Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

iPod touch 2019 iPod Touch Stop Gap?

bodonnell202

bodonnell202

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Jan 5, 2016
2,704
3,631
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Anyone else getting the feeling that this 2019 iPod Touch is a more of a stop gap? Its release a mere week before WWDC when iOS 13 is set to be announced makes me think that A8 devices will not be getting iOS 13. I have a feeling that Apple was working on a new iPod to be released alongside Apple Arcade to be marketed more as a gaming device, but for whatever reason it ended up not being ready in time. Instead we get this device which has a SOC upgrade but no other changes at all (same bluetooth chip and same colors even). I could be wrong but I think if a tweak to the existing iPod Touch was really their plan all along they would have gave it more (latest SOC, bluetooth 5.0... new colors) and released along with all their other releases back in March. I suspect the shelf life of the 2019 iPod Touch will be fairly short...
 
Yeah, probably the best thing to do is give the specs a bump before WWDC discontinues A8 with iOS 13, so the iPod name can still be around. They probably have like "the iPod" in the works for a gaming device.
 
I hope iOS 13 at least works on the other A8 devices if not the iPod touch 6.
 
You might be right. Perhaps the real new touch will come next spring with the lower end iPad refreshes.
 
bodonnell202 said:
Anyone else getting the feeling that this 2019 iPod Touch is a more of a stop gap? Its release a mere week before WWDC when iOS 13 is set to be announced makes me think that A8 devices will not be getting iOS 13. I have a feeling that Apple was working on a new iPod to be released alongside Apple Arcade to be marketed more as a gaming device, but for whatever reason it ended up not being ready in time. Instead we get this device which has a SOC upgrade but no other changes at all (same bluetooth chip and same colors even). I could be wrong but I think if a tweak to the existing iPod Touch was really their plan all along they would have gave it more (latest SOC, bluetooth 5.0... new colors) and released along with all their other releases back in March. I suspect the shelf life of the 2019 iPod Touch will be fairly short...
Click to expand...
No, I don't think it is a stop-gap. It is simply a refresh to be compatible with iOS 13.

Every year some will say that it is the year that Apple will turn the iPod Touch into a portable gaming system. It hasn't happened. It won't happen because that is not the purpose the iPod Touch serves in Apple's iOS device lineup.
 
  • Like
Reactions: akash.nu
I agree with @sracer , I think this was simply the minimum spec bumper needed to keep the iPod touch relevant. Clearly Apple is still selling enough of these to justify its existence. Whether that is to retailers for a kiosk, developers, or the end consumer I don’t know.

Apple sees the iPhone as the be-all end-all device. I don’t think they will push into gaming with a new third-party device that most people won’t purchase. They’re just going to play games on their phone.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Shanghaichica and mikehalloran
I’m really curious to see how battery life is on this new Touch. On the 6th gen battery life was awful compared to the 5th. It will be interesting to see.
 
  • Like
Reactions: colodane
Jerhen said:
I’m really curious to see how battery life is on this new Touch. On the 6th gen battery life was awful compared to the 5th. It will be interesting to see.
Click to expand...

If you look back at the keynote were Apple announced the iPhone 7, they stated that the high-efficiency Coors used 1/5 of the power of the previous generation chip. They also mentioned that this chip used about 50% less power than the chip that was in the sixth generation iPod touch. Overall they claimed about two hours more battery life between the iPhone 6s in the iPhone 7. Given that the iPhone 6s Plus already using a one year newer and more fish and chip and what was in the iPod touch sixth generation, I’m hoping for a somewhat considerable increase in battery life
 
Traverse said:
If you look back at the keynote were Apple announced the iPhone 7, they stated that the high-efficiency Coors used 1/5 of the power of the previous generation chip. They also mentioned that this chip used about 50% less power than the chip that was in the sixth generation iPod touch. Overall they claimed about two hours more battery life between the iPhone 6s in the iPhone 7. Given that the iPhone 6s Plus already using a one year newer and more fish and chip and what was in the iPod touch sixth generation, I’m hoping for a somewhat considerable increase in battery life
Click to expand...
I agree with you on that. Hopefully it does have a lot better battery life. Does anyone else also feel the prices of like the 256gb seems a little steep for dated tech?
 
Jerhen said:
I agree with you on that. Hopefully it does have a lot better battery life. Does anyone else also feel the prices of like the 256gb seems a little steep for dated tech?
Click to expand...

Eh, I guess, the iPad mini is $549 for 256GB, but you get a much better larger screen and newer processor. I think $399 is a bit steep, but they won’t go below $199 for the entry so they’re kind of stuck.

Also I’d you sell a $399 256 iPod touch people may wonder why a 256GB iPhone is $1,200
 
bodonnell202 said:
Anyone else getting the feeling that this 2019 iPod Touch is a more of a stop gap? Its release a mere week before WWDC when iOS 13 is set to be announced makes me think that A8 devices will not be getting iOS 13. I suspect the shelf life of the 2019 iPod Touch will be fairly short...
Click to expand...

Wait and see, but I think if anything they'll support A8 for one more year.

They may update the iPod yearly but who knows, look how long it took to happen.
 
mikehalloran said:
You said "low end". The last Mini refresh was 2019 and the one before was 2015.
Click to expand...
I'd consider the regular iPad a low-end device since it is the most outdated spec-wise and is the cheapest. I'd hope they don't let the Mini sit for years again and start regularly refreshing it again.
 
sracer said:
No, I don't think it is a stop-gap. It is simply a refresh to be compatible with iOS 13.

Every year some will say that it is the year that Apple will turn the iPod Touch into a portable gaming system. It hasn't happened. It won't happen because that is not the purpose the iPod Touch serves in Apple's iOS device lineup.
Click to expand...
You could be right, I just thought it was interesting that they went with the A10 which suggests to me that they don't plan on selling it as is for 3-4 years like they did with the 5th & 6th generation iPod Touches - those models got chips that were about a year old at the time of release whereas the A10 is closer to 3 years old.
 
bodonnell202 said:
You could be right, I just thought it was interesting that they went with the A10 which suggests to me that they don't plan on selling it as is for 3-4 years like they did with the 5th & 6th generation iPod Touches - those models got chips that were about a year old at the time of release whereas the A10 is closer to 3 years old.
Click to expand...
I don’t think iOS 13 will drop support for both A7 and A8 devices. Apple has never done that before. So 6th gen iPod touch probably still has another year and some months of support, just like the 5th gen had another year and some months of support remaining after it was replaced by the 6th gen. I thought it was strange that Apple would give the 7th gen an older A10 if they planned on letting it sit, too. But looking back, I see the support for chips is getting longer. That’s because new processors are being consistently made every year, but every 3 years or so iOS doesn’t drop support for any devices. So the A5 in the 5th gen iPod touch was supported for 5 years. The A8 in the 6th gen for 6 years. The A10 will probably be 7 years, which would allow the 7th gen to stay on the shelf once again for 3 years, and still have another year and some months of support after being replaced (or ended). It’s probably a calculated move on apple’s part.
 
subjonas said:
I don’t think iOS 13 will drop support for both A7 and A8 devices. Apple has never done that before. So 6th gen iPod touch probably still has another year and some months of support, just like the 5th gen had another year and some months of support remaining after it was replaced by the 6th gen. I thought it was strange that Apple would give the 7th gen an older A10 if they planned on letting it sit, too. But looking back, I see the support for chips is getting longer. That’s because new processors are being consistently made every year, but every 3 years or so iOS doesn’t drop support for any devices. So the A5 in the 5th gen iPod touch was supported for 5 years. The A8 in the 6th gen for 6 years. The A10 will probably be 7 years, which would allow the 7th gen to stay on the shelf once again for 3 years, and still have another year and some months of support after being replaced (or ended). It’s probably a calculated move on apple’s part.
Click to expand...
Yes, every S model iPhone has added an extra year of support, first 3GS, then 4s, now 5s, and 6s could be next.
 
bodonnell202 said:
Anyone else getting the feeling that this 2019 iPod Touch is a more of a stop gap? Its release a mere week before WWDC when iOS 13 is set to be announced makes me think that A8 devices will not be getting iOS 13. I have a feeling that Apple was working on a new iPod to be released alongside Apple Arcade to be marketed more as a gaming device, but for whatever reason it ended up not being ready in time. Instead we get this device which has a SOC upgrade but no other changes at all (same bluetooth chip and same colors even). I could be wrong but I think if a tweak to the existing iPod Touch was really their plan all along they would have gave it more (latest SOC, bluetooth 5.0... new colors) and released along with all their other releases back in March. I suspect the shelf life of the 2019 iPod Touch will be fairly short...
Click to expand...

There could be a couple of likely reasons behind this update:

1. Upgrading the internals with the A10 was probably the path of least resistance - low-hanging fruit
2. These probably sell enough to still justify being produced (target audience is most likely kids)
3. They needed the upgrade to support iOS 13
4. Amazing margins on the higher capacity SKUs

I highly doubt Apple will invest design, engineering and marketing resources to develop a new iPod touch.
 
  • Like
Reactions: arefbe
bodonnell202 said:
Anyone else getting the feeling that this 2019 iPod Touch is a more of a stop gap? Its release a mere week before WWDC when iOS 13 is set to be announced makes me think that A8 devices will not be getting iOS 13. I have a feeling that Apple was working on a new iPod to be released alongside Apple Arcade to be marketed more as a gaming device, but for whatever reason it ended up not being ready in time. Instead we get this device which has a SOC upgrade but no other changes at all (same bluetooth chip and same colors even). I could be wrong but I think if a tweak to the existing iPod Touch was really their plan all along they would have gave it more (latest SOC, bluetooth 5.0... new colors) and released along with all their other releases back in March. I suspect the shelf life of the 2019 iPod Touch will be fairly short...
Click to expand...

It's only a stop gap in that Apple needed to update the Touch if Apple wanted it to run the iOS coming out this fall. The only other option was to stop selling the Touch.

I predict that there will be no more Touch updates until Apple needs to update in order to run a next gen iOS.
 
Seems like it is not selling very well here in NL. Almost no stores have it on display let alone in stock, which means you can only buy it online.
 
I’ve just seen the 128GB 6th Gen Gold Touch being sold for exactly the same price as the 7th Gen! Other colours are cheaper than their 7th Gen replacements, but not by enough to justify buying it when it is about to be dropped. They’re calling it a Great New Price as well! This is at Argos.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back