iPod 4th Generation (2004): History and Specs
Launch and pricing
On 19 July 2004 the fourth-generation iPod went on sale the day it was introduced, in two capacities: 20 GB for US$299 and 40 GB for US$399. Steve Jobs said the larger model put up to 10,000 songs in a pocket. Both came with earphones, a FireWire cable, a USB cable and a CD containing iTunes 4.6; the 40 GB model also included a dock, which otherwise cost US$39.
The Click Wheel
The main change was the Click Wheel, adopted from the iPod mini that Apple had announced in January 2004. It combined a touch-sensitive scroll wheel with five push buttons. The separate row of touch buttons on the third-generation model disappeared: the four function buttons now sat beneath the wheel, with a fifth in the centre. A Shuffle Songs command was added to the main menu, and the case was slightly slimmer than before.
Specifications
The case measured 4.1 by 2.4 inches, with a depth of 0.57 inch for the 20 GB model and 0.69 inch for the 40 GB model; the two weighed 5.6 and 6.2 ounces. The 2-inch greyscale LCD kept a 160 × 128 resolution. Battery life rose to up to 12 hours, from 8 hours on the previous generation, a gain attributed to more efficient components carried over from the iPod mini. Data moved over FireWire 400 or USB 2.0 through the Dock Connector, and the battery could charge from either cable. The iPod needed Mac OS X 10.1.5 or later, or Windows 2000 or XP.
Special editions, iPod photo and successor
On 26 October 2004 Apple announced the iPod U2 Special Edition, a 20 GB model at US$349 with a black case, a red Click Wheel and the band members' engraved signatures. The same day it introduced the iPod photo, the first iPod with a colour screen, at US$499 for 40 GB and US$599 for 60 GB. In February 2005 the iPod photo moved to 30 GB at US$349 and 60 GB at US$449, and on 28 June 2005 the iPod and iPod photo lines merged into a single white range with colour displays: 20 GB at US$299 and 60 GB at US$399. The fifth-generation iPod replaced this design on 12 October 2005.
Specifications
| Announced | 19 July 2004, on sale the same day |
|---|---|
| Launch price (US) | US$299 (20 GB), US$399 (40 GB) |
| Capacity | 20 GB or 40 GB hard drive — about 5,000 or 10,000 songs |
| Display | 2-inch monochrome LCD, 160 × 128 pixels |
| Controls | Click Wheel, with the buttons built into the wheel |
| Battery | Up to 12 hours of music |
| Connectors | Dock connector (FireWire 400 and USB 2.0), remote connector, 3.5 mm headphone jack |
| Size | 104 × 61 × 14.5 mm (4.1 × 2.4 × 0.57 in); 40 GB: 17.5 mm (0.69 in) deep |
| Weight | 158 g (5.6 oz); 40 GB: 176 g (6.2 oz) |
| Works with | Mac OS X 10.1.5 or later; Windows 2000 (SP4) or XP |
| Model number | A1059 |
Figures from Apple's published technical specifications. Where Apple lists only inches and ounces, metric values are converted and rounded.
How to identify it
- A Click Wheel with the button labels on the wheel itself and a monochrome screen.
- Larger than the iPod mini, with the Hold switch on the top right.
- Model number A1059. The black iPod U2 Special Edition of October 2004 is the same model.
Where to find the model number and serial number: how to identify a used iPod.