Recall: At the end of May, Apple introduced a lower-cost iPod Touch (5th generation, mid 2013) with just 16GB of storage, in one color (silver), no hand-strap, and no iSight rear-facing camera – but the front FaceTime camera remains. So:
- Does this low-cost model of the iPod Touch 5th gen still ship with the iOS built-in "Camera" app, for use with the front-facing FaceTime camera that remains?
I'm asking because this is the first iOS device that has only a front-facing camera, and I'm not sure if it is for FaceTime only, or if the camera can still be used for stills and video (facing the user's direction, of course.) Thanks!
Best Answer
The answer is yes — the iPod touch 5th gen 16GB does still have the Camera app. Here's confirmation direct from Apple's recently-updated iPod touch manual:
In Chapter 9, "Camera", on page 54, it states:
There's also an accompanying image showing the built-in Camera app's user interface, and notes indicating controls for the flash and to "Switch between cameras" may not be available on some models:
Finally, I've also learned that third-party apps that use cameras on iOS devices should continue to function provided they use the iOS APIs correctly — as demonstrated in Apple sample code — to query the device for camera capability and the available cameras. (When a third-party app assumes a rear-facing camera is always available on a camera-supporting device, such an app won't necessarily operate correctly on the iPod touch 5th gen 16GB.)