It’s been ore than three years since Apple released a new iPod touch, but it looks like the company may have a new one in the works… along with several new iPads.
Developer Steven Troughton-Smith dug through some of the code for iOS 12.2 and found references to several previously unannounced iPhones, plus a new iPod model.
While we don’t have detailed information about the specs, prices, or launch dates, it’s likely that the new tablets will all be value-oriented devices rather than premium products like the iPad Pro lineup.
That’s because all of the new devices appear to lack FaceID support. The iPod touch doesn’t support Touch ID either.
While Troughton-Smith found references to four different iPad models, it’s likely that we’re actually looking at variants of two devices. For example, one might be a new iPad mini that comes in WiFi-only or WiFi + cellular versions, while the other could be a new 9.7 inch iPad with the same wireless options.
But honestly, it’s the iPod touch that has me most intrigued. Apple has long dominated the market for handheld/pocket-sized touchscreen smart devices that aren’t phones… but I suspect that’s a market that’s been shrinking in recent years as more and more people buy smartphones.
The most recent iPod touch sells for $199 and up and has the specs of a really-old iPhone: a 4 inch, 1136 x 640 pixel display, an Apple A8 processor, an 8MP rear camera and 1.2MP front camera, 802.11ac WiFi, Bluetooth 4.1, and 32GB to 128GB of storage.
It’ll be interesting to see what Apple’s vision for a modern iPod touch is. A faster processor seems like a given. A bigger screen wouldn’t surprise me. And ongoing support for newer iOS features is pretty much a must-have. But at a time when the cheapest of Apple’s current-gen phones sells for $749 and up, will the company stick with the $199 starting price for its iPod touch, or will that change as well?
I thought that the ipad mini was effectively the ipod touch XL. On a serious note, at a starting price of $400, how do they expect ipad mini to sell at all? They need a model that sells at $300 or less. Heck, the 9 inch ipad starts at $330.
Just my $0.02 (I am an Android user).
1) Apple fans are loyal.
2) There isn’t a lot of competition from Android tablets.
3) Even quality build tablets running Android aren’t cheap. Samsung’s competitor for the Mini, the 8″ Galaxy S2, retails at $329, and one can easily argue Apple’s tablet ecosystem is worth the extra cost of the Mini.
I have a rooted Amazon HD 10 as my tablet. You can pick it up for $100 when it’s on sale. It’s nowhere near as premium as an iPad, but it suits my purposes down to the ground, though I’m not sure I would think the same thing if I couldn’t dispose of the Amazon skin and install the Google Play store.
Why d you need the Play Store when you have the Yalp Store? https://liliputing.com/2017/08/get-android-apps-without-using-play-store.html
The $400 Mini has a laminated screen and 128GB of baste storage. The $330 9.7″ iPad has neither of those. The Mini makes an ideal reading device (because of its better screen and minimal weight, it’s a more advanced build than the $330 iPad) and it’s also used by pilots, because it is the size that fits into the cockpit, among other industrial uses.
The $400 Mini is still stuck with an A8 processor, dating back to 2015 – the extra storage and laminated display don’t compensate for everything. Buying an A8-powered device in 2019, for that price, is down-right silly.