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Unreleased iPod Touch 5 With Chamfered Edges and 30-Pin Dock Connector Shared Online

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Occasional leaker Mr White has today shared interesting images on Twitter of what appears to be an old-school fifth-generation iPod touch prototype with chamfered edges and a brushed aluminum finish.

mr-white-ipod-touch-5-protoype3.jpeg

The original iPod touch 5 that Apple released in October 2012 had a unibody anodized aluminum chassis with rounded edges, and was available in several colors, including slate.

mr-white-ipod-touch-5-protoype2.jpeg

Another interesting detail on the prototype, which lacks an Apple logo on the back, is the presence of a 30-pin dock connector, suggesting it was designed before Apple formally adopted Lightning.

Along with the iPhone 5, iPod nano (7th generation), and iPad (4th generation), the original iPod touch 5 was one of the first Apple devices to feature a Lightning port.

mr-white-ipod-touch-5-protoype4.jpeg

The prototype also has the headphone jack bottom-right, whereas on the iPod touch 5 it was located on the left. Apple discontinued the iPod touch 5 in 2015.

We haven't heard of any rumors suggesting Apple has an upgraded iPod touch in the works. The current seventh-generation iPod touch was the result of a refresh in May 2019, and is currently the only product in Apple's iPod product line, following the discontinuation of the iPod nano and iPod shuffle in 2017.

Article Link: Unreleased iPod Touch 5 With Chamfered Edges and 30-Pin Dock Connector Shared Online
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2021/06/10/unreleased-ipod-touch-5-chamfered-edges/
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Interesting to see how far ahead the iPod touch was in 2012 with that body structure and overall size. It’s kind of unfortunate to see the iPod not what it once was anymore, given the popularity iPhone growth, but still a stout device that is the perfect companion for me in the gym, aside from the Apple Watch.
 
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CarpalMac said:
Is that because it is a timeless design though, or just that we've reached a state of device shape maturity which has barely seen any change in the last half dozen or so years?
Click to expand...

And then when you look at the iPod touch sales, they’re stagnant. And that’s partially to blame Apple because they don’t market this product at all anymore. It still has a significant factor, but it doesn’t probably make Apple much money, especially given it’s only updated every three years or so.
 
Pretty crazy that this is almost essentially the 12 Mini design. But then again, its just a tweaked iPhone 4 through to 5S design. iPhone 5 was my favourite form factor when it was released. So small and lightweight.
 
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How do we know it's not just a housing that Chinese manufacturer has made?

It won't be the first time someone makes a fake housing and tries to classify it as "leaked images of the next iPhone" (just an example)
 
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himanshumodi said:
I actually started off with iPod touch long before I got an iPhone. It was an absolutely solid device. Did unbelievable amount of gaming on that... with what are now "classics" on the app store. Was an awesome gadget.
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I bought my iPod Touch in 2009 and used it regularly until 2014/2105. Not too long after that my wife started using it and continues to use it to this day. 12 years of almost continuous usage, not bad. One reason I like Apple devices (and yes, I know about the misfires like the Butterfly keyboard).
 
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Geeze I would love a meaningfully updated iPod touch. I enjoy having a separate music device, but love some of the apps/services offered for music on iOS.

Given that Apple now offers a super high tier of lossless that isn’t actually playable on any Apple hardware without an external DAC, I think maybe there’s a very faint chance it gets updated with a music focus. Given that this is a niche of a niche, however, they could more than easly just kill it.
 
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Relentless Power said:
but still a stout device that is the perfect companion for me in the gym, aside from the Apple Watch.
Click to expand...
Same here. When my wife needed a "new" iPod nano to replace the one that she had used almost daily during workouts for 5 years, we bought a pair from a good seller at Mercari. I helped test one of them out to make sure the basic functionality worked and realized I missed using an iPod during my runs (used to use an iPod shuffle - good device, but I didn't care for the "no screen" interface).

So I bought some iPod Nanos for my use from the same seller at Mercari and have been listing to music on them during my jogging since July of last year. Given the prices were nice and the iPods were in good condition, I now have 5 Nanos (4th, 5th and 7th generation). I think I am good for a while... 🎶:)
 
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