iPod photo (2004): History and Specs
A colour iPod above the range
The iPod photo, unveiled on 26 October 2004, was a full-size iPod with a colour screen, sold above the fourth-generation models with greyscale displays. It kept their Click Wheel and case shape, and Apple's identification guide counts it among the fourth-generation iPods, with model number A1099. The launch models had 40 GB and 60 GB hard drives, holding about 10,000 and 15,000 songs; both measured 4.1 by 2.4 by 0.75 inches and weighed 6.4 ounces (181 g).
Screen and photo features
The 2-inch LCD showed 220 × 176 pixels in 16-bit colour, or 65,536 colours, behind a blue-white LED backlight. Besides photographs it displayed album artwork, calendars, contacts and games in colour. Pictures were transferred by iTunes 4.7, released the same day, from iPhoto on a Mac or from Adobe Photoshop Album, Photoshop Elements or the My Pictures folder on Windows. Apple's specifications list JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF and PNG files, plus PSD on the Mac. Slideshows could run with music, and Apple rated the battery at up to 15 hours of audio or five hours of slideshows without TV output; a full charge took up to five hours.
Television output
The launch box contained a dock with audio and video outputs, earbuds, an AC adapter, FireWire and USB 2.0 cables, a carrying case and an AV cable. The cable plugged into the headphone socket and carried a composite video signal, so slideshows could be shown on a television or a projector.
Revisions and merger
On 23 February 2005 a slimmer 30 GB model, 0.63 inch deep and 5.9 ounces (167 g), replaced the 40 GB version at US$349, and the 60 GB model fell to US$449. Their boxes kept earbuds, a USB 2.0 cable and a USB power adapter, while the dock and the FireWire cable became optional extras. The same day brought the US$29 iPod Camera Connector, which copied pictures from a digital camera to the iPod for immediate viewing. On 28 June 2005 the iPod and iPod photo became a single line of white players with colour screens, in 20 GB and 60 GB versions. Apple's guide calls these the iPod with color display and treats the earlier iPod photo as identical in function and appearance. The fifth-generation iPod replaced the design on 12 October 2005.
Specifications
| Announced | 26 October 2004 |
|---|---|
| Launch price (US) | US$499 (40 GB), US$599 (60 GB) |
| Capacity | 40 GB or 60 GB hard drive; a slimmer 30 GB model replaced the 40 GB on 23 February 2005 |
| Display | 2-inch colour LCD, 220 × 176 pixels |
| Battery | Up to 15 hours of music or 5 hours of slideshows |
| Connectors | Dock connector (FireWire 400 and USB 2.0), remote connector, headphone jack with TV output for slideshows |
| Size | 104 × 61 × 19.1 mm (4.1 × 2.4 × 0.75 in); 30 GB: 16 mm (0.63 in) deep |
| Weight | 181 g (6.4 oz); 30 GB: 167 g (5.9 oz) |
| Works with | Mac OS X 10.2.8 or later; Windows 2000 (SP4) or XP (SP2) |
| Model number | A1099 |
Figures from Apple's published technical specifications. Where Apple lists only inches and ounces, metric values are converted and rounded.
How to identify it
- Looks like the fourth-generation Click Wheel iPod, but the screen is in colour.
- Model number A1099 — shared with the 20 GB and 60 GB “iPod with color display” of June 2005, which Apple treats as the same model.
- Capacity of 30, 40 or 60 GB for the iPod photo itself.
Where to find the model number and serial number: how to identify a used iPod.
Based on: iPod 4th Generation (2004)
Followed by: iPod 5th Generation (2005)