Of course, there will be some new features that will only be available on the next generation of the iPod and iPhone hardware (ain’t that always the way?). Case in point: rumors of high speed 802.11n Wi-Fi capabilities, as well as FM radio transmission. The combination of stereo Bluetooth, improved Wi-Fi speeds, and short-range FM transmission, are compelling and competitive features on a phone, but they’ll really put the iPod Touch in a class of its own when it comes to portable media players.

As for Wi-Fi speeds, the current iPhone and iPod touch models support 802.11a networks (5GHz), or 802.11b/g networks (2.4GHz), which are increasingly becoming common on portable devices (Zune, PSP). Apple already includes 802.11n support on their Macbooks and AirPort base stations, so it’s a natural move to add it to the iPhone and Touch. The increase in speed should be noticeable, provided you’re on a Wi-Fi network that supports the 802.11n standard. Those of us are still surfing on common b and g routers will still be getting the same old Wi-Fi speeds, though. In fact, since lots of people are still in the dark about 802.11n and
dual-band routers, I expect there will be an opportunity for Apple to market their latest dual-band Airport Extreme Base Station as a must-have accessory for every iPhone and iPod Touch user.

If the iPodTouch is really to become the mobile gaming platform Apple wants it to be, the boost in Wi-Fi speeds may open up some interesting gaming possibilities. Specifically, online multi-player games may
become more viable, as actions between players would be communicated with less latency.