# Good alternatives to iPod Touch.... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 21, 2014, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-alternatives-to-ipod-touch/699112 "2014-09-21T21:39:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-alternatives-to-ipod-touch/699112/1 "2014-09-21T21:39:29Z")
We need to replace an iPod Touch 4th Gen- would it be best to just stay with that, or go to a different device such as an Android? ---
**Author:** ![lazybratsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-alternatives-to-ipod-touch/699112/2 "2014-09-22T01:02:49Z")
Last I checked, there aren’t really any Android devices which are dedicated media players. However, there are some cheaper Android phones that you can simply ignore the whole phone part. The best of them is probably the Moto G, which is $179 (unlocked, without contract). It’ll be a lot chunkier than any recent iPod touches, but on the other hand it’ll be a backup phone… ---
**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-alternatives-to-ipod-touch/699112/3 "2014-09-22T01:05:08Z")
Does Samsung still make Galaxy Players? ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-alternatives-to-ipod-touch/699112/4 "2014-09-22T01:15:52Z")
What do you want to use it for? I recently got an iPhone 5S for myself and about a month later got an LG Volt for another family member. They are both nice. I like that both items combined the phone and the iPod, so we both are carrying just one thing. She uses her for social networking, calendar stuff, and phone/text. I use mine for internet, news, podcasts and phone. Frankly, if I had to choose again this week, I’d probably take the LG Volt with Virgin Mobile service. The iPhone purchase stuck me with one of the big 3 service providers and they are really expensive. Her LG Volt with Virgin was $150 for the phone and is only $35.00 a month. The iPhone was just $100 but the service is over $65.00 a month for roughly the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-alternatives-to-ipod-touch/699112/5 "2014-09-22T01:21:05Z")
Buy a used android phone on craigslist and ignore the phone function. ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-alternatives-to-ipod-touch/699112/6 "2014-09-22T01:21:35Z")
There’s a reason why iPods took over the portable music player market. There’s also a reason why smartphones took over the iPod market. How do you use the iPod touch? Purely for music, or apps? Do you purchase music off the iTunes store? Do you surf the web on the iPod? Do you want to combine it with your phone? Have you tried android devices before? Are you ok with iTunes? Answers to these questions will help tailor the answers you get. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-alternatives-to-ipod-touch/699112/7 "2014-09-22T05:15:53Z")
> [@lazybratsche](#): > > The best of them is probably the Moto G, which is $179 (unlocked, without contract). It’ll be a lot chunkier than any recent iPod touches, but on the other hand it’ll be a backup phone… It will also run a nearly stock version of Android Kit Kat with a guarantee that it will upgrade to the next version. And it accepts SD cards for more storage. But speaking of stock Android, the 2103 version of the Nexus 7 tablet is pretty nice too. If you don’t mind the size (and the display is very nice), it would be a good iPod Touch 4th gen replacement. Like **Tabby\_Cat** said, how you use the Touch matters in what works best for you. The tablet is better for movies. I paid $299 for my 32 GB 4th gen iPod Touch, and $235 for my 32 GB Nexus 7. The price difference is smaller now ($249 for the Touch, $230 for the Nexus 7). Not sure about the pricing on the 16 GB models, and only the Touch is offered in 64 GB. What would keep me from replacing my iPod would be having to replace my 30 pin cables or buy the lightning adapters. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-alternatives-to-ipod-touch/699112/8 "2014-09-22T05:23:17Z")
And if you just use it for music, Sony still makes [mp3 players](http://www.amazon.com/Sony-NWZE385-Walkman-Video-Player/dp/B00ECQUY2M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411363237&sr=8-1&keywords=sony+mp3+player). ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-alternatives-to-ipod-touch/699112/9 "2014-09-23T01:09:36Z")
> [@Tabby\_Cat](#): > > There’s a reason why iPods took over the portable music player market. > > There’s also a reason why smartphones took over the iPod market. > > How do you use the iPod touch? Purely for music, or apps? Do you purchase music off the iTunes store? Do you surf the web on the iPod? Do you want to combine it with your phone? Have you tried android devices before? Are you ok with iTunes? > > Answers to these questions will help tailor the answers you get. My friend with the iPod uses it for music, getting on the Net, and occasional gaming. She’s been struggling with mono & chronic fatigue so is bedridden a lot & that’s kinda her link to the world. But she does not want it combined with her phone. Yes, she is OK with iTunes. No, she has not tried android devices before. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-alternatives-to-ipod-touch/699112/10 "2014-09-23T02:12:16Z")
If you’re happy with then 4th Gen iPod, you might be happy just buying another one. I really like my 3rd Gen Touch–I don’t need anything more complicated than that. It died on me after about 4 years so I turned it in for repair at the Apple Store and got a good-as-new refurbished replacement for $149. I can’t run the latest and greatest apps, but that’s not an issue for me. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-alternatives-to-ipod-touch/699112/11 "2014-09-24T15:34:33Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > We need to replace an iPod Touch 4th Gen- would it be best to just stay with that, or go to a different device such as an Android? What’s wrong with the Touch? Maybe it’s fixable. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-alternatives-to-ipod-touch/699112/12 "2014-09-24T17:13:10Z")
I love my Touch. When my 3 died I got a 5 and it is so badass. I would never want to switch away! I wouldn’t want to use a crippled phone, either. The Touch is so nice in your hand. Phones would feel like absolute giants compared to a Touch. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-alternatives-to-ipod-touch/699112/13 "2014-09-24T18:24:26Z")
Really wish they still made the iPod Classic. Why are they are so obsessed with touch screens? I want a large capacity and _actual buttons_, dammit! ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-alternatives-to-ipod-touch/699112/14 "2014-09-24T18:58:00Z")
An iPod Touch isn’t really a replacement for the iPod Classic. It’s so much more like a phone. But since it’s either a way-suped-up-iPod or a crippled iPhone, they went with iPod Touch instead of iPhone Minus. They didn’t come out with the iPad until later, IIRC, so they couldn’t glom on to that naming either. What it REALLY is is a pocked-sized iPad. Anyway, it’s a dumb and over-expensive solution if you’re just looking for a music player. But if you want the Internet in your pocket and a camera and apps, then you want a Touch. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-alternatives-to-ipod-touch/699112/15 "2014-09-24T19:28:08Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Really wish they still made the iPod Classic. Why are they are so obsessed with touch screens? If you’re referring to Apple, I think their obsession is with getting customers to pay regularly for cloud storage, instead of promoting and selling a device with enough capacity so you can easily carry around all the music you own (without paying extra). ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-alternatives-to-ipod-touch/699112/16 "2014-09-25T15:07:02Z")
I think Android would be a fine choice. But, I have iPod Touch 3g and later got Android phone. I love the Android, but I never have found a music app I like as much as an app called FlickTunes on my iPod. To make it worse, FlickTunes is no longer in the iTunes store, which means I couldn’t even get it on another iPod unless maybe I jailbreak it. So before you go Android you might try to make sure there is some music player app (or the stock app) that you like. Otherwise Android is a perfectly good solution for playing music, browsing, apps, whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2014, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-alternatives-to-ipod-touch/699112/17 "2014-09-30T17:02:31Z")
Coming in late here, but: in your situation I’d just get another iPod Touch. You’re already used to the interface, you’ve probably got some purchased apps (that you’d have to repurchase for Android), etc. That said, certainly an Android device would work just fine for you. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2014, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-alternatives-to-ipod-touch/699112/18 "2014-09-30T17:35:53Z")
Sorry for not getting back. We went ahead & got a new iPod Touch. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![zbuzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zbuzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zbuzz)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2014, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-alternatives-to-ipod-touch/699112/19 "2014-09-30T21:07:36Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > If you’re referring to Apple, I think their obsession is with getting customers to pay regularly for cloud storage, instead of promoting and selling a device with enough capacity so you can easily carry around all the music you own (without paying extra). Selling the 160 GB iPod Classic for 7 years wasn’t good enough? They should keep selling it even though no one is buying it? Also, songs bought from iTunes do not count against iCloud storage. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2014, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-alternatives-to-ipod-touch/699112/20 "2014-10-01T01:48:19Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > I really like my 3rd Gen Touch…it died on me after about 4 years so I turned it in for repair and got a good-as-new refurbished replacement for $149. Just thought I’d update my comment by mentioning that I dropped that replacement iPod Touch in a bucket of ice water last week. ☹ I tried all the tricks but I was not able to revive it. So I decided to get myself…yet another one. This time I got a 2-year damage/spill warranty–maybe by then I will have found a new pocket internet device I like better. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-alternatives-to-ipod-touch/699112.md?page=2)