Apple’s iPod Touch is essentially an iPhone with all the phone functions ripped out.

You would be forgiven for wondering exactly what the point of such a gadget might be, but in practice it’s an extremely impressive and handy device.

The Touch is now available in three editions: a cheaper 8GB model and two more advanced ones with 32GB and 64GB of storage. The 8GB model remains much the same as the one we reviewed when it first launched, but with updated software.

It’s similar to the iPhone 3G. The two more expensive versions are more powerful, and more closely related to the newer iPhone 3GS.

The Touch has three basic functions: it’s a music and video player, a web browser and emailer, and it can run applications downloaded from Apple’s App Store. The music player is perhaps the least-improved of these areas. The new 64GB model is the first Touch capable of holding a large music collection. For video, the Touch’s screen is impressive, videos purchased from iTunes look excellent and the on-screen controls worked well.

Lacking the iPhone’s mobile internet connection, the Touch’s internet functions are only useful when you’re connected to a wireless network. Nonetheless, the souped-up Safari browser on the 32GB and 64GB models makes it a great way to surf the web from the sofa. The email tool is simple but worked well enough. If you do want to connect when out and about, the Cloud wireless service offers iPod Touch users access to its hotspots for £4 a month. The App Store makes it easy to download and add all sorts of extra programs to the Touch.

Whether the Touch is a good buy depends on how you’ll use it. For playing only music Apple’s own iPod Classic is a better bet, giving loads more storage and simple controls, while other video players are more versatile. If you’ll also use its web browser, though, or the many public transport maps, dictionaries and games available via the App store, or even Nike+, then this tiny device could be perfect.

If £299 for the 64GB version sounds expensive, the £229 32GB version is identical apart from its capacity.