GS and showed her the video feature. Turns out she had just bought a Flip Mino HD and said without hesitation there is no way she would have bought a Flip if she could have bought an iPhone (for the same price) instead. I explained differences in tech (showed her a video sample) and she said that wouldn’t matter.
” most useful video camera in the world today. No wonder the video camera market is shaking in its collective boots” OMG! LOL
Come on!
You hit the nail on the head. Good Job!
The iPhone 3GS hardware is HD ready …. thats what the author is in all probably referring to. That means a bigger camera and the same hardware/software base can handle HD…
“With Apple’s new iPhone 3G S hitting store shelves in Europe overnight, the device was thrown within minutes onto the operating table and gutted, revealing a Samsung-branded system-on-a-chip (SoC) featuring a multi-format codec with untapped HD video playback and capture capabilities.” – AppleInsider on June 19th
It’s a natural evolution for the touch as is getting a little stale. A camera already on the Crunchpad would be a fantastic feature when it launches…
Feeling sorry for the $500 million purchase of Flip by Cisco.
Event if Apple wasn’t planning to add video to iPod Touch’es, it should consider it. It’ll be very strong move.
Apple seems to be a real visonary. I predicted that digital music players would be cannibalized by cell phones many years ago and it eems that apple knew that and released the iPhone in 07. But it also came with a very useable web browser which kept the iPod touch light years ahead of the market even to this day.
Now the are going to invade the flip cam market with the their iPod lineup and even though this is very bad for competition (and possibly innovation) I’m glad apple is doing it. I don’t like to have many choices to choose from and would rather have a convergence device to simplify my life. I just wish the battery technology would keep up because these things are designed for heavy use and it’s very annoying (yet understandable) to see them drain so quickly.
Apple not be the first to pioneer most of the ideas and technology the bring to the market, but they are usually the ones that make them mainstream. I remember seeing people like Sarah Austin/Meyers first qik streaming on an n95 and though it was the coolest thing ever. But the problem was that the N95s were like 700 dollars and not possible to subsidize in the US so it became a niche thing for mainly super tech enthusiasts. I believe the Flip camcorder was a step direction for cheap, and affordable video casting but I would never bring that thing with me at all times when going out. Sometimes you encounter the most unexpected things in public and with a camera phone (or in this case and iPod touch with video) you can just whip it out and capture a priceless event to upload to YouTube and/or Facebook.
Ok that’s it for me. I’ve been a long time lurker but never really commented until now, phew!
This is just an old feature on other brands and Apple made it seem like a big deal. And then all those North American fruit-worshippers made it an even bigger deal. Apple’s creativity is completely gone after they launched the first iPhone.
I have to agree the videos on the iPhone 3G S is awesome.
This was always going to be the eventual evolution of the iPod product portfolio although I’m sure it’s come sooner than many would have predicted..
The only thing I’m worried about right now is the price of this thing – because I’ve been holding out on buying the 2nd Gen iPod Touch because I knew Apple is upto something and is gonna add something big to the Touch in the 3rd Gen. I just hope they don’t price it too high so as to make it out of my budget.
the cameras only cost $10 each so i dont think the price will go up much…
The iPhone 3GS isn’t anywhere near HD video.
It records at 640×480 = 307200px whereas HD is at the least 1280×720 = 921600px.
HD has 3x the number of pixels. Also most of this stuff isn’t *really* HD like the megapixel myth.
camera on iPod touch is obvious. The only problem is that September can’t come soon enough!!
The HD versions of the Flips, Kodaks, etc take much better than “marginally better video” compared to iPhone 3Gs. The 720 HD cameras are significantly better in image sharpness, even moreso if you compare them to the additional compression that the iPhone applies when users upload to Youtube directly. The fact that video sites like Vimeo and Youtube upgraded to support HD says that there is strong public demand for HD.
A second reason I would still use my Flip HD cameras even though i have an iPhone 3GS is battery life. If the incipient iPod Video battery life will be significantly drained by video capture, then that’s another reason to carry an external HD pocket camera. Who wants a dead battery iPod where you can’t play games or listen to music? Also, the “easy” upload on the iPod will only be via WIFI, not via 3GS, so that dramatically reduces the easy availability of uploading scenarios.
If Apple keeps video capture for iPod and iPhone at VGA levels, it will eat into the VGA end of the video market but will leave at least 70% of the 720HD market intact (and perhaps force the inexpensive 720 HD market to go to 1080 and/or to include WIFI themselves and in-camera editing?)
What i wonder is–did Apple stay at VGA for the iPhone because of battery life problems, the desire to upload files in a manageable size, and/or a smart recognition that they can sell customers VGA now, then sell them 720 HD in a couple years? or perhaps all of the above?
Until battery life is not a problem, i will likely keep a Flip HD side by side with my iPhone, even after iPhone gets 720HD.
Another reason I love the Flip cameras? I let kids who are 5 and even 18 months play with them, and i don’t care if they drop them because the cameras are light and plastic and not so easy to break and if i have to buy another it’s “only” $200. In contrast if they break my iPhone i have to buy another at a non-subsidized price that is, what, $700 or something?
What i hope adding video to iPod does is encourage terrific sites like Vimeo to make their video viewable on the iPhone and iPod. Right now i post all my stuff to Vimeo but can’t see it from my pocket Apple devices because it’s all, yep, Flash.
its a great evolution incell phone technology.
Great article, Mike. You’re right to point out what a game changer this is.
The ubiquitous iPod becoming a camera and a camcorder — that changes everything and nudges us closer to the dream of having a truly integrated device. As you say, the likes of Flip should be worried.
The next question is: what could be next for Apple? How far can it push it’s existing products in terms of additional features?
Cameras, compasses, GPS, touch screens. Refinements to all those things is certainly probable, but what about entirely new features?
I think the next big thing for Apple will be delivering streaming content, like live TV and radio, over-the-air to their devices, wherever you have a connection.
For personal security, Apple devices should also become ‘black boxes’ that can record your location, heart rate, and perhaps audio that can be retrieved should anything happen to you… A bit macabre?
Next step is to put a phone into iPod and we will have all in one
You don’t need to put a cell in the iPod. Put a mic, EVDO and you have something that will make the carriers become dumb pipes.
BORING!!!!!
LMAO! ipod with cam? what happen to all music then? that’s weird!!! i have a seperate gadget in each department – pics (i got ixus85 and does the job VERY WELL with the size of a credit card), got ipod touch 2g for plain music, got armani phone (and its definitely SEXY and the size? credit card size too! damn!) and an SE phone which does the job too…
though i have the moolah to buy one…. ipod with cam is just absurd!
Do you carry a purse or just wear cargo pants all the time?
Seriously, it’s so much easier to carry and maintain one device over 4.
haha ye i work for an apple retail store, and one of our case suppliers sent us a catalogue with the iPod nano 5th gen and iPod touch 3rd gen cases, as well as pics of the actual units. they both have cameras.
I didn’t know VGA was “near-HD”
If only 8% of people know what a browser means, Why are Mozilla and Google not advertising on the radio to simply explain that the dumb internet explorer is not the best choice.
They can run short ads on CBS 1010Wins..
I am sure this will open the minds of non geeky people that are the only ones understanding what a browser is all about.
Two major issues with HD video on the iPod.
1) Battery life/enclosed battery. Until Apple starts letting us easily remove the battery, the iPod lineup will not be a good video solution. I just recently took a hiking trip and used my Panasonic TS1 for HD video. I needed two batteries to get through the week due to the power HD video shooting takes. This would have been impossible with an iPod.
2) HD video is takes up a lot of space. Thus takes a long time to upload. The only reason is is so usable on the iPhone now is because it records in VGA resolution. These are small files that can be easily uploaded. But if you start recording large gig sized videos, the upload speed is just not there for most users.
Ummm… try the small battery shown here.
http://www.hype...-Power-s/91.htm
The USB port can keep your iPhone charged for days on end, as well as iPods, dedicated GPS devices, cameras, and so on.
it’s not about megapixels, and really not that much about quality. It’s about ubiquity and convenience. I have a Flip Mino HD and an iPhone 3GS. I haven’t touched my Flip since I bought the iPhone. Having it there, in my device, all the time is the killer feature, not quality or megapixels. We’re not making features, here people. I’m taking videos of my niece chasing butterflies, or my dog barking at his reflection. This stuff is fun to watch, but I don’t need it in HD.
Things will get super-interesting now. Cisco just bought Flip. Cisco is one of the largest wireless networking companies in the world. How long till Flip gets the upload to YouTube/Flickr/Vimeo/name-your-site-here? If Flip puts out a camera that can trim video and upload it, then thing will get fun!
a camera on the ipod touch would be awesome but so would a patch for the 3.0 UPGRADE!! my ipod touch is so freakin slow
This is great news if it holds true. Ziggytek reported about the iPod Touch last week. http://blog.zig...gests-new-case/
But if the ipod lines get the camera, then it’s taking the iPod’s a little bit further than the competition. No one else can match it now, imagine what happens after adding all the new features.
I disagree. I think the low-end video market will segment into two groups: spontaneous/casual and planned/deliberate. If I had a kid and I wanted to capture video of them growing up, there’s no way I’ rely on my 3GS. The video and sound quality don’t meet my needs. The Flip HD would be ideal, since I may still want the ability to be semi-spontaneous, rather than carrying a larger, higher-end camera with me.
However, if I want to capture a quick video of a spontaneous event, having video capability with me at all times is great. But, if my active need is solely the capture of spontaneous moments, I likely wouldn’t be a target customer for Flip and other devices in the low end of the video market.
One can argue that the next iPhone will have HD video, but as that technology progresses and becomes affordable, dedicated video devices will progress as well. It may segment by price, so Flip HD’s become dirt cheap, or it may segment into niches where dedicated devices offer features a phone never will (like quality glass).
I think you’ve got the right idea with the two groups, but the point you’re missing is that the ratio of spontaneous/casual vs planned/deliberate will be drastically on the side of the former, making the latter somewhat rare.
This is the same reason I only know maybe one or two people that own a dedicated video camera. Most use their point-and-shoot camera for video, because it’s “good enough.”
You could be right, the second group may be more of an “enthusiast” group. I’m trying to decide if still cameras and video cameras follow the same trend, however. One might have predicted the death of small point and shoot cameras when 2MP cameras started being included with phones, but that didn’t happen. Small point and shoots still capture better pictures, and have more photo-specific features.
Video used to be a different animal (definitely not ubiquitous), but we’re now the YouTube generation, where video is simple to record and share even without the iPhone.
I’m almost tempted to predict that this will have a large impact on small point and shoot cameras, as people move more towards affordable SLRs because they no longer require something that can take video.
@Andrew – I suspect the Flip type video recorders will always be marginally better than a phone based recorder. However, in both cases, you’re talking about a compromised quality / performance issue. I think Flip will be in trouble because it will see pressure from both ends. On the low end will be phone/mp3 devices with video capabilities. On the higher end, the video from still cameras both point and shoot and dSLRs easily rivals what you get from the flip. So, you still get the two classes of devices as you mention. First is the spontaneous shooting from the phones. Second is the planned shooting from the higher quality devices. Some of these have higher quality video, take pictures and cost about the same as the Flip. I have a Flip, but I can tell you that I will never use it again because I have better solutions on both ends.
The fact Apple is giving away a free iPod Touch (aka clearing out old inventory) with the purchase of a new Mac seems to support the theory.
The deadline to submit for your free iTouch is Oct. 8 which also may hint at a mid-October release date for an update to the hardware.
i will upgrade my iphone 3g to one of those
I agree Mike. I am loving the new camera and video capabilities of the iPhone 3GS. It is totally worth the upgrade from the 3G.
As many photographers always say, “the best camera is the one with you at all times,” and it can easily be applied to video cameras too. I am loving it. I even recently used my 3GS over my Flip mino HD to shoot an interview with Wolfram|Alpha Co-Founder Theodore Gray (http://bit.ly/cgHBi). It was just easier to do on my iPhone and saved me time. My only issue was the sound quality which I had to boost in iMovie to make it sound better but I really should be using a separate mic anyway, so I’ll take some fault for that.
The iPod Touch has to be next in line to adopt the camera capabilities.
I am using The iPod Touch , for video, because it’s “good enough.”
Any device that can capture images and upload to the Internet without a computer would be great. They actually long due.
I am longing a card reader connecting to my iPhone as well. So all legacy devices will benefit from the phone’s connectivity.
This is good news. Video camera means, it will have built in microphone. So some of the apps that don’t work in current generation iPod touches will work in the new one.
1. Skype (this is just awesome), to be able to call using iPod touch
2. Shazam
3. Snaptell etc.
The Touch should also have besides a camera
GPS
Compass
External Mic
to use all those location aware Apps that are out there!
I was hoping that the Zune HD would have a camera as well…there was a great demonstration of a Tegra chip showing how you could overlay a game over a real world environment when you had a camera and a fast enough processor. I imagine that there will be quite a few games that pop up in the App store that look to take advantage of the camera, since going forward both iPhone and iPod Touch will have them.
We’re moving from a world where we carry “portable media players” to one where we carry “portable media creators”.
Tons of people have started creating video/audio on their phones and posting it to Youtube/Facebook/etc., but the next wave will be a further move down the path of making each of us both consumers and producers of content, without having to sit down at a desk with a computer.
agreed. right now “editing” on iPhone is not really editing..just trimming. Once they add a couple of simple transitions, titles and the ability to stitch clips together…I dunno…that could be a killer