Take the 2015 iPod Touch, put in a new chip and change the storage options; what do you get? The Apple iPod Touch 7th generation.
Introduced on May 28, 2019, the iPod Touch 7th generation has been announced 4 years after its predecessor hit the world stage. Its arrival comes as a surprise to many, as it has been generally believed that Apple had abandoned the iPod Touch product line.
The new iPod Touch looks exactly like its 6th generation predecessor that was launched in 2015. All the rumours that it would have a bezel-less design like the new generation iPhones are out the windows. The iPod Touch 7th generation is old school bezel-zilla all the way.
As a matter of fact, you will be hard pressed to tell the difference between the 2015 model and this newest iPod Touch model. The minor differences are on the inside. It has the Fusion A10 processor and a 256 GB internal storage option. That is it. Everything else is the same. That means there is no Touch ID nor Face ID on it either, though there is a Home button.
The Fusion A10 chip isn’t cutting edge either. It is the same chip inside the iPhone 7, released in September 2016. But for what the iPod Touch does, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Think of an iPhone without a mobile radio chip and telephone facilities. That is the iPod Touch. You can connect to the Internet via WiFi, download apps from the Apple Store, browse the Web, use email, make FaceTime calls, and play music. The last item is the iPod Touch’s core competence.
The 4-inch display is small by 2019 standards, but remember that this is a music player by design. What do you need a big screen for? And you can use a 3.5mm audio headset with it, thankfully. You can take photographs on this too, with its 8 megapixel camera at the rear side.
Included in the box are EarPods with 3.5 mm Headphone plug and a Lightning to USB cable.
How much is the iPod Touch 7th generation?
While older iPod Touch models had 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB, and 128 GB storage versions, the iPod Touch 7th generation adds a 256 GB version to the mix and eliminates the 16 and 64 GB versions. So you have the 32 GB model costing $199, the 128 GB model selling for $299, while the 256 GB version sells for $399.
Why would anyone want to buy the iPod Touch in 2019? Perhaps someone who wants a dirt cheap “iPhone” without the need to make use of network data. If you live in a region with lots of WiFi hotspots spread around, that’s a good call.
Personally, I would consider getting one to keep in touch with Apple’s ecosystem. I’d squirm a bit at the prospect of spending $199 (about ₦75,000) on a device I would barely use though. But passion and the love of adventure have been known to influence people into the craziest of decisions, so don’t rule anything out.
Discontinuation: The iPod line is cancelled by Apple
On the 10th of May 2022, Apple announced the discontinuation of the iPod line entirely. The iPod had lived from 2007, the very same year that the first iPhone was released. The last iPod Touch 7th Generation will be sold whenever stock runs out.