In what can hardly be called a customer-friendly move, Apple has decided to charge current iPod Touch owners for the latest firmware upgrade to version 1.1.3. Truth be told, this was probably the only completely unexpected announcement in the whole of Jobs’ keynote. Version 1.1.3 adds five apps from the iPhone catalog; Mail, Maps, Stocks, Weather and Notes. It also adds some of the new functionality covered in the million iPhone write-ups you’ve already read. The most important note in a business sense, however, is that the update enables the iPod Touch to view iTunes rentals on the device. In other words, Apple is charging their customers $20 for the ability to go and spend more money to watch iTunes rentals on the Touch. This is very peculiar indeed. New iPod Touch units shipped with 1.1.3 won’t be $20 more expensive; only existing users are penalized. We would think that Apple would do everything in its power to make the upgrade as accessible as possible to encourage iTunes movie rental experimentation, but apparently not. At any rate, if you’re too lazy to jailbreak your Touch or too excited to pass on viewing iTunes rentals on your 3.5″ display, the 1.1.3 firmware is now available for purchase in iTunes.
Bend Over, We’ve Got a $20 Firmware Upgrade For You
Updated Dec 19th, 2018 5:56PM EST
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Zach Epstein has been the Executive Editor at BGR for more than 10 years. He manages BGR’s editorial team and ensures that best practices are adhered to. He also oversees the Ecommerce team and directs the daily flow of all content. Zach first joined BGR in 2007 as a Staff Writer covering business, technology, and entertainment.
His work has been quoted by countless top news organizations, and he was recently named one of the world's top 10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes. Prior to BGR, Zach worked as an executive in marketing and business development with two private telcos.
