New iPod Touch Is Apple's New Digital Camera As Well

The iPod may be known for being the premier mp3 audio player on the market, but Apple wants to change that. With its iPod Touch lineup, Apple has looked increasingly to give consumers a more rich experience, complete with access to all the apps available to the iPhone. Now, it looks like Apple wants you to start treating the next-gen iPod Touch like a camera.

While the most obvious new feature of the new iPod Touch is its larger, 4-inch Retina display (putting it at the same size as the redesigned 4-inch iPhone 5), Apple wants you to pay attention to its camera. 

The iPod Touch will now feature a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera that Apple says is seven times more powerful than the previous generation and can record videos in 1080p HD at 30 frames per second. While it is slightly less powerful than the iPhone 5's 8-megapixel camera, It will also come with a 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera for FaceTime in HD, just like the iPhone 5.

The iPod Touch will also come with the new ability to snap panoramic pictures by simply sweeping the device over the desired landscape.

Apple realizes that in a lot of ways that the iPod Touch is widely considered to be an iPhone without the phone. So instead of touting its technical aspects, Apple is using the slogan "Engineered for maximum funness."

And a large part of fun today seems to involve pictures, with Instagram and Facebook tagging at an all-time high.

To reiterate its camera abilities, Apple is even including a "The loop," an attachable, color-coded attachable strap that will allow you always keep your iPod Touch at your fingertips for that unforgettable candid snapshot.

Apple has even put some serious engineering into the iPod Touch's camera, giving it a similar backside-illuminated CMOS sensor as the iPad 3. Website ArsTechica states that the camera won't be as advanced as the iPhone 5, but should deliver similar results as the iPhone 4S.

The iPod Touch is available for pre-ordering through Apple, and will come in six colors, including white and black. It will also ship with the newly redesigned Apple EarPods.

Apple seems to think that the iPod Touch's camera abilities are important. Do you? Let us know in the comments below.