iPod Touch 3rd Gen Rumoured To Have Mic + Camera

wired.com has reported a rumour that the upcoming iPod Touch 3rd generation, expected out this September, will have a built-in microphone and camera. This would make it an ideal VOIP wifi-phone platform.

A well-connected source tells us those rumors are on the money, and that Apple’s factories in China are already manufacturing iPod Touch models with integrated cameras and microphones. An Apple spokesman declined to comment when reached by phone.

The 1st generation touch will work with a mic if you plug one in to the USB connector port. These mics are large, expensive, and unsightly – a very unattractive solution.

The 2nd generation touch works quite well as a VOIP phone. It has a mic-in connector built in to the headphone jack, but has no microphone itself. A simple set of $30 headphones with built-in mic will work just great.

The 3rd generation touch, if it does in fact have a built in mic, will allow you to talk on it just like a phone. No additional mic would be necessary.

September is the usual time for iPod update announcements, so we will wait and see what happens then.