MP3 players

iPod Touch Gains Retina Display, Dual Cameras

Among the other goodies showcased at Wednesday's special event, Steve Jobs unveiled the newest iPod Touch, featuring Apple's Retina display technology, its own A4 chip, and front- and back-facing cameras for FaceTime and video recording.

The iPod touch has gone on yet another diet; it now sports an even slimmer figure than its previous generation while simultaneously getting more powerful innards. In addition to providing more than 40 hours of battery life, the device now sports the same high-pixel-density Retina display and 3-axis gyroscope as the iPhone 4, allowing for faster and cleaner-looking apps and games.

And indeed, the iPod touch as a gaming device was at the forefront of the presentation. Apple says 1.5 billion games have been downloaded from the App Store onto the iPod touch alone, and Jobs even managed to slip in a quick boast noting that the device is outselling both Nintendo and Sony worldwide in the portable gaming market. Furthermore, the newest iPod touch will ship with iOS 4.1 installed, complete with Apple's new Game Center software that allows for easy multiplayer gaming.

For those not necessarily interested in gaming, the iPod touch also now sports a front-facing VGA camera, making it the second of Apple's devices with support for its FaceTime video-chattingtechnology for chatting with both other iPod touch owners and iPhone 4 owners. A second, higher-resolution camera on the back of the device allows for HD video recording and snapping pictures.

The iPod touch is available for pre-order right now from Apple's Website in three flavors: 8GB for $229, 32GB for $299, and 64GB for $399. Apple says the new models will be available next week in Apple retail stores.

We'll have more details on the iPod touch later today.