I am currently developing iPhone apps on my iPhone 4 but I need a larger screen to test and develop on. Rather than buying a new iPhone 5 to test on (as rumour is that the iPhone 6 is about to be announced), I was thinking of buying the latest generation of iPod Touch. I was also thinking that my next phone will be an Android phone rather than an iPhone so thats another reason for the question.
From what I can see HERE the only difference between the iPhone 5 and iPod Touch is that the Touch does not have phone capabilities or Mobile Network support. For those I can always use my iPhone 4 so thats not really an issue.
Apart from these 2 features, are there any other features the iPod Touch lacks that I need to be aware of?
The answer depends on the nature of the apps you're developing. iPod doesn't have telephony and GPS capabilities, so if your app relies on Location Services then iPod is less than optimal (I believe Location Services are still available but only use Wi-Fi for positioning).
On the other hand, having a 4-inch device for testing is essential today, so having iPod is better than not having it.
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I've begun developing the iOS version of my app. While I have a working android, I don't have a working iPhone and I will not spend the $1000 for the new one. I found some older posts, which said yes to this question, but I wanted to make sure it was still valid before I buy an iPod touch. I was wondering, that so long as my app doesn't use iPhone specific hardware (like GPS) if I can just use an iPod touch for development. And if it works on the iPod touch, does that imply it will work on iPhone (again, given the hardware constraints).
Thanks for the help.
An iPod touch is an iOS device. All iOS apps not specific to just iPads will run on any iOS device, including iPod touches. This is true as long as the app doesn't list a required device capability not found on the given device.
So yes, in general, using an iPod touch to test an iOS app is perfectly fine. Use it along with all of the different simulators to make sure your app works properly on all of the different screen sizes. But you should always test an app on a real iOS device since the simulator has limitations such as no camera, inability to send email, no ability to launch other 3rd party apps, a case-sensitive file system (normally the simulators are case-insensitive), etc.
Just be sure you get the latest iPod touch that supports iOS 11 (the 6th gen). Keep in mind that even the latest iPod touch may not be useful for more than a year, maybe two, with regard to being able to install the latest version of iOS.
You could also look into a refurbished iPhone 6s or even a new iPhone SE. Both are much cheaper than $1000. As I write this, you can get a refurbished iPhone 6s for $369 USD. Though a refurbished 6th gen iPod touch is $149 USD. But buy the newest device you can afford. A cheaper device that won't run iOS 12 or 13 isn't much of a bargain.
I find the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_iOS_devices page useful to know what devices run which versions of iOS.
I'm working on an hibrid iOS app , and the xcode simulator doesn't have audio or video ( webcam ) so the only way to test it will be having a real device , I'm trying to figure out if and IPad Mini 4 could be enough and not different in the API calls ( webrtc) to enable the camera to stream , or should better buy an iPhone for testing , thinking on an ipad because I can use it for other things too
Also how you do if you want to test iOS 10 and iOS 11 in the same device a downgrade could be possible , or also the only way is having another device just testing a lower version of iOS
Thank you!
iPAD Mini 4 should enough for your need, and most of the API will capability all current iOS devices (64bit)
However, if you want future proof, kindly thing about the device that have ARKit (iPAD Pro)as the trend of the development.
It better with two separated device for iOS10 / iOS11 as Testing for Commerce software, as iOS device don't allow downgrade.
https://developer.apple.com/library/content/documentation/DeviceInformation/Reference/iOSDeviceCompatibility/DeviceCompatibilityMatrix/DeviceCompatibilityMatrix.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40013599-CH17-SW1
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I am planning to buy any iDevices low cost (iPhone or iPod) for test my iPhone application ( iOS 5 to 9), I am confused,which one is best for test my application.
Application Info :
Need Internet
Support all iPhone models
Maps
Music
Camera (back and rear)
In market we have lots of devices available iPhone 4s, 5c, 5s, 6, 6 plus, iPad mini 2,3, iPad retina,etc,...
I am confusing which one is most suitable for app development and testing. Some peoples says iPhone 4s cheapest price with good performance but you cant update OS above 9.
Please tel me one device for development and testing if iPod 6 generation suitable mean I am very happy. please post your ideas.
It all depends what you are after. Every single iPhone that's available for sale meets all your criteria besides being supported for iOS 9. If iOS9 is a must then I'll defer you to the list of devices that are supported: iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C, iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPad Air 2, iPad Air, iPad 4, iPad 3, iPad 2, iPad Mini 3, iPad Mini 2, iPad Mini, iPod Touch 5G, iPod Touch 6G.
I think the real questio comes down to two things: is this going to be your daily phone, and how much are you willing to spend?
If this is going to be your daily phone, then the answer is simple, get the latest iPhone model you can budget. If your concern is to build apps that fit on a smaller screen or weaker hardware, then the iOS simulator that the iOS development kit comes with allows you to run the simulator on all iOS screen sizes and lets you limit the simulators performance to match that of the hardware being simulated.
If you're going to get a phone that you're only developing on then you'll probably want an iPhone 5 since it is the cheapest model that will support iOS 9. If it wasn't for iOS 9 I would suggest the 4s due to its small screen and limited performance (by todays standards). This will force you to make an app that is as easily scalable and compatible as possible to smaller screen space and weaker hardware. But the same can be true of the 5 models, just to a lesser extent.
A wildcard choice is the touch 5G, which for the most part behaves almost exactly like an iPhone 5 that can only access data through WiFi. This would probably be the best choice if for example you want the cheapest development device possible, because you use a non-iOS device as your daily cellphone. I have a co-worker that actually does this and it works really well so long as you don't need to test stuff out outside of wifi range.
Just remember you don't need a physical device to test iOS apps, all you need is xCode, and its iOS simulator.
It is just easier and more effective to test with a physical device, but not at all necessary
I think iPhone 5S (or same-hardware-iPod if any) would be good for you. It will support the next couple of iOS versions. After all you will be able to test different screen sizes on the Simulator!
I can't find a definitive place that list all the various devices and their versions that IBM Worklight supports. I do not see iPod Touch in the targets in Xcode, but I assume that if iPhone (iOS 5 or 6) is supported and works, then so too should iPod Touch. Does anyone know if it works?
iPod, iPhone, iPad running iOS 5, 6 or 7 are supported.
For a full list, visit:
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/prodguid/v1r0/clarity-reports/report/html/osForProduct?deliverableId=1343665214557
Note that it is the OS that matters, not the specific iDevice.
Creating a Worklight project and application with the iPhone environment essentially means it will also work on an iPod Touch; the only difference is whichever feature exists in one device and not the other, for example - 3G and WiFi in an iPhone versus WiFi or none in an iPod Touch, or making phone calls in an iPhone whereas this is not possible in an iPod Touch, etc...
In the case of Worklight, the lack of 3G or WiFi means that you won't be able to use the Geolocation feature in an iPod Touch, for example. You can follow this logic for any other feature...
I've recently gotten into the world of contract programming, and two of my clients have indicated that they'd like to do something 'trendy', like ipod touch/iphone/ipad development. I have a mac laptop (first gen macbook pro) that I'll have to upgrade to snow leopard to do the development for any of them, from what I've read. So that's already a bit of a commitment, given all the stuff I have on that laptop I'll have to make sure is recoverable from backup.
My budget is limited, but I think I need to learn this skill. Which device should I get to learn this kind of development, an iPod touch or an iPad? I don't have the money for an iPhone.
I think that the iPhone/iPad SDK has an emulator mode, but I like to have the device I'm going to roll out on available to make sure that everything works as I'd expect, ie, what's easily readable on a laptop screen is still readable on the touch, etc.
iPad - since you can simulate the others on your mac and the iPad.
Right now, there's way over a hundred thousand apps for the iPhone and iPod Touch, so I'd suggest developing for the iPad. There's a lot fewer apps to distinguish yourself from.
You can use iPhone apps on an iPad, but I wouldn't recommend pushing them out without testing them on a real iPod Touch or iPhone. The feel will be much different. For example, I type on my iPhone one-handed while holding the phone in one hand, but the Ars Technica review of the iPad says this isn't really feasible on the iPad.
I'd get the iPad. I've been using an iPhone and now an iPad for dev work, and the iPad will run iPhone only apps at the iPhone screen size. Unless you need a camera its the best choice in being able to run apps developed for any iPhone OS device. You just should remember that app performance on an iPad will be much better then on a iPhone/iPod touch. Since it's contract work I assume its more along the lines of utilities, or basically their site as an app. So 100% performance testing isn't as crucial as a 3D game.
Ideally, you would always test apps on the actual target device. So, if you want to build iPad apps, you get iPad. If you want to build iPhone apps, you get iPhone or iPod Touch. iPad will run iPhone apps, but you will not be able to test for performance neither in simulator nor in iPad. Performance is always a concern on iPhone-class devices. Plus you cannot really evaluate the full iPhone user experience on iPad, because the physical form factor and screen resolution/pixel density and many other details are different.