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iPod Touch Gets an External Microphone

PLEASE make it so!!

:eek: Holy C-R-A-P!! :eek:

This is freakin awesome. Can someone, ANYONE PLS confirm the mic functionality enables VOIP calling on the Touch.

If this actually works, yesterday went from the most pathetic product 'launch' I've ever witnessed to the best single jump forward in many years.

I'm in for (3) 32 giggers as soon as someone can verify AAPL has not put in some stupid restriction (based on some agreement with AT&T not to sabotage the phone plans) which would prevent VOIP calling using the mic headset coupled with the built in speaker.

MAKE IT SO :apple:!!
 
is there any good reason why the new mic/headphone accessory doesn't work with the 80/160GB classic given that the 120GB differs only in capacity?

i have been looking for a headphone remote for my classic since i upgraded from a 3rd gen iPod (which shipped with the old remote + a dock + a charger + a hard case + a soft case) and adding voice memo capabilities at the same time would be nice.
 
tkidBOSTON said:
Why is there a question mark at the end of the new story title?

This is confirmed and true, correct?
Click to expand...

No it' not confirmed and true. There was no mention of mic support in the new touch yesterday, there is no mention of it in the specs for the new touch BUT these two new headsets both say in their specs that the Mic feature works on the 2nd Gen touch. It could be a misprint by Apple, it seems odd that something so major wasn't even mentioned.
 
december said:
is there any good reason why the new mic/headphone accessory doesn't work with the 80/160GB classic given that the 120GB differs only in capacity?
Click to expand...
We don't necessarily know that. There may be internal changes that allow the microphone to function. All we do know at this point is that they look very similar on the outside and run a similar version (though clearly not identical since the new ones have this Genius feature) of the iPod Classic OS.
 
There is already a VOIP app out on the iphone called "Truphone" so surely this app would (I love this apple phrase) "just work" lol.

The Truphone app would turn the touch into a phone although I am sure apple wouldnt allow this app to work??
 
What I'd really like to see is a software Vonage Phone. That way, I'd be able to get home phone calls anywhere I had Wi-Fi access if I got an iPod Touch.
 
Full of Win said:
O Boy...here comes the S--- storm over old hardware left out in the cold.
Click to expand...

And WHY shouldn't there be? I was all set to buy these until I found out yesterday that even the volume control on the remote capsule will not work for the 1st gen touch, let alone the mic. I can not believe that this can not be done by a firmware update like in 2.1. I'd be happy if I could just adjust the volume but nope appears it can't be done according to Apple!

No way will I buy another touch and $79 ear buds that will not work with my $400 1st gen touch. Not Good! :rolleyes:
 
m4c1nt05h said:
the 1st gen and 3g iphone are hardly old. :(

from the apple store:

"*Compatibility Information

The remote and mic are supported only by iPod nano (4th generation), iPod classic (120GB), and iPod touch (2nd generation). Audio is supported by all iPod models."

apple really is doing some weird stuff lately.
Click to expand...

They sure are! It's called let's milk the customer for ever buck we can!
 
For all those bitching about this not working on earlier devices: I am pretty sure that Stereo + Mic is a different mini-plug than just Stereo. I'm not positive, however.
 
I'm a little peeved that Apple makes a distinction between my iPod Classic (160GB - I guess I'm one of the few that actually bought it) and the new iPod Classic. A nice company would just update the old Classics with software on the new ones...

I would really like to see Genius Playlists! I've already got a radio remote, but that new inline one looks pretty sexy... they'd get a few more quid out of me that way!
 
i0Nic said:
Yes the In-Ear headphones better work with the iPhone, including the mic/buttons.
Or I'll be so freakin pissed.
Click to expand...

So, your iPhone should work with every accessory Apple releases after you bought your iPhone? You do know that their Time Machine is a backup feature right? Apple doesn't have an actual time machine.
 
Pandaboots said:
Anyone know why the in ear headphones wouldn't fully work with the 3g iPhone? Seems the new iPod Touch is identical to the iPhone now. This seems very strange and a huge oversight on Apple's behalf especially since these are reproduction of the headphones developed for the iPhone. :confused:
Click to expand...

Probably because the serial protocol to handle the volume changing is newer than the 3G iPhone and is hardwired into the device - not a software feature.
 
iPod Touch and in-ear Frequency response

I like to know if

"The new Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic are engineered for superior acoustic accuracy, balance, and clarity. So you hear details you’ve been missing with other, lesser headphones."

advertisement (http://www.apple.com/ipod/inearheadphones/) is misleading and whether any iPod user will benefit from such a earphone?

Here is the technical specs of the in ear earphone

Frequency response: 5Hz to 21kHz
Impedance (at 100Hz): 23 ohms
Sensitivity (at 100Hz): 109 dB SPL/mW

This is the technical audio specs of iPod Touch and iPod Nano
Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz

So how do we hear details from a earphone (that is supposedly designed for the iPod) when the iPoddoes not support the frequency response or am I wrong? Can someone clarify on a technical standpoint. Or is part of the mic frequency response
 
Guys, the reason why the new earphones+remote/mic won't work with older iPods is internal circuitry within the iPods.

There are four metal collars on the new earphones: ground, stereo left, stereo right, and mic. The microphone sound input, as well as track advance/reverse and volume control tricks are all done on the mic line.

Previous generation iPods (including my 80GB classic and first-generation 16GB iPod touch) have a fourth collar on the miniplug jack, but it is hard wired to the composite video out signal. No firmware upgrade is going to change that.

Thus the 2nd generation iPod touch, new nano, new 120GB classic aren't going to be compatible with the AV cable from the previous generation. Apple has traded mic in for video out.

I read something online that presumed partial compatibility with the iPhone 3G, but I'm not sure why there isn't total compatibility, but I'm guessing it's how the iPhone circuitry interprets signals on the mic input line.
 
Bah....

...When I saw the announcement on the podcast version of the keynote I got excited. Why the hell won't the volume controls work on the iPhone? It's basically an iPod Touch with phone capabilities... Bah.. That's a deal breaker for me. I wonder if OS 2.1'll add that functionality... Hmm
 
danyadd said:
I own an Ipod Touch 1G (firmware 2.1).
I would like to use this new headset to skip songs and set volume.
Any news about that?
Click to expand...

Highly unlikely. Apple's website claims support only for 2nd generation Classic, 4th generation Nano, and 2nd generation Touch.

I suspect the first generation iPod Touch doesn't have the necessary circuit connected to its headphone jack to allow it to work with the mic and remote.
 
DaBrain said:
And WHY shouldn't there be? I was all set to buy these until I found out yesterday that even the volume control on the remote capsule will not work for the 1st gen touch, let alone the mic. I can not believe that this can not be done by a firmware update like in 2.1. I'd be happy if I could just adjust the volume but nope appears it can't be done according to Apple!
Click to expand...

Why can't you believe that volume control protocol is hardwired on the logic board, rather than implemented in software?
 
flyingkite said:
So how do we hear details from a player that does not support the frequency response or am I wrong? Can someone clarify on a technical standpoint.
Click to expand...
You can use the new earphones on other stereo equipment to get the full range of performance.

Apple could be asserting that their earphones sound better than 30Hz-18KHz cheapos, which would be correct, either on high-end stereo gear or on one of their iPods.
 
hayesk said:
Probably because the serial protocol to handle the volume changing is newer than the 3G iPhone and is hardwired into the device - not a software feature.
Click to expand...
It would almost certainly have been more expensive for Apple to implement a purely hardware-based remote protocol than to integrate it in software. But I suppose it's always possible.

Personally, I'm reserving judgment until Friday when the iPhone's 2.1 firmware is released.

Even if the iPhone compatibility does turn out to be a purely software issue, it would be false advertising to sell "available now" headphones with the claim they were compatible with the iPhone, before the software was released which would make it possible.

cvaldes said:
Previous generation iPods (including my 80GB classic and first-generation 16GB iPod touch) have a fourth collar on the miniplug jack, but it is hard wired to the composite video out signal.
Click to expand...
Are you sure about that? I thought I'd read that the iPod Touch only offered video output through its Dock connector. I'd just assumed that the 1st generation iPod Touch literally didn't have any hardware at all connected to the headphone jack's 4th collar.
 
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