Play it again, Apple: Is the iPod coming back?

By David Nield April 25, 2015

play it again apple is the ipod coming back touch — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Few gadgets are as iconic as the iPod. It may not have been the first portable digital music player on the market, but it revolutionized the way we listen to tunes on the go with its huge capacity and its intuitive clickwheel. Since the arrival of the iPhone, however, the iPod has taken a backseat in Apple’s planning.

The iPod Touch hasn’t seen a major update since the end of 2012, and when the iPod Classic was discontinued in September that seemed to be that. However, new reports from the usually reliable AppleInsider suggest that Apple is considering breathing new life into the range sometime this year, at least as far as the Touch models are concerned. iPod fans, stay tuned.

AppleInsider spoke to a source “familiar” with the Cupertino company’s plans, and it sounds like any new models are going to retain the same 4-inch screen size of the current iPod Touch. It’s a safe bet that any new devices will use chips previous seen in the iPhone, but the storage capacity could get a boost. A higher-quality camera lens could also be introduced, according to the anonymous insider.

But why would Apple suddenly rekindle its love for the iPod after all these years? The imminent arrival of an iTunes streaming music service could have something to do with it — a service that Apple has yet to confirm officially — as could the launch of high-fidelity audio devices like Neil Young’s PonoPlayer. What’s more, with the iPhone such a runaway success, Apple doesn’t have to worry about the iPod affecting sales too much.

Could the next iPod be a premium music player with Beats branding? We’ll have to wait and see what Apple has got in store.

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Dave is a freelance journalist from Manchester in the north-west of England. He's been writing about technology since the…

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