With Apple being silent about the exact release plans of the iPod Touch 6th Gen speculations have risen regarding what this much-anticipated media device has to offer.
With the California-based manufacturer focusing on the release of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus which have sold over 50 million units as of Q1 2015, leading the company to come out with another batch of 45 million units later this year, the iPod Touch 6th Gen release was effectively placed in limbo -- at least for the time being. Or it may take longer, seeing as another awaited Apple product - the Apple iPhone 7 - is also in the works and may require attention from the OEM as well.
It has been said that both the iPhone 6 and the iPod Touch 6th Gen are supposed to have the similar, if not exactly the same specs. This explains the delay, since the focus is on the iPhone 6.
Still, it's been three years since the previous iPod Touch, the 5th Gen, was released. Between 2012 and now, many technologies have been developed by the multi-media manufacturing giant which effectively rendered it obsolete. The 6th Gen was expected last year, given Apple's two-year release schedule of new Touch models. Understandably, fans of the Touch are very much eager and frustrated at this point. However, the recent influx of smartphone releases has been pointed out as one of the possible reasons for the delay of the 6th Gen's coming. Especially more so since they can do the same things an MP3 player can and a lot more.
One thing is certain, though: the market for the iPod Touch 6th Gen will be most profitable for Apple still.
The new iPod Touch 6th Gen is expected to come out with a 4.7-inch and a 5.5-inch model in pink, yellow, red, silver, gray, and blue variants. As for the hardware, it's possible it would have an Apple A8 chipset - that is, until the A9 is officially unveiled - containing a 1.4GHz dual-core Cyclone CPU and a PowerVR 6450 GPU with 1GB RAM. It will come with an 8MP main camera and a 1.5 front cam. For internal storage, the device will have a 32GB and a 64GB variant with microSD support.
The unit is also said to be water-resistant.
The iPod Touch 6th Gen is forecasted to have a price tag of US$250 to $300, and carry either the iOS 8.1, 8.3 or iOS 9.
Also, it's expected to utilize the Retina Display function (as seen in the iPad Mini 3) as well as the company's signature Touch ID security for the unit and for online Apple Store Purchases.
Hopefully, the iPod Touch 6th Gen is coming out within the year, probably in Q3.
Whether or not there would be an iPod Touch 6th Gen is still an open question. One thing is for sure: there is still a market for it. Perhaps there would be some updates from Apple in the coming days, maybe during the London Tech Week?
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