RIIIIGGGHHHHT! And just pay a monthly recurring charge for cellular service when the consumer may not want a phone. Besides even with the iPod Touch you can make Skype and FaceTime audio/video calls.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple Rumored to Release Updated iPod Touch Later This Year
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
RIIIIGGGHHHHT! And just pay a monthly recurring charge for cellular service when the consumer may not want a phone. Besides even with the iPod Touch you can make Skype and FaceTime audio/video calls.
Why would you care about them keeping it or not? If it makes financial sense for them, they should do it. And if other people find a product useful that I don't, how does that affect me?
Interesting! An iPod touch is what converted me from Android to iPhone back a few years ago! Although I wouldn't be buying a new one (no need with an iPhone 6 of course) I still hope they update and continue the Touch line. Prediction time!
Should be interesting to see what happens! Can't wait!
- 4-4.7 inch screen. They won't do the Plus's size, to keep it more exclusive and to not essentially make it an "iPad micro".
- A7 or A8 processor, hard to say which they'll go with. But it WILL have one of the motion coprocessors.
- Updated camera, maybe the 5S's, perhaps with True Tone flash.
- Updated FaceTime camera obviously.
- NFC with ApplePay. Since ApplePay doesn't NEED to be online to work, the iPod Touch could be a very effective mobile wallet!
- Touch ID. Gotta have that if you have ApplePay. Also brand continuity.
- Possibly GPS chip, to go along with AppleWatch support?
Should be interesting to see what happens! Can't wait!
From a developer point of view, I have an iPod Touch to develop apps without carrying another phone (I already have two).
Lighter, cheaper, and usually longer battery life since no cell.
I would for certain pick one up if the storage capacity is at least 128GB. I've had to replace the board and hard drive on my current iPod Classic, and its seen its fair share of drops.
Until the Apple Watch is $50, it's not even the same league as the Shuffle.
I like the iPad Nano naming... though I think it would get confusing with having both a Mini and a Nano. Remember, the iPod Mini was replaced by the iPod Nano - Apple never sold both at the same time.
An iPhone without the phone for people that want a smaller iPhone 6 variant... withouth the phone...?
Finally some news that isn't about the watch.
iPod touch is great for kids and home media, I have one plugged into my Bose sounddock. They have a place.
iPod touch is great for kids and home media, I have one plugged into my Bose sounddock. They have a place.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I'd like to see the iPod Touch merge with the iPhone do something like iPads: Have a Wi-Fi only model, a Wi-Fi + Data model, and a Wi-Fi + Data + Phone model. It probably won't happen, unfortunately.
It doesn't make financial sense though. Why would Apple exclude iPod sales from their reports? They're probably too low to instill investor confidence when people buy shares of Apple through their investment portfolio sites.
Larger Screen maybe?
I agree that if Apple wants to continue to have a stand-alone media player they will need to update it because a lot of apps are being designed and upgraded to support the much faster iPhone and iPad processors, you can't let this product fall behind for too long in the technology department.
But hopefully iPod Touch might get a larger screen, something with at least a 4.5" screen, although I think 5" would be idea.
And some might argue keeping the 4" screen size because they run, exercise and use it as a music player, but then you really should be using the iPod Nano as a dedicated diminutive music player because a lot of people buy the iPod Touch as a "cheaper" tablet for their kids.
To be honest, Apple should rebrand it as iPad Micro. iPod Touch was really Apple's first tablet, but they should leave the iPod branding solely for their music only Nano and Shuffle.
I agree that if Apple wants to continue to have a stand-alone media player they will need to update it because a lot of apps are being designed and upgraded to support the much faster iPhone and iPad processors, you can't let this product fall behind for too long in the technology department.
But hopefully iPod Touch might get a larger screen, something with at least a 4.5" screen, although I think 5" would be idea.
And some might argue keeping the 4" screen size because they run, exercise and use it as a music player, but then you really should be using the iPod Nano as a dedicated diminutive music player because a lot of people buy the iPod Touch as a "cheaper" tablet for their kids.
To be honest, Apple should rebrand it as iPad Micro. iPod Touch was really Apple's first tablet, but they should leave the iPod branding solely for their music only Nano and Shuffle.
You're right about the naming. Good point.
But considering the Shuffle.... its most popular amongst 'workout people'.... as far as I know... and those people will start wearing the smartwatches/jawbones anyway. As soon as those get bluetooth earphones.... the Shuffle is going the way of the dodo with that group of people... Why carry 2 devices after all?
You can be sure that if a product line no longer makes Apple money they would end it in a heartbeat. Remember though that iPod's are still a gateway drug into Apple's walled garden so even selling them at a loss on hardware will most likely get good profit returns from media and app sales.
I think they should focus on allocating all resources to meet the watch demand first since the margin is higher. They have spent nearly $40MM alone last month in marketing - and customers who want to buy them are disappointed because current orders will not be shipped till June 
It worries me that there might be people out their whose only reason to live is the existence of the iPod Classic.
At some point you'll be right, but not yet. A smartwatch or fitness band with on-board storage for music playback plus a decent pair of BT headphones will be several times more expensive than a shuffle and a decent pair of wired headphones.
The 5th gen has outdated hardware. Who knows if it will be able to run iOS 9? But, like you, if they keep the 4" screen size, I'll be very disappointed. The 6th gen should at least be 4.7". I would much prefer a 5.5" screen, but it's a stretch as Apple will probably keep that for their premium phone line. As for 128GB, I think that's a real possibility.
I have the most recent Touch, and it's a dog on iOS 8.
It's also become difficult to charge as there's something up with the lightning connectors, so I've been pondering a replacement.
Personally, I use the Touch as a workout device. It's very light and slim, and I don't have to worry about much being lost if I lose it. I also get workout apps. I'm not a watch person so that route is not one I'm going to take at any point soon. The battery life is excellent, but I wouldn't mind it getting even better.
So, no, it's not just for kiddos. There are plenty of other use cases out there.
It's also become difficult to charge as there's something up with the lightning connectors, so I've been pondering a replacement.
Personally, I use the Touch as a workout device. It's very light and slim, and I don't have to worry about much being lost if I lose it. I also get workout apps. I'm not a watch person so that route is not one I'm going to take at any point soon. The battery life is excellent, but I wouldn't mind it getting even better.
So, no, it's not just for kiddos. There are plenty of other use cases out there.
Yes please! 128GB please, I've maxed out my 64GB.
Only 128GB? That's soooooo 2015.
Down the drain?
This is a vicious cycle. No doubt, Apple would prefer people to buy an iPhone than an iPod Touch. Not upgrading iPods insures their demise. If Apple made good upgrades every year, then iPod sales would be falling less than they have been.
They would still be falling, but perhaps sales could be about double what they are currently. But this is Apple's choice, after all.
It does make sense to upgrade the Touch at least one more time though. Supposedly, it makes up more than half of all iPod sales. That could be more than 6 million Touch sales a year. An upgrade that was good, not just a minor incremental upgrade, could boost sales.
I really don't think that there are too many people out there who are agonizing whether to buy an iPhone or a Touch. People who want iPhones will buy them, and those that don't, won't, but might buy a Touch instead.
This is a vicious cycle. No doubt, Apple would prefer people to buy an iPhone than an iPod Touch. Not upgrading iPods insures their demise. If Apple made good upgrades every year, then iPod sales would be falling less than they have been.
They would still be falling, but perhaps sales could be about double what they are currently. But this is Apple's choice, after all.
It does make sense to upgrade the Touch at least one more time though. Supposedly, it makes up more than half of all iPod sales. That could be more than 6 million Touch sales a year. An upgrade that was good, not just a minor incremental upgrade, could boost sales.
I really don't think that there are too many people out there who are agonizing whether to buy an iPhone or a Touch. People who want iPhones will buy them, and those that don't, won't, but might buy a Touch instead.