Front
The front of the iPod Touch is a glossy black plain that's broken up by a single square-branded button towards the bottom. The screen itself is about 3.5-inches diagonally and takes up the majority of the front of the device. The screen is, as the product's name would suggest, touch sensitive.
Left
The left side of the new Touch has a new feature: a volume rocker. On the old iPod Touch, there was no fancy volume button, so you'd have to unlock the device and use the software to alter the volume. With this new volume rocker, you can alter the volume even if the device is locked.
Right
The right side of the device was not as lucky as the left. It remains as featureless as it was on the previous Touch model.
Top
The top of the iPod Touch is where you'll find the power button. If you press it the phone will go into idle mode. If you press and hold, the phone will shut off.
Bottom
The bottom of the device has the proprietary data/charging port and an 1/8-inch jack for headphones. Apparently Apple decided suddenly that the cool place for headphone jacks is on the bottom of the device. In the tiny microcosm of the world that is our office, the new headphone jack location is widely panned.
Back
The back of the iPod Touch is made out of the same metal as the old Touch, meaning it's absurdly easy to scratch. If you don't invest in a case, expect abrasions to be the dominant feature on your iPhone's backside.
Battery Out
Apple does not want you fiddling aroud with the battery. You'll need special tools to crack open your iPod Touch. Also, extracting the battery yourself voids the Touch's warranty.
In Box
In the box you'll find the Touch, a proprietary USB cable for data and charging, a standard set of iPod headphones, and a small cloth for cleaning your grimy fingerprints off the Touch's screen.
Durability (7.00)
The iPod Touch is a flat brick of a device that's virtually devoid of topographical features. As such, there aren't any dangling or moving parts that could break off or break down. The main area of concern is scratching, and the main areas to be concerned about are the giant screen on the front of the device and its back. The front isn't too much of an issue: the glass is remarkably sturdy and held up to our vigorous key attack.
The back is a different story. We didn't do anything with the device but put it on our desk and pick it up and the back managed to get scratched. Since our desk isn't covered in sand and our hands are soft and smooth, we're not entirely sure how the thing picked up so many scuffing.
While the scratching is annoyingly visible, it's not going to destroy your Touch all that quickly. Overall, we thought the Touch was pretty durable.
Aesthetics (8.00)
 The iPod Touch is an attractive device. It excels in virtually every aspect of gadget-sexiness. It's thin. It's black. It has rounded edges. It has a touch screen with a slick interface. It's light-weight. It has an accelerometer so when you turn it sideways the screen reacts. It's understated and cool at the same time. While it isnt' as cute as the iPod Nano, you also wouldn't feel like a small child using the Touch at your office. Yes, the Touch manages to hit that sweet-spot of both work-appropriate and trendy. Apple started the push for aesthetically-pleasing media players; the iPod Touch is just another notch in the company's designer belt.
Portability (4.50)
Although it's far thinner than it used to be, the iPod Touch is stiill on the larger side of the media player spectrum. This being said, it will still easily slide into a pocket, bag or purse. Like wearing very tight pants? Well, the iPod Touch's contoured design will help create a slightly less obvious bump in yoru pocket.
Supported File Types (8.88)
The Touch supports a good array of file types. It will support no less than 8 different audio file formats: AAC, Protected AAC, MP3, MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, and 4), Apple Lossless, WAV, and AIFF. Video is slightly less filled out, only supporting H.264, .mp4, and .mov file formats.
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