Yesterday afternoon, Apple previewed its highly anticipated
iPhone OS 3.0 for both iPhone and iPod touch users which we covered
here. What's interesting, however, is the
change that will be made for iPod Touch 2G users on the hardware side of
things.
During the OS 3.0 Q&A session, Apple's Greg Joswiak said
that Bluetooth can be "unlocked" on the device. The 2G device
currently sports an inactive Broadcom BCM4325 Bluetooth chip which is capable
of single-band 2.4GHz 802.11b/g, dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz 802.11a/b/g with
Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and an advanced FM receiver.
The new OS will allow new services to be opened up such as
peer-to-peer Bluetooth connectivity, wireless accessory control and wireless
streaming 2-channel audio with A2DP. To say the least, this new $9.95 software
update should definitely be at the top of any iPod Touch 2G owner's "must
have" list.