iPod touch Is Apple going to release a 6th gen iPod touch? and why is Apple still

Truthfulie said:

I don't really see the appeal of iPods even for the kids. Many parents are giving away their old devices to their kids (with SIM if they are old enough and without SIM if they aren't.) instead of buying them a new device.

Kids straight up ask for iPhones, not iPods because nowadays almost everything, almost always requires internet connection. Just imagine using your iPhone without internet. Yeah, there are offline games but kids like to get on YouTube or play some online social games and IM each other. Sure, iPods can get on the wifi but they are at school most of the time which won't offer wifi for the most part.

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My oldest daughter had been asking for an iPod Touch, but wouldn't let her get one until she was 12. An iPod is the perfect device for that age, because there's no way in hell we would give her a cell phone, but she gets to have some of the features of one, without many of the downsides.

And believe it or not, not every parent has an old iPhone to hand down to their kids or WANT their kids to have an iPhone, even without a SIM card.

So your experience doesn't relate to everyone, believe it or not.

highdough said:

My oldest daughter had been asking for an iPod Touch, but wouldn't let her get one until she was 12. An iPod is the perfect device for that age, because there's no way in hell we would give her a cell phone, but she gets to have some of the features of one, without many of the downsides.

And believe it or not, not every parent has an old iPhone to hand down to their kids or WANT their kids to have an iPhone, even without a SIM card.

So your experience doesn't relate to everyone, believe it or not.

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Neither does experience relate to everyone. My point is, there are more people like I described than people like yourself and the former will become greater and greater as perfectly good recyclable hand me down devices will be more and more common as smart devices are becoming (or already has become) necessity element of modern life.

I respect your decision for not letting your child not have a cellphone, I think too many get theirs too early. But getting an old iPhone to a child doesn't mean getting her a cellphone. Without SIM, it's basically an iPod.

Truthfulie said:

Neither does experience relate to everyone. My point is, there are more people like I described than people like yourself and the former will become greater and greater as perfectly good recyclable hand me down devices will be more and more common as smart devices are becoming (or already has become) necessity element of modern life.

I respect your decision for not letting your child not have a cellphone, I think too many get theirs too early. But getting an old iPhone to a child doesn't mean getting her a cellphone. Without SIM, it's basically an iPod.

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The fact is there is still a great deal of people like myself. Enough to make keeping the iPod Touch going.

You also have to remember that people also can trade their old iPhones in when getting new ones, or sell them off. OR they simply don't HAVE an iPhone but a different brand. More people have a different brand than an iPhone.

And yes, without a SIM card it's basically an iPod, but I can see many parents not wanting the possibility of being able to turn it into a cell phone by slipping in a SIM card.

Yebubbleman said:

As for why they haven't updated it, and still sell it while it is two hardware generations behind, my guess is that they do it because they can. It's a bummer; but it sort of makes sense.

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I agree. This high-capacity portable touchscreen media player does not have competition. And the A5 chip is very capable and will run iOS 8 well. Apple hasn't needed to upgrade the touch yet.

Apple still produces new operating systems for 7-year-old Macs, and I can see Apple supporting iOS devices for that long. For instance, the iPad 2 will soon receive its 5th operating system! With each major iOS version, I can see Apple continuing to upgrade as many devices as possible by only including the new features that the device can handle. Apple is already doing this, such as decreasing the blur effects. A5 devices can absolutely receive iOS 9, 10, and 11, if Apple removes the features that the A5 chip cannot handle.

me7 said:

There's a lot of discussion about the A5 SOC in relation to gaming and "super computer applications.

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Exactly the A5 SoC is just a marvelous for gaming and doing super computer applications. 512MB RAM is more then enough for any future applications going to need too. LOL.

loon3y said:

ridiculous I'm expecting an updated iTouch

there is no way they can't do it, the processor is outdated and they need to make the device optimized for iOS8.


something thats fine in my iPhone, crashes on the iTouch. its a necessity for POS and order taking systems.


No one is going to look forward to buy an off contract iPhone and a linea pro sleeve , which for a single unit would cost 1,200 in total.

compared to $800 for the touch and linea pro sleeve

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As soon as I read "iTouch" I stopped reading your post.

charliex5 said:

As soon as I read "iTouch" I stopped reading your post.

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I can't stand it when people say "itouch" either

It's occurred to me that actually now Nokia is undercutting the price of these things WITH ACTUAL PHONES lol. The 520 last year, and now the 635 is just coming out. Both mostly meet or exceed the iPod's specs, while also being a phone (and they don't actually need activation to be used for everything else).

Of course they don't work with iTunes, though the Windows Phone program and Windows Media Player + Explorer have some of the same functionality (not all though, though some things they probably do better too).

charliex5 said:

As soon as I read "iTouch" I stopped reading your post.

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Why people keep mentioning that discontinued Logitech product in MacRumors I have no idea :/

I miss the days when the iPod touch had the same generation processor as the iPhone.

oatman13 said:

I miss the days when the iPod touch had the same generation processor as the iPhone.

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I even remember a time when touches had the same generation AND higher clockspeeds. Good times.

oatman13 said:

I miss the days when the iPod touch had the same generation processor as the iPhone.

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me7 said:

I even remember a time when touches had the same generation AND higher clockspeeds. Good times.

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Yup. Second gen was clocked 25% faster.

I just assumed we'd carry on like that... Seems like at least staying 1 gen back would be nice.

Plutonius said:

I doubt it would ever get the A6. IOS9 will need an A7 or better and they will not release a new design that's obsolete next year. I also doubt the Touch 6 will be released this fall alongside the iPhone 6 since Apple is releasing so many products this fall that they will not have time for the Touch (iWatch, iPads, iPhone, Macs, etc.). If they do update the Touch, expect it spring 2015.

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The A6 will have iOS 9. Each iPhone gets 3 major updates from thee release software. iPods get 2 because of last year iPhone hardware. So. The iPhone 5 and 5c will get iOS 8 AND 9 and the iPhone 5S will get 8,9,10

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mangomind said:

I agree. This high-capacity portable touchscreen media player does not have competition. And the A5 chip is very capable and will run iOS 8 well. Apple hasn't needed to upgrade the touch yet.

Apple still produces new operating systems for 7-year-old Macs, and I can see Apple supporting iOS devices for that long. For instance, the iPad 2 will soon receive its 5th operating system! With each major iOS version, I can see Apple continuing to upgrade as many devices as possible by only including the new features that the device can handle. Apple is already doing this, such as decreasing the blur effects. A5 devices can absolutely receive iOS 9, 10, and 11, if Apple removes the features that the A5 chip cannot handle.

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the iPad 2 is coming onto it's 4th major update. It started with iOS 4.3 it's getting iOS 8. I don't see where that Would equal 5. And yes it's possible apple MAYBE could get the A5 to run 9,10,11 but they won't. The A5 is 3 years old and has come to it's stopping point. Again. IPhones get 3 major updates from their launch OS and iPod touches get 2 from their launch point because they usually use last years hardware. Like how the iPhone 4 came with iOS 4 it ends with 7. The iPhone 3GS came with iOS 3 it ended with iOS 6 and the iPhone 5 came with iOS 6 and will end with iOS 9 along with the iPhone 5C. and the iPhone 5S came with iOS 7 it will end with iOS 10

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hamiltonDSi said:

A5 chip.
800MHz Dual Core 32bit with 512MB... no go for me in 2014.

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It works completely fine. It's the same as the iPhone 4S and it works fine? It's not outdated. If it was apple wouldn't even put iOS 8 on there.

The itouch 5th is getting dated with A5 and only 512MB. The iphone 6 will have an A8 and 1.5GB or more RAM. That will be three SoC generations behind or three years when iphone 6 is release! That is a long time for computer electronics.

I have still the 4th gen and A4 and 256MB! It very slow since I accidently upgrade the OS to 6.0 just a couple of days ago! Now I have to look for a new replacement! LOL!

HarryWild said:

The itouch 5th is getting dated with A5 and only 512MB. The iphone 6 will have an A8 and 1.5GB or more RAM. That will be three SoC generations behind or three years when iphone 6 is release! That is a long time for computer electronics.

I have still the 4th gen and A4 and 256MB! It very slow since I accidently upgrade the OS to 6.0 just a couple of days ago! Now I have to look for a new replacement! LOL!

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There is something called GeekGrade it's a tethered downgrade that can downgrade your iPod Io like iOS 5 or 4 without SHSH blobs. I tried it before on my iPhone 4 and went back to iOS 6.1.2 and it works fine! Except its a tethered downgrade witch is just like a tethered jailbreak.

The real problem with the iPT is the value vs specs. It's a very usable tool for business in addition to personal / music / app.

If Apple would simply update to current iPhone specs instead of "left overs" last year specs, people would buy more.

You CAN make phone calls with iPT using WiFi (which is becoming much more common).

In fact, iPT can do almost everything iPhone can (less the standard phone calls).

Most of the usage of the iPhone is NOT phone calls.

Usage of the Web is going towards app web services vs "web browsing"

The "PC" is going down, it might not ever die, but it IS going down, meanwhile, mobile is nothing but going up.

iPT _CAN_ have a strong place more as a iPad Mini Mini.

If Apple would see the iPT as a Mini Mini and give it exactly the same specs as the new mini, they'd see a bounce in the sales. Give it something close to a 5" or 6" screen, they'd find a spot in the lineup.

I would have liked a 5.5" iPod Touch with the same specs as the iPhone 5s or better.

But it is unlikely that such an animal will see the light of day.

So, I picked up a LG G3 to use for reading, writing and media consumption.

I'll keep my iPhone as my primary device for calls, txt etc. But I had a second line on my account collecting dust so I figured I'd try it out as a pseudo iPod.

SpyderBite said:

I would have liked a 5.5" iPod Touch with the same specs as the iPhone 5s or better.

But it is unlikely that such an animal will see the light of day.

So, I picked up a LG G3 to use for reading, writing and media consumption.

I'll keep my iPhone as my primary device for calls, txt etc. But I had a second line on my account collecting dust so I figured I'd try it out as a pseudo iPod.

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This is part of the problem Apple has. If the did make a 5.5 iPT, they would eat into iPhone sales. If they DON'T ... LG will

Next market focus: Business. Apple might group up with IBM for business apps ... oh wait... they just did...

Specs I hope of (as I still carry a fifth gen which la- gs as it is):

- A7 SoC, 1GB RAM
- 4.7' display
- 8MP shooter (5s quality)
- Touch ID (color coordinated)

That's about it. So yes, those new prices for the 5G look EXTREMELY tempting now that my 5G is kaput, but the iPhone 6 event is a little over a month away. So it's that. I have two options; get the iPod touch 6G (if it even does come out), or the most likely option as my plan has expired: getting the iPhone 6. No skimped specs, the flagship. The go to. But that's the other thing; even though it is nearly a year old the 5s is looking good.

YanniDepp said:

Some people don't want a Mac Pro. I want a Mac mini with an 8 core processor, 6 USB 2 ports and two graphics cards. By not releasing this configuration, Apple are losing sales and not innovating.

Stupid argument.

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Oooo-kay... !

Is a 2-years contract included in your Mac Pro configuration ? Because it is on an iPhone.

You either pay $250 for an iPod Touch with an old configuration, or you pay around $2 000 for an iPhone.

PsykX said:

Oooo-kay... !

Is a 2-years contract included in your Mac Pro configuration ? Because it is on an iPhone.

You either pay $250 for an iPod Touch with an old configuration, or you pay around $2 000 for an iPhone.

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Or $750 if you don't fall for those contract scams :-O

dumastudetto said:

Nobody needs an A6 processor in iPod Touch. It isn't designed for that purpose where raw performance is critical to the usefulness of the device. If this is important to you, you must buy an iPhone.

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The ipod does everything the iphone does except make phone calls (and have a compass/gps). So would you care to explain why making a telephone call requires a fast processor (hint: it doesn't -- look at any feature phone)

The fact that Apple has seen it necessary to develop the A8 and further processors for their iOS devices tells you that speed and processing power ARE in fact important.

I have a 4th gen ipod touch (and ipad air). I have a feature phone with a battery that lasts a week. I actually prefer having a separate iOS device that I can use and take notes on while I talk on my phone. I would love to replace this with a slightly larger screen, faster processor, more RAM, better camera ipod touch. I feel pretty sure this will come, but due to all the products already scheduled for release later this year, think it will have to be 2015. However, there is really no competition for ipT so all we can do is wait!

Truthfulie said:

But getting an old iPhone to a child doesn't mean getting her a cellphone. Without SIM, it's basically an iPod.

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Basically an ipod that costs 3 times what an ipod costs you mean.

Also, stop with the condescending "ipod touches are for poor brown people and children" comments. I am a masters educated white collar professional Gen Xer and have no desire for an iphone and love my ipod touch. I don't need a $2,000 device that does what my $200 ipod touch does. I just want it refreshed with good camera, more RAM, better processor, better battery life, etc.

For those that actually prefer an iphone, fine, just buy your iphone. But don't try to convince me that *I* need one. I do not want a device that comes with a $100 monthly usage fee (about half what the ipod touch itself costs!!!)

spicynujac said:

Basically an ipod that costs 3 times what an ipod costs you mean.

Also, stop with the condescending "ipod touches are for poor brown people and children" comments. I am a masters educated white collar professional Gen Xer and have no desire for an iphone and love my ipod touch. I don't need a $2,000 device that does what my $200 ipod touch does. I just want it refreshed with good camera, more RAM, better processor, better battery life, etc.

For those that actually prefer an iphone, fine, just buy your iphone. But don't try to convince me that *I* need one. I do not want a device that comes with a $100 monthly usage fee (about half what the ipod touch itself costs!!!)

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Just regarding that last point, you CAN buy an iPhone without any contract. Basically $450 for 2 generations old (so in the coming months that'll end up being the 5c probably), $550 for last gen, $650 for current.

Of course that's much more expensive than an iPod touch obviously! It does have other advantages though even besides the phone and the current gen hardware though. Hmm...I guess that basically means right now the iPhone equivalent to the iPod touch is 2.25x more, and besides the phone that gets you GPS, a better speaker, I guess a better camera? Maybe? Sorta? Not actually sure about that anymore...

I really wish Apple would release a competitor to Nokia's inexpensive Windows Phones like the 520 last year and 635 this year. They're like half the price or less than the iPod touch but have higher end hardware in them (and a phone!). Apple's always overpriced, but there's no reason they couldn't sell the same thing for $200 or $300 that Microsoft sells for $100. Could eliminate the iPod touch, AND get more market share for iOS, which is crazy important and I feel like they're choosing to throw away.

Ugh, well it makes sense to me *sigh*.

(Of course as much as I like iOS I'm not even using it much now as that lightning connector is defective as near as I can tell...already been through 3 devices that use it and die...)

spicynujac said:

Basically an ipod that costs 3 times what an ipod costs you mean.

Also, stop with the condescending "ipod touches are for poor brown people and children" comments. I am a masters educated white collar professional Gen Xer and have no desire for an iphone and love my ipod touch. I don't need a $2,000 device that does what my $200 ipod touch does. I just want it refreshed with good camera, more RAM, better processor, better battery life, etc.

For those that actually prefer an iphone, fine, just buy your iphone. But don't try to convince me that *I* need one. I do not want a device that comes with a $100 monthly usage fee (about half what the ipod touch itself costs!!!)

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I don't see how my comments are condescending as you put it. I am not trying to convince anyone that they need an iPhone (and guess what? They don't cost two grand nor do they require a hundred dollar monthly plan since the many carriers are offering plenty of affordable plans that cost much less than they used to). I am simply stating that iPods do not have the same kind of appeal to the mass as they used to because of iPhone and other smart phones becoming very common and the fact that they've become a product that Apple do not give much attention to as result. If you love your iPod great, I did love mine too. I am not even saying that they shouldn't refresh. All I am saying is that they simply became less valid than they have been before therefore a refresh, in my opinion, may not happen. That is all.

Today I saw something that leads me to believe it is now likely that the Touch will be updated this year with a new model. Staples is running what looks to me like a year end clearance of their Touch's, selling the 32G for $214 and the 64G for $289, "while supplies last".