What are the differences between the iPod touch 2G and the original iPod touch?

Please note that all iPod models mentioned in this Q&A have been discontinued. The iPod touch 2G was replaced by the iPod touch 3G on September 9, 2009.

On first glance, the iPod touch 2G essentially is indistinguishable from the original iPod touch.

Left - original iPod touch, Right - iPod touch 2G - Photo Credit: Apple, Inc.

However, with a closer look, one will quickly notice that the iPod touch 2G has a silver front trim rather than gray. The iPod touch 2G also is rounded a bit more with a design reminiscent of the iPhone 3G. The back of both models is chromed steel, but the plastic "window" for the wi-fi antenna is oval shaped on the iPod touch 2G compared to covering the entire upper left corner on the original model, which makes visual identification easy.

One also will notice that the iPod touch 2G has external volume buttons on the left hand side of the device, a greatly welcomed addition. An integrated speaker and support for an external microphone via the Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic (and some third-party products as well) also has been added.

Although it is not readily apparent from physical inspection, the iPod touch 2G is 0.02 of an inch thicker than the original iPod touch, but the more rounded design makes it appear to be thinner. The iPod touch 2G is slightly lighter (0.15 ounces) than the original model as well.

Like the original model, the iPod touch 2G features a "multi-touch" sensitive 3.5" display with 320x480 resolution -- albeit a higher-quality one than that provided by the original -- an accelerometer that allows the device to "know" whether it is being held in portrait or landscape mode and switch automatically, an ambient light sensor to adjust screen brightness, built-in support for Wi-Fi (802.11b/g), and 8, 16, or 32 GB of flash memory.

The iPod touch 2G also adds "shake to shuffle" support -- where shaking the device gently will select another song at random -- a new "Genius" feature that dynamically creates playlists based on "songs that go great together", and integrated support for Nike + iPod.

Additionally, battery life for the iPod touch 2G has been improved, as the 2G model provides 36 hours of music playback and 6 hours of video, compared to 22 hours of music playback and 5 hours of video playback for the original model.

For your convenience, the primary differences between the iPod touch 2G and the original iPod touch are summarized below:

* The iPod touch 2G supports an external microphone via the Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic (and some third-party products as well).

† On February 5, 2008, Apple introduced a 32 GB configuration of the original iPod touch for US$499. The 8 GB and 16 GB configurations were introduced on September 5, 2007 for US$299 and US$399, respectively.

§ The 8 GB iPod touch 2G is offered for US$229, the 16 GB is US$299, and the 32 GB is US$399.

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