With each new year comes a refresh of the popular iPod Touch device from Apple. 2010 is no exception, and this review will detail the changes that have been made to the most recent version.

While you may not call it a complete overhaul, there are a few neat new touches which nudge along the platform nicely.

The most obvious, and perhaps most welcome, change is the addition of two cameras. Many expected that the cameras would simply be lifted straight from the iPhone but that is not the case. To keep the iPod as thin as possible, a fixed focus lens designed mainly for video has been fitted to be the back. It records 720p HD video which is good, but the same lens is disappointing when taking stills in comparison to the iPhone.

The second camera is front facing. It is also fixed focus and is VGA quality. The main purpose of this camera is for use with the new on board app called facetime. Facetime is a piece of video calling software which enables iPod touch customers to chat to each other for free using an internet connection.

The iPod touch is the latest Apple device to use the A4 cpu chip. Also used by the iPhone 4, Apple TV and the iPad, the A4 chip allows for a boost in performance over the 2009 model. The difference is certainly noticeable and makes the chip one of the most welcome additions to the device.

Another feature worth mention is the inclusion of a Retina display, which is Apple talk for a 960 x 640 resolution 3.5 inch touch screen. While not quite on a par with the brilliant iPhone screen, the version found on the iPod touch is still sharp and bright, and much more so than other personal media players on sale.

While that is pretty much it for additional features, it is worth remembering all of the functionality that we are already used to. The iPod touch really is a jack of all trades. If it was bigger it would be a highly desirable tablet computer, and the fact that it is so small just makes this fact even more impressive. Part computer, part media player, part games console, part communication device (I hesitate to say phone), the iPod touch is still a piece of equipment without peer.

That said there are one or two issues which I feel could be improved or changed on future versions. The inclusion of GPS would certainly be welcome, enabling the touch to be used as a Sat Nav or personal navigation device on the go. Also, it would be good to see better quality from the camera, which will inevitably come as lenses become more compact and sharper over time.

In summary, the iPod touch is still king of the PMPs, and while critics may complain that Apple have purposely withheld features that they have the capability of including, the truth still stands that there isn't a competing product that comes close to the iPod touch. Neither in terms of hardware or the brilliant OS does any manufacturer offer an alternative. In such circumstances, any criticism must surely become invalid. What needs to happen is a second product to put pressure on Apple, only then will we see all of their cards on the table.