Ask Jacob
Differences Between 1st & 2nd Gen iPod Touch
Tuesday, November 4, 2008 / iPod / iTunes
What’s the difference between 1st gen and 2nd gen iPod touch? What does 1st gen mean?
2nd Gen iPod Touch
About fifty bucks. Just kidding.
There are a few key differences between the two models. The Second generation (gen) of iPod Touch is slightly less expensive, has speakers, external Volume buttons, and built-in Nike+ support (for nerds that run). It’s also slightly thinner than the previous model.
Other than that all other features can be made equal by updating the software on the iPod to the latest version.
You should bear in mind that video on the iPod touch a wonderful thing, so the more memory the better. A full movie can run up to 2gigs, and with anything less than 8gigs you run the risk of limiting yourself or juggling video and playlists more.
November 8th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
I think one other significant difference is the ability for the new touch to have sound input via a mic. This opens the new touch up for VOIP capabilities. Of course for most this would not be something all that interesting, but for some it could be a cheap cell alternative. Just tied to Wi-Fi.
November 12th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
Hey Erick,
The mic input is a great point, and with so many VOIP applications out there it certainly could be a viable IP phone of sorts. Of course, the coverage would be pretty spotty if you didn’t live in an urban area.
Thanks for chiming in,
Jacob
November 26th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
Well the main difference is that the 2nd gen, is about 3 or four times more breakable, has worse connection to the net, and has more expensive downloads. I recomend the 1st gen, it is aton better
November 28th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
John,
Can you comment on what the basis for your comments are? If there is any kind of factual evidence behind them I’d be interested since I’m looking for a touch for my wife for Christmas.
Mike
December 25th, 2008 at 8:45 am
The Ipod Touch Sucks. Get the Zune. Way Better. But the 2nd gen. is better than the first. Better Wi-Fi, side volume control, Nike+, and it’s thinner than the Nano
January 2nd, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Hey Jake…I think after the latest Zune mass suicide although limited to the 30GB models. At least iPods made it to the new year…..lol
January 18th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
The Zune “mass suicide” was only effective for 1 day and that was on the 31st of December. My Zune is functioning fine now. My IPod Touch however is a first gen and I would like to put a speaker on it. Is this possible?
January 30th, 2009 at 10:35 am
well i wouldn’t be able to tell you b/c i don’t have one………..duh…
March 10th, 2009 at 12:10 am
hi just wondering if i bought a 2nd gen case for my 1st gen would it still fit.
March 11th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
Steph, the easy answer is – it depends on the case. If you go to the Apple Store website and check out the iPod touch cases, you’ll notice that each case description has an image of the touch it will fit. Indeed, some cases are 2nd gen only, while others will fit both 1st and 2nd gen iPod touches.
It’s not the most efficient option, but hopefully you can find a case that fits your needs.
April 1st, 2009 at 4:05 am
Hi.
just reading the comments, should i buy a 1st gen
or is it worth getting the 2nd gen.
Are the differences that significant?
1st or 2nd, please help me decided
April 17th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
u should go 4 2nd Gen. coz its faster than 1st Gen.
Here is the difference:
The Ipod Touch 2g is thinner than the ipod 1 g
The Ipod Touch 2g includes built in speakers so you don’t need headphones.
The Ipod Touch 2g can not charge on a firewall connection while an ipod touch 1g can
The ipod touch 2g includes Nike+ support( a connection between an ipod touch and a chip that you put on a nike shoe, to calculate your pace and hear music)
The Ipod Touch 2 g has a cpu of 532 MHz where as 1g has 412 MHz
The Ipod touch 2g has a battery power of audio 36 hours and video 6 hours while the ipod touch 1g has less
June 29th, 2009 at 3:50 am
Faisal,
The 2nd gen ipod touch is “.5 MM” thinner so not really very recognizable.
Whats the point in having an IPOD if you don’t want headphones. I like the built in speakers personally but they aren’t that loud and I rarely use them at all.
July 5th, 2009 at 12:32 am
The speakers are a nice feature, but keep in mind that when you are listening around other people, (for me is most of the time)they may find it annoying to hear your taste of music thus making the speakers useless. Same concept for the VoIP. Im sure more poeple than not would appreciate not hearing your conversation.
August 4th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
1ST GENERATION IS BETTER
OK so i read all the comments and maybe i can help
1st speaker are truly useless most of the time
2nd the difference between the size of the i pods is 1/50 if i am right
3rd 1st gen is cheaper
4th you can upgrade your 1st gen i pod and install software if you find the website just Google it
5th its only slower by about %20 also its not like its a laptop that you really nee that much cpu
also who ever wants to buy an i pod touch 1st generation with upgrades for $158 then copy and paste this website
http://www.pricegrabber.com/user_sales_getprod.php?masterid=61208175&lot_id=9334804
and were to get every single application for an i pod touch free downloads then copy and paste this website
http://appulo.us/appdb/
August 10th, 2009 at 9:41 pm
i wondered if i should get a 1st genneration or 2nd could u help me out and is it the exact same when u update your software except for the speakers and the width for the 1st gen. PLEASE HELP!!
August 11th, 2009 at 6:13 am
Honestly, I don’t know which is better. I’m the kind of person that’s deciding between a 16gb 2nd Gen, or a 32gb 1st gen. How far is the wifi range of a 1st gen compared to the 2nd gen? I’m close to buying the 1st gen but, if it has an unbearable range. It would be worth getting the 16gb 2nd gen. Thanks for answering my question in advance!
August 19th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
I have a question regarding the VOIP. If the 1st generation does not have a microphone, would a headset with a built in speaker work with it?
September 9th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
I am definately up for what the second gen has to offer so that much I know but I am wondering how many gigs I should get. I have an average 300 songs and are continuously adding more i would have lots of games and apps regarding wifi on there and a few movies. How many gigs should I go for?
September 14th, 2009 at 10:43 pm
I feel quite lucky cause ive just found a 32gig ipod touch for 300 bucks but it is first gen but that dosent worry me much
September 20th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
I just got a first generation a 16gig Ipod Touch on ebay for $107. I feel like this was a good deal but I want to make sure i should not have tried harder to get a second generation. Smart idea?
September 21st, 2009 at 12:16 pm
Well, considering the new 16GB 2nd generation iPod touches are still $249 – $107 for a 1st gen 16GB touch sounds pretty fair. The most important thing is that you are a happy with it and feel that the transaction was fair.
- Jacob
September 21st, 2009 at 12:18 pm
32GBs is a ton of storage, and 8GB tends to fill up faster than you’d expect. I’d go with a 16GB if you want enough room for loads of songs and some apps as well.
- Jacob
October 8th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
so i am going to buy an ipod touch, should i get the first gen or second gen, if i were to buy it on ebay would it come with the internet?
November 10th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
Sean,
Honestly, it is up to you, you could pay less and not get a speaker, or pay more and get a speaker, thats the main didference. All iPod Touches, first and second Generations, come with Wi-Fi capability, no matter where you buy them from.
– Matt
December 10th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
Why is the 2nd gen cheaper then the 1st gen?
December 27th, 2009 at 9:42 pm
dumb question…just bought an ipod touch at Costco for $179.00…is it 1st generation or 2nd generation? thanks
January 4th, 2010 at 2:48 pm
Is the 1st generation noticeably slower than the 2nd generation when using wifi?
July 10th, 2010 at 2:16 pm
To Brandon
It’s not that slow.
To Chris
The easy way of telling is on the 1st gen there’s no volume control and on the 2nd gen there is.
August 23rd, 2010 at 12:44 pm
is it worth it to buy a 2nd gen for 150$
October 21st, 2011 at 12:41 pm
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