Proof the iPod Touch Had A Camera (Prototypes Anyway)

Leander Kahney ()

ipod_touch_camera_spyshot

An astute MacRumors reader compared the pictures from iFixit’s teardown of the latest iPod touch with earlier leaked pictures of a prototype equipped with a camera — and the internal details are the same.

Look at the pictures after the jump. The internal circuit boards are indentical — and both are completely different to the second-generation touch.

Which means that Apple has been building prototypes of the iPod touch with a camera. When that device will be released though, no one knows. Reports suggest Apple pulled the camera module because of quality problems, and will introduce it as soon as the bad part is fixed — possibly within weeks.

But as one CoM reader has noted in the comments, if Apple were able to ship the device in weeks, instead of months, Steve Jobs would likely have announced it last week.

The iPod Touch internals revealed by the iFixit teardown.

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The internals of a second-generation iPod Touch: picture from iFixit.
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9 comments »

About the author

Leander Kahney

is the editor and publisher of Cult of Mac, and author of three books about technology culture: Inside Steve’s Brain, the New York Times bestseller about Steve Jobs; Cult of Mac; and Cult of iPod. Leander has written for Wired, MacWeek, Scientific American, and The Guardian in London. Follow Leander on Twitter @lkahney and Facebook.

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Posted in Apple, iPod Touch, News |

  • Charli

    this was a prototype. all kinds of prototypes are made that are then nixed. it is not shocking to think that someone built a sample to show to Uncle Steve and Uncle Phil and they decided against it.

    it doesn’t mean yeah or nay on them deciding to add one later. it just confirms that they considered it for long enough to build a model.

  • Allan

    What is that connector in the production 2nd Gen iPod Touch? Seems that Apple can easily add that camera without too much redesign of the circuit boards.

    I predict the camera-equipped iTouches will arrive early next year at Macworld Expo…

  • Fabian

    Jobs wouldn’t announce the camera itouch even if they were able to ship it in weeks. Of course they want to sell as many slightly improved itouchs (itouches?) as they can before announcing a bigger improvement. Technology is obsolete the second you walk out the store with it.

  • Andrew

    Allan Apple isn’t going to be at the next Macworld Expo. Last year was the last year that they were going to be there. There have been some rumors though saying that they might be at CES though.

  • Poppa

    Will Apple release the iPod Touch with a camera next year I am not sure. If they do, should you buy now or wait ?
    But why would you need an iPod Touch with a camera, chances are if you use the iPod Touch you presumably have a mobile phone with a camera already.

  • Rutger

    come on;
    The camera got ditched in favor of the iPhone and the nano.
    Get over it.
    (just like Poppa explained; Apple got the iPhone..)

  • Bryan

    Who cares?

  • TRRosen

    my bet is they had the same camera in the touch as the nano and Steve came back and ripped someone a new one for it. Why! because that camera would look so pathetic compared to the iPhones there would be more complaining then there is now about the lack of a camera.

    My guess… touch with the iPhones camera in January!

  • Matt

    @Allan, they won’t be at MacWorld (Doh!). It’ll take another special event, which will probably coincide with CES to combat other company releases.