Apple refreshed the iPod line, breathing new life into the staple of Apple’s music box offering. While the changes to the iPod shuffle and nano are mostly more vibrant colors, there have been some significant changes to the iPod touch. These changes even pushed Apple to jump from version 5 to version 7 of the best selling iPod touch.
But first color changes. Instead of silver, space gray, purple, pink, yellow, blue and green the new iPod nano comes in space gray, gold, silver, pink and blue. The new pink and blue colors seem much deeper and vibrant. Otherwise, the nano is the same nano as before. The iPod shuffle has the exact same color changes and choices.
The iPod touch has been Apple’s best selling iPod for some time and this upgrade is significant. The colors have been changed to add gold and match the nano and shuffle and the size and weight of the iPod touch remains the same, but under the hood there are some big changes. Replacing Apple’s A5 processor is the powerful A8 processor with M8 motion sensor making for the most powerful iPod ever. Instead of the 5 megapixel camera in the 32GB and 64GB models on the older version, all iPod touch models now have an 8MP iSight camera just like the iPhone 6!
Wireless connectivity has been improved with support for 802.11 ac and the move from Bluetooth 4.0 to 4.1. The annoying iPod touch loop has been eliminated, finally, too. These new iPods will run iOS 8.4 which also gives access to Apple Music.
The prices remain the same at $199 for 16GB, $249 for 32GB and $299 for 64GB. They tell me there is a 128GB version for $399 but in Apple’s wisdom they have decided to make that one exclusive to Apple and we will not have the 128GB iPod touch for sale at Small Dog. Don’t ask me why.
The iPod touch should just be re-named as the iPad nano as it fits way better in the iPad line and frankly, I do not see much of a future for the rest of the iPod line. It was a great run and I still use my nano and classic iPods but most of the time I am using my iPhone or even my Apple Watch to listen to music. On the other hand, the iPad nano—oops, iPod touch is a very powerful device that runs iOS 8 and does just about everything an iPad does, too.