iPod touch for iPhone development

19
votes

I am thinking about buying an iPod touch to make some money on developing apps for the iPhone. I like the concept of the App Store and had a quick look at it with iTunes. Looks like applications are categorized, to be iPhone OR iPod applications. Some apps which are free for the iPod seem to cost for iPhone users.

What is the difference of both platforms, or why is the App Store separating them ? Does it make sense to develop for the iPhone using an iPod touch (beside phone/location related apps) ?

On developer.apple.com I can sign up for selling my Applications on the AppStore for 99$. Do I have to expect any further costs ? Is it a problem to develop from outside the US (in my case Germany) ?

6
iphoneapp-storeipod
stackoverflow.com/questions/121018/… – John Topley

6 Answers

26
votes

The iPod touch is missing:

  • GPS
  • Bluetooth (iPod Touch 4G has Bluetooth)
  • Cellular network
  • Camera (iPod Touch 4G has front and back cameras)
  • Microphone (thanks John Topley) (iPod Touch 4G has headset with microphone)
  • Vibration
  • The 1G is lacking a speaker

On the plus side it weighs a bit less and is a bit smaller.. Other than that they are pretty much identical (no sarcasm here; it still has the same processor, OS, control system, and display) Personally I would get an iPhone, as you will probably end up getting one later on anyway. I have an iPod touch (bought first) and an iPhone. I never use the iPod anymore.

The iPod touch is obviously cheaper than the iPhone, and there is no contract necessary. However, at least in the UK you can get a contract-free iPhone, and you should be able to do so soon on AT&T in the USA.

There are no extra costs besides the $99 for application development (which is a yearly fee)

We are developing from the UK. One issue to be aware of when you eventually sell your application is tax withholding - Apple will retain 30% of your revenues. There are some forms you need to fill out - I dealt with this in another thread. Here's what I wrote there:

You need to fill out a W-8BEN and give it to Apple to avoid a 30% tax withholding. This requires that you have a SSN (Social Security Number). If, and only if, you do not have an SSN, you may supply an ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) or an EIN (Employer ID Number).

To get an ITIN, you need to fill out form W7 and submit that to the IRS.

6
votes

I currently use an iPod Touch for testing in development, but my application doesn't (currently) use any of the iPhone-only features (such as GPS or the camera).

Other than the hardware differences, the OS is the same, and the iPhone comes with a monthly fee from the cellphone carrier.

In the AppStore, you can mark your application as iPhone Only or iPod & iPhone. If you application needs detailed GPS, photo taking capability, etc you'll make it as iPhone only.

There is no way to set separate pricing for an app based on whether the user has an iPod or iPhone, unless you release two separate versions of the application.

2
votes

iPod touch pros:

  • Less weight
  • Smaller size
  • Same OS & processor as iPhone
  • Cheaper than iPhone

iPod touch Cons:

  • No GPS
  • No Bluetooth (iPod Touch 4G has Bluetooth)
  • No Cellular network
  • No Camera (iPod Touch 4G has front and back cameras)
  • No Microphone (iPod Touch 4G has headset with microphone)
  • No Vibration

So, I will suggest going for iPhone. In my opinion, developing an app both for iPhone and Touch will increase the market.

1
votes

I use an iPhone 3G, iPhone 2G and an (original) iPod Touch for development. I really like to be able to test on ALL available devices.

1
votes

The biggest problem I've found with using the iPod touch (2G) is that it's faster than the iPhone. That's serious if you're working on a game. I've found the iPhone 3G to be around 10fps slower than my iPod, so before submitting the app I'll probably have to shell out for an iPhone anyway. I'm really not looking forward to the sadomasochistic relationship that is your average telco contract.

0
votes

I would recommend skipping the iPod Touch and going straight to the iPhone if development is your goal. It has more capabilities (GPS, Bluetooth, Cellular network and Camera) which makes for a wider range of potential applications that may actually be used.