Yesterday, I sold my iPod away to its new owner. No, I'm not buying a new one in France because the price disparities are ridiculous. I can wait until I get back to America for the summer.
Now with no iPod and no Facebook - my face breaks into a laughing smile as I type this - I can time travel my life back to the mid-2000s when all I had was a laptop to accompany me through college. Life was SO rough.
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| Oh wait, look! That might be a cell phone by the water bottle! |
To continue with my wealthy American problems...
The next question is: which of these devices should I look into purchasing?
Let's keep in mind the following parameters:
-I will use the device for photos, wifi/internet, email, and blogging.
-Must have front/back cameras, a camera flash, and at least a 5MP camera.
-I am having a difficult time deciding between sizes, but I know I don't like the 7-inch tablets because they are awkwardly too large for one hand, so then I may as well move up to a 10-inch.
-My previous iPod Touch 4 was 32GB, and always about half full because of music, photos, and videos.
-I don't play games or pay for apps.
-I have already decided AGAINST: iPhones, iPads, iPad Minis.
-I'm not actually rich, so prices are from Walmart, heyo!
#1 Apple iPod Touch 5
This is the obvious transition upgrade. I can keep iMessages and FaceTime. Transferring my last iPod back up to a new iPod would be simple, and the storage is the same. I like the colorful aspect; I would probably get a blue one. I also like the fact that Apple added the wrist loop option because I found that my previous iPod was a bit slippery in my gloved hands when taking winter photos the last few years. The camera flash has also finally been added. This iPod appears to have answered all of my Apple prayers - but is it better to change?
-5MP back camera with flash; front camera
-Size: 4.86" x 2.31" x 0.24" = 3.10 oz.
-32GB for $270
#2 Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom
This is basically a phone with a camera on the back. I really like the idea of this device the most, but I'm not sure how it will function in the day-to-day. My iPod could sit face up or face down; with this device, I'm assuming I would always leave the lens facing up? Will the thickness affect how it fits in a purse or clutch? I like the 16GB of storage space; enough for some music and a lot of photos and videos. It's also great that Walmart sells an unlocked version so I don't have to do the whole jailbreak or pay for a cellular plan like-a-regular-person-thing.
-16MP back camera with flash; 1.9MP front camera
-Size: 4.94" x 2.52" x 0.61" = 7.34 oz.
-16GB for $430 (unlocked)
#3 Samsung Galaxy Camera Wifi
I know nothing about cameras, but clearly this camera would have the highest resolution out of all the other devices. This Samsung camera has what I can best describe as an iPod attached to it as its view screen. It is very similar to the S4 Zoom, but has only half the storage. I do like that it's a little bit bigger than the S4, but it's also heavier. When was the last time I bought a camera? 2005? How do I charge the battery, and do I need one of those little SD memory cards? Will I need to take photography classes? AH!
-Size: 5.07" x 2.79" x 0.75" = 10.7 oz.
-8GB for $370
#4 Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014 Edition)
Do I really want to go all the way into tablet land? I just don't know if I can see myself lugging around a large sheet of technology everywhere I go. Then I try to imagine taking photos - will I be able to hold and click with only one hand? As the most expensive and largest option, I think it's safe to say that this one is "out." But it belongs on the list as what I believe would be the best tablet for me, if I ever come to that point. The best thing about it is the 32GB of storage, and it's very thin at 0.3" of thickness.
-8MP back camera with flash; 2MP front camera
-Size: 9.6" x 6.8" x 0.3" = 19.05 oz.
-32GB for $550
I am intrigued by the idea of moving away from Apple and into the Android/Google systems. I already operate through Gmail, YouTube, and Blogger. Twitter and Instagram are everywhere. If I go Android, I do lose iMessage and FaceTime, but aren't those essentially replaceable with any other texting app and Skype? I kind of feel like iM and FT only exist to make Apple users feel like they're a part of a club. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's free, whatever. Guess what? Not having a cell phone plan is free, too, so that whole "limiting data usage" argument gets lost on me, sorry. The other major factor is that the iPod is still the most affordable out of all 4 options. Hmmm...
I looked at tons of different brands besides Apple, but Samsung was the best. Upwards of 90% of their devices had a camera flash, like, of course, why wouldn't there be one? I like that attitude. But I have zero experience outside of the computer store with Samsung devices. I would really appreciate any feedback from Samsung tablet/phablet/camera users on this! Maybe you know of another device that would match my criteria?
Or, even better - should I just see how long I can go without a "smart device" and be smart enough on my own (Swags + laptop) to buy nothing?
Comment back or email me!