Fans of Apple’s iTouch lineup will have reason to rejoice today. Apple has refreshed their iTouch lineup with both new internal and external features. This new 2015 iTouch will replace the aging 5th generation that launched back in 2012, languishing with relatively old hardware.
While the new iTouch keeps the old 4 inch, 1136×640 screen, the CPU and GPU are upgraded significantly. From the old A5 Soc, the new A8 SoC is a significant improvement, being used in the iPhone 6 as well. Though the A8 Soc is underclocked a bit to 1.1 GHz from the standard 1.4 GHz, the lower resolution should actually make the iTouch faster than the iPhone 6 in games. Other changes are a bump in RAM to 1GB, added new M8 motion coprocessor (step, distance, elevation tracking) and support for Metal, iOS 9 and 64bit.
Other changes include the removal of the camera strap and a more pronounced camera bump. The camera itself also gets a bump to 8MP form 5MP though the flash is not upgraded. Connectivity is upgraded to support 802.11ac Wi-Fi which is quickly becoming standard. Capacities come in at 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, or 128GB for $199, $249, $299, or $399.
While the iPad and iPhone are the major iOS devices, the iTouch still serves an important role in being the entry point for new users, whether they be a younger pre-phone audience or for those who still use feature phones. This does put an end to rumors suggesting Apple would drop the iTouch. The iPod Nano and Shuffle also got updated with new colors today. The iTouch can be found on sale here and Apple’s press release here.
