Apple May Be Working on 7th-Generation iPod Touch, 2019 iPhones Could Adopt USB-C

[Porco]

Just interested, why is a headphone jack so important? I'm truly just asking to understand. I switched over the past 2 years to wireless headphones and haven't found it annoying at all. I would guess people have invested in expensive headphones and want to keep using them? But Id guess in 2 or 3 years headphones jacks will be on even less devices, no?

Lots of people still prefer wired headphones, for numerous reasons. I’m pleased wireless headphones are working out for you, but they don’t for everyone. I think in a device that has always been focused on music and audio playback, to not include a headphone socket would be ludicrous.

Wireless headphones also make using audio creation apps (e.g. Garageband) less useful because of the lag, even ignoring the lower audio quality often introduced.

 

[Braderunner]

Please let them be working on a smaller iPhone!

 

[ipedro]

If you had to plug in both devices at the same time, you'd need two cables anyway. Why does it matter that they are different?

I’ve actually stopped carrying cables altogether unless I’m travelling. Qi chargers are popping up everywhere from offices to airports to train stations to food courts to cafes. USB is just a holdover until Qi becomes widespread. I don’t even think that USB-c will have a chance to become as ubiquitous as existing USB-A plugs. That took over a decade. Qi will be everywhere within a few years, far outpacing USB-c.

 

[Mal67]

This.

Don’t get rid of the iPod line. I would like to see them upgraded to at least a 4.7” screen size, and maybe some upgrades to the internals but that’s it. They are perfect for my kids. My kids don’t need phones as a personal device.

I use my ipod all the time and I would love to see a slightly larger version of it.

 

[Scottsoapbox]

As an iPod enthusiast and an owner of a 6th gen iPod touch, I truly hope they do update it. Any update is good at this point to keep the iPod around and to allow people to get a cheap iOS device without a phone plan.

You don't *have* to get a plan with a phone. Why do so many people not understand this? Instead of getting $200 for your old phone on eBay, keep it without a plan. Perfect for kids or friends with no money.

 

[rafark]

1 keep the size exactly as iPod Touch is now. small and light.
2 put in an Intel phone modem
3 no physical SIM; just an eSIM will do
4 make it available in 5 colours
5 Touch ID. no Face ID
6 no need for state of the art camera(s)
7 price it around USD 499 for base model. USD 599 for a bigger GB disk size
8 launch it in April 2019

it very easily becomes the new iPhone 5/s iPhone SE / for people who want a smaller sized phone.
and India will love it too.

Dude, that's no longer an iPod, that's an iPhone.

 

[vmac556]

they will most likely ruin it by making it bigger and adding a new camera that sticks out like a sore thumb, I wonder why iphone sales keep going down????????

 

[ESpen36]

Big question: how would USB-C affect the WATERPROOFING of the iPhone? I think that is a huge issue. iPhone XS has IP68 certification with the current lighting connector. That's awesome. Saves hundreds of thousands of devices per year, I'm sure. There is no way that Apple would want to have lesser water resistance just to add USB-C.

Anyone know?

 

[Greg3523]

USB-C would be fantastic. One less cable.

But have to say, I'm completely shocked at the lack of support. I cannot find a single hub with multiple USB-C (not USB-A) outputs on the market! I get we won't be seeing Thunderbolt hubs, but why not USB-C? I want to get rid of every cable with the old chunky A connector, rats nest of cables at home due to so much duplication and combinations of different ends. It's ridiculous. Why doesn't Apple just put something out to push things along? The laptops have been out for over 2 years and there is still no hub that let's you drop USB-A.

 

[npmacuser5]

For five dollars more, add the modem, sell millions of them worldwide. Smartphone on the cheap with a great echo system. Sounds good take my money.

 

[JosephAW]

Be nice to have a thunderbolt port on an iPhone but then I would have to get a thunderbolt dongle converter for my MBP to get the maximum thruput.

 

[BB1970]

I record a lot of local band and acts with my iPhone (and occasionally iPad Pro).
If the Touch came with a great camera akin to the latest iPhones, I’d buy one in a heartbeat. While recording with a phone is fine, it means I’m without it for about three hours. Been waiting for an updated Touch for a while.

 

[BGarza]

I manage about 200 iPod touch devices for my organization. They are the ultimate device pocket sized device, plus they never die. Gen 5's were dogs, but Gen 6's are still rad. They were out of vogue for a while, but now that everyone is starting to realize how silly it is to keep a phablet in their front pocket, iPods are being requested again.

if they removed the bezels, and maximized the screen size while retaining a small 4" - 4.7" form factor, I'd buy 400 tomorrow. A well designed UI doesn't require a huge screen.

My dream iPod would have USB-C, and could allow bluetooth mouse/keyboard support when connected to a monitor.

 

[CanadianGuy]

I'd buy a new iPod touch, just to use as a dedicated music player (at my desk). Would work as a good test device when developing as well. I prefer lightning over USB-C since it's smaller and less fragile, but I also think it's time for lightning to go the way of Betamax.
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... they never die. Gen 5's were dogs...

I wore my gen 5 out. Used it every day, until the battery expanded and bust the screen off.

 

[0388631]

Did you try Samsung? They have 10 different ports and no one complain?

What are you talking about? There's been Micro USB and USB Type C for their product lineup for years now. Or are you referring to the old 30 pin connector briefly used on two of their product lineups 8+ years ago?

Or are you referring to the various types of proprietary charger ports nearly all phone OEMs used back in the day before falling onto a standard?

 

[bladerunner2000]

Apple's consumers have been begging for USB-C for years. Apple's greed knows no bounds. Incredible how people still support this company.

 

[dfs]

Apple could have a 7th-generation iPod touch in the works, according to new information shared today by Japanese site Mac Otakara.

Several suppliers at CES 2019 reportedly told Mac Otakara that a 7th-generation iPod touch "might" be in development as a replacement for the 6th-generation version.

The site did not provide details on when an updated iPod touch might launch, nor what features it might include.

Apple last updated the hardware in the iPod touch in July 2015, introducing an A8 chip, an 8-megapixel rear camera, and six color options.

The iPod touch lineup was last tweaked in July 2017 when Apple streamlined the available capacity options (32 and 128GB) and introduced new pricing tiers. Right now, the iPod touch costs $199 for the 32GB version and $299 for the 128GB version, with the higher-capacity model's pricing not too far off from the $329 9.7-inch iPad.

With the iPod shuffle and iPod nano having been discontinued in 2017, Apple's plans for the iPod touch and the iPod family in general have been unclear.

The iPod has seemed to be on its last legs as Apple customers shift to other devices like the iPhone and the iPad, but it's not out of the question that the iPod touch could be updated with more modern hardware like an improved rear camera and a faster A-series chip.

Mac Otakara's report also suggests that the next-generation iPhone coming in 2019 could potentially include a USB-C port. According to "those who are working on it," though, it has not reached a design reference step and whether or not the new iPhones will use USB-C over Lightning is not yet fully established.

This is not the first time we've heard that USB-C could be a feature included in the 2019 iPhone lineup. Atherton Research analyst Jean Baptiste Su recently said that he believes Apple will transition away from Lightning, introducing a USB-C port for the iPhone like it did on the 2018 iPad Pro models.

DigiTimes has also suggested in a vaguely worded report that 2019 iPhones could feature USB-C ports instead of Lightning ports, though it was difficult to tell if it was referring to the ports or a USB-C to Lightning cable for the iPhones.

A swap to USB-C from Lightning has been rumored for years, but the fact that Apple made the transition in the iPad Pro lends more credence to new rumors suggesting the same transition for the 2019 iPhones.

Article Link: Apple May Be Working on 7th-Generation iPod Touch, 2019 iPhones Could Adopt USB-C

You might think the Touch is an obsolete device. Not necessarily so. As long as you have one iPhone on your wireless network you can use one or more Touches exactly as you use extension phones on a landline setup. You can make and receive calls from them, sharing the same number assigned to the iPhone. If, like me, you have a reasonably large house this can be a lot handier than having to carry your iPhone from room to room as you move about. And when not in use as a phone, these Touches can be used as bedside or desktop clocks. It's possible to pick up a Touch 6 on eBay for a hundred bucks or thereabout so this is not an unduly expensive solution.

Nb: the Touch can run the latest iOS and comes pre-loaded with Face Time, which makes it work as a satellite telephone). Somebody else can tell us whether it works as a VoIP device.

 

[tridley68]

I have seen several schools issue them to students with learning disabilities to get their textbooks digitally so they can listen to the reading assignment

 

[0388631]

I manage about 200 iPod touch devices for my organization. They are the ultimate device pocket sized device, plus they never die. Gen 5's were dogs, but Gen 6's are still rad. They were out of vogue for a while, but now that everyone is starting to realize how silly it is to keep a phablet in their front pocket, iPods are being requested again.

Actually, to counter your view, I believe it's the result of people wanting a really good independent music device. Sure, putting your music and or subscriptions on a phone device is great because it also serves as your phone, but it takes away much needed space and, if you lose it, it's a double whammy.

If these rumors are true, I imagine Apple is designing a cellular type model so you can access internet on the go. Possibly even use a VOIP app on it to make calls to other VOIP users or actual telephone numbers. If Apple does this and utilizes a high end DAC, then Apple may somehow re-revolutionize the mobile media market. Again.

Since iPods fell out of favor years ago, there hasn't been a solid mobile media device. Sony makes a few, but they're also costly devices, even if they're amazing. This might allow Apple to rake in billions with a device aimed at people who are amateur or actual audiophiles. Provide a quality device for an affordable price, and the rest is magic.

No reliance on iTunes to load up music, but if they rewrite iTunes from the ground-up, then that's an added benefit.

 

[BornAgainMac]

I think the iPod Touch update is innovation to a bean counter. They probably have some old components and sell it for many years. USB C makes a lot of sense as there should not be too much backlash if they made the switch and get native connectivity with today's Macs.

 

[ksec]

I still don't understand why everyone wants USB-C. It is highly likely Apple will requires MFi for iPhone USB-C cables as well so some stupid manufacture wont **** up the iPhone. And the whole USB-C Standard is just a bag of hurt.

For extreme vast majority of people, they don't travel and the cable doesn't make any difference.

 

[dazz87]

Why? Iphone replace Ipod years ago...........

 

[2GoldFish]

I thought they phased out the iPod branding? Maybe they'll rebrand it with some other name?

Maybe "iPhone nano"? Slimmest iPhone without 'calling feature'?

 

[ksec]

Maybe "iPhone nano"? Slimmest iPhone without 'calling feature'?

I want iPhone Shuffle. So it could randomly call people.

 

[Bustycat]

I’ve actually stopped carrying cables altogether unless I’m travelling. Qi chargers are popping up everywhere from offices to airports to train stations to food courts to cafes. USB is just a holdover until Qi becomes widespread. I don’t even think that USB-c will have a chance to become as ubiquitous as existing USB-A plugs. That took over a decade. Qi will be everywhere within a few years, far outpacing USB-c.

View attachment 815778 View attachment 815776 View attachment 815777

USB is required for connecting a Qi charger.