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The A10 chip in the iPod touch is running at 1.6GHz compared to 2.3GHz in the 6th-generation iPad and iPhone 7, both of which use the A10 chip. Apple is undoubtedly underclocking the processor to save battery life. Since this is a 4-inch phone, it has a small battery.

Does this thing have cellular connectivity now?
 
I actually bought this New iPod! I've been waiting forever! it delivers tomorrow!!

I only bought this for the gym as I just got the Power Beats as well! my 2015 iPod is in brand new shape and when I tell you how slowwwwwwww it is and how the battery fools you as its slowwwwwwwwly slowwwwly dying. I can't even think to open up ads at times. so ridiculous!!! Apple said those batteries die w/in two years which is BS! SPENDING $300 on a product to last 2 years SMH! looking forward to the new iPod but I'm SHOCKED they didn't make it bigger like COME THE F ON!!!! MY GAWD!!!! do something to it!!!
 
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I hate this short sighted attitude. There are TONS of reasons to have a dedicated iPod. Not everyone wants to risk their $1500 phone in a sweat and metal filled gym. Not everyone wants to use wireless. Not everyone wants to store their music on their phone and kill the battery during their workout. Not everyone wants to be interrupted by a phone call during their workout.

I just purchased the 128gb new iPod and also just got my power beats the day they were released. my 2015 iPod is a piece of crap! so I'm happy to get this new one. I never take my iPhone XS Max to the gym. I see others drop theirs and scream and what not! hell no! its safe and locked up and happy to use an iPod for the gym with my power beats! I just wish the screen was bigger at least do something different but its what it is.
 
Feels strange to be in 2019 watching a review of a newly-released device with a physical home button and no Touch ID ring. My first iOS device had Touch ID, ran iOS 7, and that was almost six years ago.

I half expected this thing to be running iOS 6 out of the box...
 
I think it’s a disgrace, even for penny pinching Tim Apple, and such a pathetic minimum effort cash grab that it doesn’t even merit a Macrumors post. It should be boo’d and thumb’d down altogether.



Apple earlier this week introduced new iPod touch models, updating the 4-inch device for the first time since 2015. Not a lot has changed, but there's a new processor and updated storage tiers.

We thought we'd go hands-on with the new iPod touch to see if it still has a place in Apple's lineup in 2019 and who might want to purchase one.


The new 7th-generation iPod touch is now Apple's smallest device and the sole device that has a 4-inch display. The smallest iPhones (7 and 8) have 4.7-inch displays, so the new iPod touch is a good bit smaller and comparable to an iPhone 5s or SE.

Coming to a 4-inch iPod touch from a larger iPhone is quite an adjustment because most of us are no longer used to using a device with such a small display. It's tiny and it's made from a lightweight aluminum, which is nice if you need something you can just tuck in a pocket.

ipodtouch1.jpg

We have the iPod touch in blue, but it's also available in five additional colors: pink, (PRODUCT)RED, silver, gold, and space gray. As with the previous-generation iPod touch, there are thick bezels at the top and bottom of the device.

The bottom bezel houses a Home button, but unlike the iPhone, there's no Touch ID built in. There's also no Face ID, because the iPod touch has no biometric authentication system at all. You need to use a passcode for unlocking the device.

Camera tech hasn't been updated, so the new iPod touch is still using an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 1.2 megapixel front-facing camera, both of which are pretty far behind current camera technology in more modern Apple devices. For those who prefer wired headphones, there is a headphone jack.

The sole major update to the 7th-generation iPod touch is its new processor, which is an A10 Fusion chip that Apple first used in the 2016 iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. The A10 Fusion chip is a good bit faster than the A8 chip that was in the 6th-generation iPod touch, but it's worth noting that it's underclocked in this new model compared to other A10 devices.

ipodtouchbenchmark.jpg

The A10 chip in the iPod touch is running at 1.6GHz compared to 2.3GHz in the 6th-generation iPad and iPhone 7, both of which use the A10 chip. Apple is undoubtedly underclocking the processor to save battery life. Since this is a 4-inch phone, it has a small battery.

The iPod touch earned a single-core Geekbench score of 2722 in our testing, and a multi-core score of 4695. That's a good bit slower than the 6th-generation iPad, which earned a single-core score of 3520 and a multi-core score of 6079.

It's faster than the 6th-generation iPod, though, which has a single-core Geekbench score of 1330 and a multi-core score of 2250. Apple also underclocked the A8 chip in the 6th-generation iPod touch, so having a chip that runs a bit slower in an iPod touch isn't new.

You can get the iPod touch with 32GB of storage for $199, while 128GB of storage will cost $299 and 256GB of storage (a new storage tier) will cost $399.

ipodtouch2.jpg

As for the question of who the iPod touch is for, it's not entirely clear. This is probably a good starter device for a younger child that needs access to games, FaceTime, iMessage, and other features, but there are also potential business applications, as this is an affordable device for something like mobile checkout. It could also be useful for schools looking for inexpensive Apple devices.

For the average person that has other Apple devices like an iPhone or iPad, you're probably not going to want to pick up an iPod touch unless you have a specific use case for it, such as listening to music with wired headphones while at the gym or something. Most people aren't going to have a use for an iPod touch over an iPhone, which is likely why it received only a modest processor update.

What do you think of the new iPod touch? Let us know in the comments.

Article Link: Hands-On With Apple's New 7th-Generation iPod Touch
Well, I've found one use for the Touch. I found my old one at the bottom of my sock drawer and out of nostalgia charged it and fired it up. Looking around I became curious why Apple had bothered to ship it with FaceTime installed but quickly found out that if it's on the same wi-fi network with an iPhone it can both receive and send phone calls. Since I had recently discontinued my landline service I started using it and a couple more very cheaply acquired on eBay (about fifty bucks each) as extensions spotted around the house (they can double as tabletop clocks). A very handy solution, spares me the need of keeping my iPhone on my person 24/7 (or making mad gallops to another room when I forget to do that).
 
I hate this short sighted attitude. There are TONS of reasons to have a dedicated iPod. Not everyone wants to risk their $1500 phone in a sweat and metal filled gym. Not everyone wants to use wireless. Not everyone wants to store their music on their phone and kill the battery during their workout. Not everyone wants to be interrupted by a phone call during their workout.

Very niche reasons and probably why Apple gave it a minor update. Have fun at the gym!
 
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I think it’s a disgrace, even for penny pinching Tim Apple, and such a pathetic minimum effort cash grab that it doesn’t even merit a Macrumors post. It should be boo’d and thumb’d down altogether.

Some of us HATE the overpriced iPhones. I use my old iPod Touches as couch surfing remotes and email/Net check devices, not to mention they're great for some headphone listening at home. The iPad would work for this as well, but it's pretty darn bulky to set on an end table like a remote. I even use an older version still by my bed stand connected to 2.1 speakers to play music or 'noise' (that blocks out outside noise) when I sleep (VERY handy and uses a fraction of the power of what it would take to use my Mac to airplay it to the same speakers even though they are connected through an Airport Express).

However, Apple should lower the price of this thing. I bought a Windows phone for $38 (another $90 for a 200GB SD card at the time) three years ago that can duplicate most of the functions of this thing other than App store apps and it had a larger screen. Now THAT was a BARGAIN, especially for someone that uses a phone mostly as a phone and to occasionally check email or a web site. Now if this new iPod Touch was $99 with 128GB, it'd be FANTASTIC to have one sitting in every room of the house on WiFi.... $300 is absurd in 2019 when 200GB now costs $32 in an SD Card form. In that respect, it really is a cash grab....
 
I think it’s a disgrace, even for penny pinching Tim Apple, and such a pathetic minimum effort cash grab that it doesn’t even merit a Macrumors post. It should be boo’d and thumb’d down altogether.

I think the only reason Apple updated it was to run future iOS versions.

If people don't like the Touch 7, they can always purchase an iPhone or iPad.
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Apple's hardware line is now as fragmented as Android OS.

How does the Touch 7 fragment the hardware line more than the Touch 6 did ?

The Touch 7 is essentially the Touch 6 with a faster processor.
 
I just don't get the lack of Touch ID. That really surprised me when I heard that. Very unfortunate.
From a developer's perspective, it's idiotic to still offer a 4" screen. So much for standards.

It's been reported that one of the largest markets are industrial/medical/vertical market use where it runs a single main application and the users are wearing gloves so TouchID would not not be a benefit and the screen size is not a detriment.


I think the only reason Apple updated it was to run future iOS versions.

This is very likely the reason.
 
Apple's hardware line is now as fragmented as Android OS.

Possibly even more fragmented since Android phones are mostly standardised on OLED and USB whereas Apple is still designing new LCD and lightning products.
 
I think the only reason Apple updated it was to run future iOS versions.

If people don't like the Touch 7, they can always purchase an iPhone or iPad.
[doublepost=1559255349][/doublepost]

How does the Touch 7 fragment the hardware line more than the Touch 6 did ?

The Touch 7 is essentially the Touch 6 with a faster processor.
Because you have FaceID on some iPhones, touch ID on others, no touch ID on Ipod Touch, some touch bars on Macs and not others, same goes for the Ipad line. It has become a very confusing hardware line even for someone as tech like me.
 
It's been reported that one of the largest markets are industrial/medical/vertical market use where it runs a single main application and the users are wearing gloves so TouchID would not not be a benefit and the screen size is not a detriment.

Seems unlikely. They could still just not use TouchID if it were there.
 
When they killed the click wheel on the iPod, it was R.I.P. Now it's just a crippled iPhone.
Just another in a long line of dumb design decisions to remove useful functionality in favor of non-useful/missing functionality.
 
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Apple is undoubtedly underclocking the processor to save battery life. Since this is a 4-inch phone, it has a small battery.

Pretty much the same garbage as the IPT6, not buying this.
 
Beware! The iPod Touch 6G had miserable battery life when on Wi-Fi — you turn on Wi-Fi and just watch the battery drain!

The battery gauge is off, too. Do a restart and the gauge will jump to a higher level. It also frequently shuts down unexpectedly even when the battery still shows 12-13% juice left. Rarely does it go below that before going kaput.

Alas, the iPod Touch 7, just like the iPod Touch 6, is the ONLY i-device in Apple's line up for which they DON'T give the Wi-Fi battery life! That is a HUGE RED FLAG.

No wonder they didn't provide that info for the IPT 6. It's probably the same reason they haven't given it for the IPT 7 — a tiny battery that cannot support Wi-Fi well at all.

If anyone's in the market for an IPT, it'd be better to get an iPhone SE and simply not activate the cellular service. Costs about $50-100 less and you'll get superb battery life! And, a device that's easier to hold!
 
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I think it’s a disgrace, even for penny pinching Tim Apple, and such a pathetic minimum effort cash grab that it doesn’t even merit a Macrumors post. It should be boo’d and thumb’d down altogether.

Have to agree with this one. Very minor "upgrade" and the Under Locked!
Wife and I bought 64g refurbs about 2 months ago and couldn’t be happier. Got them at a great price too. I notice Apple really raised the prices on the refurbed 6 gen Touches the day the 7 gen came out.
Sure, a little slow but it plays music great, which is what we got them for. I keep WiFi turned off.
Yup, we’ll be stuck with iOS 12 I suppose but we’ll still get good years of use out of them. When iTunes no longer recognises them, maybe we’ll move on to another of the music management software solutions out there.
 
I hate this short sighted attitude. There are TONS of reasons to have a dedicated iPod. Not everyone wants to risk their $1500 phone in a sweat and metal filled gym. Not everyone wants to use wireless. Not everyone wants to store their music on their phone and kill the battery during their workout. Not everyone wants to be interrupted by a phone call during their workout.
gotta love you loyalists. This product will make all 6 in the world that you describe who can justify the price.
 
i'm sorry but they need to bring back some type of old school Ipod. I would never take a device with a glass screen on a workout especially so bulky. I'm sure this works for so people but it's not for everyone.

Still rocking 4 iPod Shuffles, a Mini, one of the squat Nano’s, and a 6 gen touch in a clear TPU case for protection.
 
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